Sewing machine needle clamping device

Abstract

The present invention provides a sewing machine needle clamping device that prevents the sewing machine needle from coming into contact with a component located in front of the needle holder when the sewing machine needle is fixed in place. [Solution] The needle holder 15 of this sewing machine needle clamping device 10 has a main body 20, a housing recess 27, a clamp lever shaft 50, and a clamp lever 60. The main body 20 is formed to penetrate from the front side to the rear side and has a needle insertion hole 33 into which a sewing machine needle 1 can be inserted, a rotating support part 35 that rotates and supports the sewing machine needle 1, and an opening 37 that opens downward. The sewing machine needle 1 is inserted into the needle insertion hole 33 in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the needle fixing shaft 120, rotates with the rotating support part 35 as a pivot point so that the needle tip 4 faces downward, and is inserted out through the opening 37, and the needle handle 2 is housed in the housing recess 27.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a sewing machine needle clamp device for fixing a sewing machine needle, such as a lockstitch sewing machine, an overedge sewing machine, a double-needle lockstitch sewing machine, a flat sewing machine, etc., to a needle holder.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in a lockstitch sewing machine, an overedge sewing machine, a double-needle lockstitch sewing machine, a flat sewing machine, etc., the cloth to be sewn is sandwiched between a presser foot pressed by a needle plate and a presser bar, and advanced stitch by stitch by a feed dog mechanism. A stitch is formed in the cloth with a sewing machine needle and a bobbin or a looper as a loop catching device.

[0003] At this time, a sewing machine needle clamp device is used to securely and easily attach and detach the sewing machine needle to and from the needle holder of the sewing machine. For example, in Patent Document 1 below, a sewing machine needle is attached to a housing recess of a needle holder. The needle holder has a housing recess and a clamp arm that engages with the shank of the sewing machine needle. A swingable clamp lever into which a clamp lever shaft that is freely openable and closable with respect to the housing recess and is loosely fitted into a long hole drilled in the needle holder is fitted, and a needle clamp spring that pulls the clamp lever shaft backward (elastically biases it in a direction away from the shank of the sewing machine needle) and clamps the sewing machine needle via the clamp lever. The clamp arm has a force action locking portion that holds the clamped state against the elastic force of the needle clamp spring. A sewing machine needle clamp device is described.

[0004] In the above sewing machine needle clamp device, for example, a sewing machine needle with the needle tip facing downward is inserted obliquely downward into the housing recess of the needle holder, and after the upper end of the shank is abutted against the upper end of the housing recess, the upper end of the shank is used as a fulcrum, and the sewing machine needle is slightly rotated so as to be in a predetermined posture (here, a posture along the vertical direction) to correct the posture, and the entire shank is housed in the housing recess.

[0005] Subsequently, by closing the clamp lever against the biasing force of the needle clamp spring, the clamped state is maintained by the force-locking mechanism, allowing the sewing machine needle to be fixed to the needle holder. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7089270 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] By the way, near the needle holder of a sewing machine, there are components such as loopers whose position changes depending on the usage.

[0008] In the sewing machine needle clamping device described in Patent Document 1, if the position of a member whose position is displaced, such as a looper, is such that the member is located in front of the sewing machine compared to the needle holder, the sewing machine needle fixed to the needle holder may come into contact with the member such as the looper. In this case, the sewing machine needle may bend or other problems may occur.

[0009] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a sewing machine needle clamping device that can reliably prevent the sewing machine needle from coming into contact with a component that may be located in front of the sewing machine than the needle holder when fixing the sewing machine needle to the needle holder. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a sewing machine needle clamping device for detachably fixing a sewing machine needle having a needle handle and a shaft portion on which a needle tip is provided to a receiving recess of a needle holder provided on a sewing machine, wherein the needle holder has a main body fixed to the needle fixing shaft of the sewing machine, a receiving recess formed on the front side of the main body for accommodating the needle handle, a clamp lever shaft loosely fitted into an elongated hole formed in the main body, and a clamp arm that engages with the needle handle, and a clamp lever into which the clamp lever shaft is fitted and which is openable and closable relative to the receiving recess, wherein the main body is formed to penetrate from the front side to the rear side in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the needle fixing shaft, and the sewing machine needle The sewing machine needle has a needle insertion hole into which the needle can be inserted from the tip, a rotating support part formed in front of the needle insertion hole and rotatably supports the sewing machine needle such that the needle tip is facing downward when inserted into the needle insertion hole, and an opening formed on the rear side of the rotating support part and communicating with the needle insertion hole, opening downward to the needle insertion hole, wherein the sewing machine needle is inserted into the needle insertion hole from the tip in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the needle fixing shaft, rotates with the rotating support part as a pivot point and is inserted out from the opening such that the needle tip is facing downward when the sewing machine needle is inserted into the needle insertion hole, and the needle handle is housed in the receiving recess.

[0011] According to the above invention, the sewing machine needle is inserted into the needle insertion hole from the needle tip in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the needle fixing shaft, and rotates around the rotation support part as a pivot point and is inserted out from the opening so that the needle tip is facing downwards compared to when the sewing machine needle was inserted into the needle insertion hole, and the needle handle is housed in the receiving recess. As a result, the sewing machine needle, after being rotated around the rotation support part as a pivot point, can be positioned on the back side of a component that may be located in front of the needle holder, such as a looper, and contact between the sewing machine needle and the component such as a looper can be reliably prevented.

[0012] In the clamping device according to the present invention, a needle ejection pin is positioned on the rear side of the main body at a location that fits into the housing recess, a pin retraction hole is formed in the bottom surface of the housing recess through which the tip of the needle ejection pin extends and retracts, the needle ejection pin is biased by a biasing member in a direction in which its tip protrudes from the pin retraction hole, and the clamp lever may be capable of closing the housing recess when the needle handle is housed in the housing recess and the needle handle pushes the needle ejection pin against the biasing force of the biasing member.

[0013] According to the above embodiment, when the needle handle of the sewing machine needle is housed in the housing recess with the needle tip facing downward, the needle push-out pin is pushed against the biasing force of the biasing member, and in this state the housing recess is closed by the clamp lever, so that the biasing force of the biasing member acts on the push-out pin, and the clamp lever closes with the needle handle pressed by the needle push-out pin.

[0014] Therefore, when the clamp lever is opened to the recessed area to replace the sewing machine needle from the needle holder, the biasing force of the biasing member biases the needle push-out pin, causing its tip to protrude from the pin insertion hole and push against the needle handle of the sewing machine needle. As a result, the sewing machine needle rotates via the rotation support part, and the position of the sewing machine needle is automatically returned to the state where the needle tip is inserted into the needle insertion hole. Consequently, it becomes easier to pull the sewing machine needle out of the needle insertion hole, improving the workability of replacing the sewing machine needle in the needle holder.

[0015] In the clamping device according to the present invention, a magnet may be provided on the lower surface of the main body to attract the sewing machine needle when the sewing machine needle is inserted into the needle insertion hole from the needle tip, and when the clamp lever is opened from the housing recess, the needle handle is pushed by the push pin, the sewing machine needle rotates, and the position of the sewing machine needle returns to the state in which it was inserted into the needle insertion hole.

[0016] According to the above embodiment, when a sewing machine needle is inserted into the needle insertion hole from the tip, the sewing machine needle is attracted to the magnet, so that the sewing machine needle can be held in a stable position. Subsequently, the rotational movement of the sewing machine needle with the rotation support as the pivot point, and the storage operation when storing the needle handle in the storage recess can be performed stably.

[0017] Furthermore, when replacing a sewing machine needle from a needle holder, the clamp lever is opened from the recessed storage area, and the needle is returned to its position where the needle tip is inserted into the needle insertion hole. At this point, the magnet attracts the needle, allowing the needle's position to be stably maintained, thus improving the ease of replacing the needle in the needle holder.

[0018] Furthermore, when the clamp lever is opened relative to the recessed area, it is possible to prevent the sewing machine needle from unintentionally falling out of the needle holder body or from shifting position from its predetermined location on the body.

[0019] In the clamping device according to the present invention, a flat surface is formed on the outer circumference of the needle handle of the sewing machine needle, and an inclined surface is formed on the outer circumference of the sewing machine needle midway along the axial direction, and the bottom surface of the receiving recess has a flat shape that conforms to the flat surface of the needle handle, and the main body may be provided with a needle positioning part that positions the flat surface of the needle handle so that it faces the bottom surface of the receiving recess when the sewing machine needle is inserted into the needle insertion hole from the needle tip, and a needle insertion amount regulating part that contacts the inclined surface of the sewing machine needle when the sewing machine needle is inserted into the needle insertion hole to regulate the amount of insertion of the sewing machine needle into the needle insertion hole.

[0020] According to the above embodiment, since the needle positioning unit and needle insertion amount regulating unit with the above configuration are provided, when the sewing machine needle is rotated after being inserted into the needle insertion hole from the needle tip, the needle handle can be corrected and positioned to the correct orientation, the amount of needle insertion can be set to suit the rotation of the sewing machine needle, the workability of fixing the sewing machine needle when rotating and fixing it to the needle holder can be improved, and incorrect assembly of the sewing machine needle to the needle holder can be suppressed.

[0021] In the clamping device according to the present invention, a flat surface is formed on the outer circumference of the needle handle of the sewing machine needle, the bottom surface of the receiving recess has a flat shape that conforms to the flat surface of the needle handle, the needle holder has a needle fixing spring that elastically biases the clamp lever shaft toward the rear of the main body within the elongated hole when the clamp lever is closed toward the receiving recess, and when the elongated hole is viewed from the axial direction of the needle fixing shaft, the elongated hole may have a shape that extends for a long distance of a constant width along the needle handle height direction, which is the height of the needle handle, from the flat surface of the needle handle.

[0022] According to the above embodiment, since the elongated hole has the above configuration, it is possible to easily determine the angle of the clamp arm provided on the clamp lever when the clamp lever is closed against the receiving recess, and the clamp arm of the clamp lever can be firmly engaged with the needle handle of the sewing machine needle, thereby more stably fixing the sewing machine needle to the needle holder.

[0023] In the clamping device according to the present invention, the clamping lever may be provided with a restricting portion that restricts it from closing against the receiving recess when the sewing machine needle has been inserted into the needle insertion hole from the needle tip and the sewing machine needle has not yet rotated so that the needle tip is facing downward.

[0024] According to the above aspect, since the regulation part with the above configuration is provided, the closing operation of the clamp lever with respect to the accommodation recess is regulated before the rotation of the sewing needle, and after the sewing needle is rotated to a predetermined posture, the clamp lever can be closed against the accommodation recess for the first time. Therefore, the sewing needle can be more reliably fixed to the needle stop.

[0025] In the clamp device according to the present invention, the clamp lever has a pair of support pieces into which the clamp lever shaft is inserted and fixed, and a pair of support parts may be provided on the side surface of the main body so as to be located outside or inside the pair of support pieces.

[0026] According to the above aspect, since a pair of support parts are provided on the side surface of the main body so as to be located outside or inside the pair of support pieces of the clamp lever, the pair of support pieces of the clamp lever can be stably supported, the looseness of the clamp lever can be suppressed, and the sewing needle can be firmly fixed while regulating the wobbling of the sewing needle with respect to the needle stop.

Effect of the Invention

[0027] According to the present invention, the sewing needle is inserted into the needle insertion hole from the needle tip in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the needle fixing shaft, and rotates with the rotation support part as a fulcrum and is inserted from the opening so that the needle tip faces downward more than when the sewing needle is inserted into the needle insertion hole, and the needle shank is configured to be accommodated in the accommodation recess. Therefore, the rotated sewing needle can be positioned on the back side of a member such as a looper, and it is possible to surely prevent the sewing needle from contacting a member such as a looper.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0028] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a sewing machine to which the sewing needle clamp device according to the present invention is applied. [Figure 2] It shows an embodiment of the sewing needle clamp device according to the present invention, and is an exploded perspective view thereof. [Figure 3]This is a magnified perspective view of the main part of the sewing machine needle clamping device. [Figure 4] This is an enlarged perspective view of the main part of the sewing machine needle clamping device, showing the sewing machine needle inserted into the needle insertion hole. [Figure 5] This is an enlarged front view of the main part of the sewing machine needle clamping device, showing the sewing machine needle inserted into the needle insertion hole. [Figure 6] This is an enlarged bottom view of the main part of the sewing machine needle clamping device, showing the sewing machine needle inserted into the needle insertion hole. [Figure 7] This is an enlarged perspective view of the sewing machine needle clamping device, taken from a different direction than shown in Figure 5, with the sewing machine needle inserted into the needle insertion hole. [Figure 8] This is an enlarged perspective view of the sewing machine needle clamping device, taken from a different direction than that shown in Figures 5 and 7, with the sewing machine needle inserted into the needle insertion hole. [Figure 9] This is an enlarged perspective view of the sewing machine needle clamping device, as seen from the bottom, with the sewing machine needle inserted into the needle insertion hole. [Figure 10] This is an enlarged perspective view of the main part of the sewing machine needle clamping device, showing the sewing machine needle after it has been inserted into the needle insertion hole and rotated to clamp it. [Figure 11] This is an enlarged perspective view of the sewing machine needle clamping device, showing the needle after it has been inserted into the needle insertion hole and rotated to clamp it, viewed from a different direction than in Figure 10. [Figure 12] This is an enlarged front view of the main part of the sewing machine needle clamping device, showing the sewing machine needle after it has been inserted into the needle insertion hole and rotated to clamp it. [Figure 13] This is an enlarged bottom view of the main part of the sewing machine needle clamping device, showing the sewing machine needle after it has been inserted into the needle insertion hole and rotated to clamp it. [Figure 14] This is an enlarged side view of the main part of the sewing machine needle clamping device, showing the state after inserting the sewing machine needle into the needle insertion hole and rotating it to clamp it. [Figure 15]Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the relationship between the clamping force from the clamp arm and the needle handle of the sewing machine needle when the clamp lever is closed against the receiving recess. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0029] (One embodiment of a sewing machine needle clamping device) Hereinafter, an embodiment of the sewing machine needle clamping device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0030] The sewing machine needle clamp device 10 of this embodiment (hereinafter also simply referred to as "clamp device 10") can be applied to, for example, a two-needle, four-thread overlock sewing machine 100 (hereinafter also simply referred to as "sewing machine 100"), and detachably fixes a sewing machine needle 1, which has a needle handle 2 and a shaft portion 3 on which a needle tip 4 is provided, to a receiving recess 27 of a needle stopper 15 provided on the sewing machine 100. Note that the sewing machine to which the clamp device 10 is applied may be of a type other than that described above.

[0031] As shown in Figure 1, the sewing machine 100 holds the fabric to be sewn between a needle plate and a presser foot pressed by a presser bar, and advances it stitch by stitch using a feed mechanism, forming a stitch on the fabric with a sewing needle 1 and a looper 103 which acts as a loop-catching device. The looper 103 and its feed mechanism are driven by their respective drive mechanisms from the lower shaft 104, which is the drive shaft.

[0032] Furthermore, the sewing machine 100 has a shaft drive mechanism 113 that operates on an upper shaft 111 which is driven from the lower shaft 104 at a rotation ratio of 1:1 via a lower shaft pulley 105, a timing belt 107, and an upper shaft pulley 109, and also has a needle fixing shaft 120 which is driven by this shaft drive mechanism 113.

[0033] A needle holder 15 is attached to the needle fixing shaft 120, and two sewing machine needles 1 are detachably fixed to this needle holder 15.

[0034] The upper shaft 111 and the shaft drive mechanism 113 are mounted on the sewing machine arm, while the needle plate, looper 103 and its feed mechanism are mounted on the sewing machine bed.

[0035] Furthermore, the looper 103 is driven by a drive mechanism (not shown) to reciprocate a predetermined distance diagonally from a position in front of and above the sewing machine 100 toward a position in the rear and below the sewing machine 100. Figure 1 shows the looper 103 positioned in the upper front position of the sewing machine 100, where the looper 103 is positioned in front of the lower shaft 104, the needle holder 15, the needle 1, etc.

[0036] The term "front side" above refers to the direction facing the sewing machine operator (also known as the near side or front side), while "rear side" above refers to the opposite side from the front side.

[0037] Furthermore, although the sewing machine 100 forms stitches with the configuration described above, the number of needle plates and loopers 103 for stitch formation, their specific structure and operation are publicly known, so the details will be omitted.

[0038] As shown in Figures 6, 9, and 10, the sewing machine needle 1 used in this embodiment has a needle handle 2 and a shaft portion 3 extending from the needle handle 2 for a predetermined length, with a pointed needle tip 4 provided at the axial end of the shaft portion 3. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, the outer circumference of the needle handle 2 is provided with a curved surface 5 and a flat needle handle surface 6 connected to both sides 5a of the curved surface 5 in the circumferential direction. The side portions 5a of the curved surface 5 of the needle handle 2 are portions that abut the corresponding needle positioning portion 39 (see Figure 7). In addition, a curved opposite surface 5b is provided on the side of the needle handle 2 opposite to the flat needle handle surface 6.

[0039] Furthermore, an inclined surface 7 is formed on the outer circumference of the sewing machine needle 1 midway along its axial direction. In this embodiment, the inclined surface 7 is formed on the outer circumference of the connecting portion between the needle handle 2 and the shaft portion 3, such that the diameter of the connecting portion gradually decreases.

[0040] As shown in Figures 2 to 6, the clamping device 10 of this embodiment mainly consists of a main body 20 fixed to the needle fixing shaft 120 of the sewing machine 100, a housing recess 27 formed on the front 21 side of the main body 20 for housing the needle handle 2 of each sewing machine needle 1, a clamp lever shaft 50 loosely fitted into an elongated hole 45 formed in the main body 20, and a pair of left and right clamp levers 60 that have clamp arms 62 that engage with the needle handle 2 of the sewing machine needle 1, and into which the clamp lever shaft 50 is fitted and which can be opened and closed relative to the housing recess 27.

[0041] Furthermore, the fitting of the clamp lever shaft 50 into the clamp lever 60 means that the clamp lever shaft 50 is fixed to the clamp lever 60 without any play. However, even if there is some play, it is sufficient as long as the clamp lever shaft 50 is fixed to the clamp lever 60 so that it does not move. In other words, in the present invention, the fitting of the clamp lever shaft into the clamp lever is a concept that also includes the fixing of the clamp lever shaft to the clamp lever.

[0042] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the clamping device 10 also includes a needle fixing spring 70, a locking piece 72, a locking piece pressing spring 74, a cover 76, a needle pushing pin 80, a biasing member 85, a magnet 87, and the like.

[0043] As shown in Figure 2, the main body 20 of this embodiment has a front surface 21 (meaning the surface facing the sewing machine operator; also called the "front"), a pair of side surfaces 22, and a rear surface 23 (meaning the surface opposite to the front surface 21; also called the "back"), and has a long shape that extends for a predetermined length.

[0044] In the following explanation, the direction from the front 21 to the rear 23 of the main body 20 will be referred to as the "X direction" (also known as the front-to-back direction or depth direction), the direction along the axis of the needle fixing shaft 120 (axial direction) will be referred to as the "Z direction" (also known as the height direction), and the direction perpendicular to the "X direction" and the "Z direction" will be referred to as the "Y direction" (also known as the width direction). These terms will also apply to components other than the main body.

[0045] When the main body 20 is roughly divided into two parts in the Z direction, an "upper part" and a "lower part," the upper part of the main body 20 is roughly cylindrical in shape and has a shaft insertion hole 24 into which the needle fixing shaft 120 is inserted. The needle fixing shaft 120 is inserted into the shaft insertion hole 24, and the main body 20 is fixed to the needle fixing shaft 120 from the rear side 23 by fasteners 26 such as bolts.

[0046] On the other hand, a pair of accommodating recesses 27 are formed on the lower part of the main body 20, on the front surface 21 side.

[0047] Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, a pair of recessed areas 27, formed in a concave shape with a predetermined depth, are provided along the Z-direction of the main body 20 for a predetermined length and in parallel in the Y-direction, extending from the front surface 21 to the rear surface 23. Furthermore, the pair of recessed areas 27 are separated from each other by a first rib 31 extending in the Z-direction of the main body 20.

[0048] In each of the storage recesses 27, the surface recessed to a predetermined depth from the front surface 21 of the main body 20 toward the rear surface 23 is defined as the "bottom surface 27a" of the storage recess 27. This bottom surface 27a of the storage recess 27 is flat so as to fit the flat surface 6 of the needle handle 2 of the sewing machine needle 1.

[0049] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, each receiving recess 27 has a pair of inner surfaces 27b and 27c along the Z direction of the main body 20. As shown in Figure 10, the inner surface 27b can contact the circumferential side portion 5a of the curved surface 5 of the needle handle 2 when the sewing machine needle 1 is housed in the receiving recess 27, allowing the sewing machine needle 1 to be housed in the receiving recess 27 with minimal wobbling.

[0050] Furthermore, a roughly rectangular frame-shaped projection 29 is provided protruding from the front surface 21 of the lower end of the main body 20 in the Z direction, toward the sewing machine operator. It should also be said that this projection 29 is provided protruding in the direction opposite to the insertion direction of the sewing machine needle 1 into the needle insertion hole 33 (see "Needle Insertion Direction A" in Figure 4).

[0051] The main body 20 has a needle insertion hole 33, a rotating support part 35, and an opening 37. In this embodiment, a needle insertion hole 33, a rotating support part 35, and an opening 37 are provided in each of the two receiving recesses 27 provided in the Y direction (width direction) of the main body 20.

[0052] The needle insertion hole 33 is formed to penetrate the main body 20 from the front 21 side to the rear 23 side in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the needle fixing shaft 120, allowing the sewing machine needle 1 to be inserted from the needle tip 4 in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the needle fixing shaft 120.

[0053] In this embodiment, the needle insertion hole 33 is located on the lower side of the main body 20, at the lower end (one end in the Z direction) of the extension direction of the receiving recess 27, and is formed penetrating from the front surface 21 side to the rear surface 23 side of the main body 20 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the needle fixing shaft 120 (which can also be said to be a direction along the horizontal direction or the X direction).

[0054] As shown in Figures 4 and 7, the sewing machine needle 1 can be inserted into the needle insertion hole 33 from its tip 4 in a direction that intersects the axial direction of the needle fixing shaft 120, in this case, in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the needle fixing shaft 120, or in other words, with the sewing machine needle 1 lying horizontally. The direction in which the sewing machine needle 1 is inserted into the needle insertion hole 33 is referred to as "needle insertion direction A," as shown in Figure 4.

[0055] Furthermore, the rotating support portion 35 is formed in front of the needle insertion hole 33 and rotatably supports the needle tip 4 of the sewing machine needle 1 so that it is facing downwards compared to when it is inserted into the needle insertion hole 33.

[0056] In this embodiment, the rotating support portion 35 is provided at the bottom of the protruding portion 29 that protrudes from the front surface 21 of the lower end of the main body 20, that is, at the portion of the protruding portion 29 that is located below the pair of needle insertion holes 33 when the main body 20 is viewed from the front surface 21 (front side) (see Figure 5). It can also be said that the rotating support portion 35 is formed on the opposite side from the needle insertion direction A of the sewing machine needle 1 to the needle insertion holes 33.

[0057] Furthermore, the pair of rotating support portions 35 are connected to the lower ends of the first rib 31 that divides the pair of receiving recesses 27, and are formed by dividing them into separate regions by a second rib 34 that extends in the X direction. As shown in Figure 7, the second rib 34 extends from the lower end of the first rib 31 toward the front surface 21, and as shown in Figure 9, it extends from the lower end of the first rib 31 toward the rear surface 23.

[0058] As shown in Figures 4 and 7, the rotating support part 35 is capable of supporting the needle handle 2 of the sewing machine needle 1 when the sewing machine needle 1 is inserted into the needle insertion hole 33 in a direction that intersects the axial direction of the needle fixing shaft 120, by contacting the needle handle 2 of the sewing machine needle 1.

[0059] The rotating support part 35, while supporting the needle handle 2, functions as a pivot point for the sewing machine needle 1, as shown in the needle rotation direction B in Figure 4. That is, using the rotating support part 35 as a pivot point, the entire sewing machine needle 1 is rotated in the direction of the needle handle 2 approaching the bottom surface 27a of the housing recess 27, as shown in the needle rotation direction B in Figure 4, making it possible to rotate the needle tip 4 of the sewing machine needle 1 so that it is facing downwards compared to when the sewing machine needle is inserted into the needle insertion hole 33, as shown in Figures 10 to 12.

[0060] Furthermore, the opening 37 is formed on the rear surface 23 side of the rotating support portion 35 of the main body 20 and communicates with the needle insertion hole 33, and opens downward relative to the needle insertion hole 33.

[0061] As shown in Figure 9, the openings 37 in this embodiment are formed on the rear surface 23 side of each rotating support portion 35 formed on the protruding portion 29 that protrudes from the lower end of the main body 20, and communicate with the needle insertion hole 33, while also opening the needle insertion hole 33 downwards.

[0062] The opening 37 allows the shaft 3 of the sewing machine needle 1 to be inserted and its tip 4 to be pointed downward when the sewing machine needle 1, whose needle handle 2 is supported by each rotating support part 35, is rotated.

[0063] As described above, the needle insertion hole 33, the rotating support part 35, and the opening 37 are provided so that the sewing machine needle 1 is inserted into the needle insertion hole 33 from the needle tip 4 in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the needle fixing shaft 120, rotates with the rotating support part 35 as a pivot point and is inserted out from the opening 37 so that the needle tip 4 is facing downwards compared to when the sewing machine needle was inserted into the needle insertion hole 33, and the needle handle 2 is housed in the receiving recess 27.

[0064] Specifically, the sewing machine needle 1 is oriented perpendicular to the axial direction of the needle fixing shaft 120, and as shown in the needle insertion direction A in Figure 4, it is inserted from its tip 4 into the front opening of the needle insertion hole 33, and the needle handle 2 is supported by the rotation support part 35 as shown in Figures 4 and 7. At this time, the sewing machine needle 1 is rotated appropriately with respect to its axis so that the flat surface 6 of the needle handle 2 is oriented to be close to the bottom surface 27a of the housing recess 27.

[0065] Furthermore, as shown in the needle rotation direction B in Figure 4, the sewing machine needle 1 rotates with the rotation support part 35 as the pivot point, so that the needle handle 2 stands up in an orientation along the axial direction of the needle fixing shaft 120, and as shown in Figure 9, it enters into the opening 37 and is inserted out of the opening 37, and in particular the part connecting the needle handle 2 and the shaft part 3 and the part closer to the needle tip 4 (the part other than the needle handle 2) are inserted out of the opening 37, and the needle handle 2 is then housed in the housing recess 27.

[0066] In this embodiment, the sewing machine needle 1 is positioned horizontally when inserted into the needle insertion hole 33, and after rotation by the rotation support part 35, it is positioned vertically. The configuration is such that the needle rotates 90° through insertion and rotation, changing its orientation from horizontal to vertical.

[0067] Furthermore, the main body 20 is provided with a needle positioning unit 39 that positions the flat surface 6 of the needle handle 6 so that it faces the bottom surface 27a of the housing recess 27 when the sewing machine needle 1 is inserted into the needle insertion hole 33 from the needle tip 4, and a needle insertion amount regulating unit 41 that contacts the inclined surface 7 of the sewing machine needle 1 when the sewing machine needle 1 is inserted into the needle insertion hole 33, thereby regulating the amount of insertion of the sewing machine needle 1 into the needle insertion hole 33.

[0068] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, the flat surface 39b formed on the inner surface of the protrusion 29 and the flat surface-shaped hole edge 39c located on the lower end side of the receiving recess 27 within the inner peripheral edge of the needle insertion hole 33 constitute the needle positioning portion 39. Furthermore, the flat surface 39b and the hole edge 39c are positioned opposite each other when the protrusion 29 is viewed from the front.

[0069] It can also be said that the flat surface 39b described above is formed on the upper surface (ceiling surface) of the rotating support portion 35. Furthermore, an inner surface 39a is formed on the protruding portion 29 at a position that aligns with the inner surface 27b of the receiving recess 27.

[0070] Then, when inserting the sewing machine needle 1 into the needle insertion hole 33 from the needle tip 4, the needle handle 2 is inserted with the flat surface 6 side of the needle handle facing upwards, as shown in Figures 4 and 7. At this time, the opposite curved surface 5b of the needle handle 2 slides against the flat surface 39b, and the flat surface 6 of the needle handle slides against the edge of the hole 39c, as the sewing machine needle 1 is inserted.

[0071] Therefore, even if the sewing machine needle 1 is not in the predetermined position relative to the needle insertion hole 33 (where the flat surface of the needle handle 6 is parallel to the edge of the hole 39c), the position (orientation) of the sewing machine needle 1 is appropriately corrected by the flat surface 39b and the edge of the hole 39c as it is inserted (it can also be said that the sewing machine needle 1 is inserted following the flat surface 39b and the edge of the hole 39c), and finally the flat surface 6 of the needle handle comes into contact with the edge of the hole 39c when the flat surface 6 of the needle handle and the edge of the hole 39c are parallel.

[0072] In other words, the sewing machine needle 1 is positioned in a predetermined position by the flat surface 39b and hole edge 39c that constitute the needle positioning section 39, and then inserted into the needle insertion hole 33.

[0073] Therefore, the needle positioning unit 39 positions the flat surface 6 of the needle handle so that when the sewing machine needle 1 is inserted into the needle insertion hole 33 from the needle tip 4, it faces the bottom surface 27a of the housing recess 27 when the sewing machine needle 1 rotates (it can also be said that the needle positioning unit 39 positions the flat surface 6 of the needle handle so that it is close to the bottom surface 27a of the housing recess 27 when the sewing machine needle 1 is inserted into the needle insertion hole 33 from the needle tip 4).

[0074] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, the needle insertion amount regulating portion 41 is located inside the protruding portion 29 and is formed on the same plane as the bottom surface 27a of the housing recess 27, and is narrower than the width of the sewing machine needle 1 on the inclined surface 7.

[0075] Therefore, when the sewing machine needle 1 is inserted into the needle insertion hole 33 from the needle tip 4, the side portion 5a of the curved surface 5 of the sewing machine needle 1 slides against the inner surface 39a of the protruding portion 29, and the inclined surface 7 of the sewing machine needle 1 comes into contact with the needle insertion amount regulating portion 41, further insertion of the sewing machine needle 1 is restricted. Thus, the amount of insertion of the sewing machine needle 1 into the needle insertion hole 33 is restricted by the needle insertion amount regulating portion 41.

[0076] As shown in Figure 2, a pair of upper and lower support parts 43 are provided on both sides 22 of the lower part of the main body 20. In addition, an elongated hole 45 is formed in each support part 43 into which the clamp lever shaft 50 is loosely fitted.

[0077] Referring also to Figure 13, the elongated hole 45 has a shape that extends for a long distance with a constant width (length in the direction along the Y direction) along the needle handle height direction H, which is the height of the needle handle 2 from the needle handle flat surface 6 (height from the needle handle flat surface 6 to the top of the needle handle 2) when viewed from the axial direction of the needle fixing shaft 120.

[0078] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 14, the pair of support portions 43 of the main body 20 are positioned on the outside of the pair of support pieces 63 of the clamp lever 60, in this case, close to the outside in the Z direction relative to the pair of support pieces 63. Alternatively, a pair of support pieces may be provided on the side of the main body so as to be located inside the pair of support pieces of the clamp lever. Additionally, each support portion 43 is provided with a lock piece guide portion 43a positioned on the outside of the locked portion 72a of the lock piece 72, guiding the lock piece 72 in the X direction in Figure 3.

[0079] As shown in Figure 2, the clamp lever shaft 50 has a shaft body 51 that extends for a predetermined length, and enlarged diameter portions 52 that are larger in diameter than the shaft body 51 and are provided at both ends of the shaft body 51 in the direction of extension. The base end of the enlarged diameter portion 52 of the clamp lever shaft 50 is inserted into the shaft hole 63a (see Figure 2) of the clamp lever 60, and the tip of the enlarged diameter portion 52 is loosely fitted into the elongated hole 45.

[0080] Furthermore, the side portion 70a of the needle fixing spring 70 is positioned between the pair of enlarged diameter portions 52 of the clamp lever shaft 50. As a result, the enlarged diameter portions 52 catch on the edge of the side portion 70a of the needle fixing spring 70, preventing the clamp lever shaft 50 from falling out of the shaft hole 63a.

[0081] In relation to the clamp lever shaft 50 described above, the clamp lever 60 will now be described. As shown in Figure 2, this embodiment has a pair of clamp levers 60, each clamp lever 60 having a base 61, a clamp arm 62 protruding from the inner surface of the base 61, and a pair of upper and lower support pieces 63 protruding from both ends in the Z direction on the rear surface 23 side of the base 61.

[0082] Each clamp arm 62 engages with the needle handle 2 when the clamp lever 60 is closed against the housing recess 27, and also serves as a part that presses against the needle handle 2 when closing the clamp lever 60 against the housing recess 27.

[0083] Each support piece 63 has a shaft hole 63a and a locking claw 63b. The enlarged diameter portion 52 of the clamp lever shaft 50 is inserted into the shaft hole 63a, while the locking claw 63b is designed to engage with the locked portion 72a of the locking piece 72.

[0084] On the other hand, the unlocking piece 67 has a base portion 68 and an extension portion 69 extending from the front side of the base portion 68. The extension portion 69 of the unlocking piece 67 is slidably inserted into an insertion hole 64 formed in the base portion 61 of the clamp lever 60, and its tip protrudes from the front opening of the insertion hole 64, allowing the unlocking piece 67 to be pushed in.

[0085] Furthermore, the base 68 of the unlocking piece 67 is provided with a locking piece pressing portion 68a that is bent inward (towards the axis of the main body 20), and is designed to press against the pressed portion 72b of the locking piece 72.

[0086] A locking piece 72 is positioned on the rear surface 23 of the main body 20. This locking piece 72 is roughly plate-shaped, with a pair of locking portions 72a provided on both sides in the Y direction and at both ends in the Z direction, and a pressing portion 72b provided between them. The locking piece 72 is covered by a cover 76 which is fixed to the rear surface 23 of the main body 20 with fasteners such as bolts, with a locking piece pressing spring 74 interposed between them.

[0087] The lock piece compression spring 74 is interposed between the lock piece 72 and the cover 76 in a compressed state, and as a result, the elastic restoring force of the lock piece compression spring 74 causes the lock piece 72 to be pressed (biased) toward the front surface 21 of the main body 20.

[0088] Furthermore, on the rear surface 23 side of the main body 20, between the locking piece 72 and the main body 20, a needle fixing spring 70 is positioned to elastically bias the clamp lever shaft 50 toward the rear of the main body 20 within the elongated hole 45 when the clamp lever 60 is closed toward the housing recess 27. As shown by the dashed line in Figure 2, the side portion 70a of the needle fixing spring 70 is designed to engage with the front side of the shaft body 51 of the clamp lever shaft 50. It can also be said that when the clamp lever 60 is closed toward the housing recess 27, the needle fixing spring 70 elastically biases the clamp lever shaft 50 toward the rear surface 23 side of the main body 20 within the elongated hole 45.

[0089] Then, when the clamp lever 60 is closed from the open position of the receiving recess 27, the needle fixing spring 70 elastically biases the clamp lever shaft 50 backward within the elongated hole 45, that is, in the direction indicated by arrow F in Figure 13, and the tip of the clamp arm 62 presses against the needle handle 2.

[0090] As shown in Figure 15, a portion of the pressing force F1 from the clamp arm 62 is decomposed into a diagonal pressing force F2 perpendicular to the tangent S of the curved inner surface of the tip of the clamp arm 62. These pressing forces F1 and F2 press the side portion 5a of the curved surface 5 of the needle handle 2 against the inner surface 27b of the housing recess 27, and the flat surface 6 of the needle handle 2 against the bottom surface 27a of the housing recess 27, thereby fixing the needle handle 2 in the housing recess 27 without any looseness.

[0091] Furthermore, the locking claw 63b of the clamp lever 60 engages with the locked portion 72a of the locking piece 72, which is located inside the locking piece guide portion 43a of the support portion 43. In this state, even if one attempts to open the clamp lever 60 from the housing recess 27, the locked portion 72a on the opposite side is engaged with the locking piece guide portion 43a, preventing the clamp lever 60 from opening. In other words, the clamp lever 60 is locked in a closed position relative to the housing recess 27.

[0092] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 13, when the receiving recess 27 is locked in a closed state by the clamp lever 60, the following procedure is used to release the lock.

[0093] In other words, the extension 69 of the release piece 67 is pushed in the direction indicated by arrow G in Figure 13, against the biasing force of the lock piece pressing spring 74. As a result, the lock piece 72 is pushed away from the rear surface 23 of the main body 20 via the lock piece pressing portion 68a, and the locked portion 72a of the lock piece 72 and the lock claw 63b of the clamp lever 60 are released. As a result, the locked state of the clamp lever 60 is released, and the clamp lever 60 can be opened manually. Therefore, it is possible to open the clamp arm 62 from the housing recess 27.

[0094] Furthermore, when the clamp lever 60 is opened as described above, the locking piece 72 is movable in the X direction in Figure 2, with the locked portion 72a being guided by the locking piece guide portion 43a.

[0095] Returning to the description of the main body 20, as shown in Figures 3 and 7, each of the housing recesses 27 has a pin retraction hole 47 formed in the bottom surface 27a through which the tip 82 of the needle ejection pin 80 extends and retracts.

[0096] Furthermore, the needle ejection pin 80 has a base portion 81 and a tip portion 82 and a base end portion 83 that are thinner than the base portion 81. A biasing member 85 (see Figure 2), such as a coil spring, is interposed between the base end portion 83 of the needle ejection pin 80 and the cover 76, and this biasing member 85 biases the tip portion 82 of the needle ejection pin 80 in a direction that protrudes from the pin insertion / retraction hole 47.

[0097] The clamp lever 60 is configured to close the housing recess 27 when the needle handle 2 is housed in the housing recess 27 and the needle handle 2 is pushing the needle ejection pin 80 against the biasing force of the biasing member 85.

[0098] In other words, when the sewing machine needle 1 is inserted into the needle insertion hole 33 from the needle tip 4, and rotated around the rotation support part 35 as a pivot point so that the needle tip 4 is facing downwards compared to when the sewing machine needle was inserted into the needle insertion hole 33, the needle handle 2 presses against the tip 82, and the needle push-out pin 80 is pushed in against the biasing force of the biasing member 85, so that the clamp lever 60 can be closed against the housing recess 27.

[0099] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, the clamp lever 60 is provided with a restricting part 65 that restricts it from closing against the receiving recess 27 when the sewing machine needle 1 is inserted into the needle insertion hole 33 from the needle tip 4 and before the sewing machine needle 1 rotates so that the needle tip 4 faces downward.

[0100] Specifically, the lower end of the clamp arm 62 that constitutes the clamp lever 60 is provided with a restricting portion 65 on its inner side (the side facing the axis of the main body 20).

[0101] As shown in Figure 8, even if the sewing machine needle 1 is inserted into the needle insertion hole 33 from the needle tip 4 and before the sewing machine needle 1 rotates so that the needle tip 4 faces downward, attempting to close the clamp lever 60 against the receiving recess 27 will be restricted because the restricting part 65 will engage with the outer circumference of the needle handle 2 (in this case, one side 5a of the curved surface 5), thus preventing the clamp lever 60 from closing.

[0102] As shown in Figure 9, a magnet 87 is positioned on the lower side of the main body 20 to attract the sewing machine needle 1 when the needle tip 4 is inserted into the needle insertion hole 33, and when the clamp lever 60 is opened from the housing recess 27, the needle handle 2 is pushed by the needle push pin 80, the sewing machine needle 1 rotates, and the position of the sewing machine needle 1 returns to the state in which it was inserted into the needle insertion hole 33.

[0103] Specifically, as shown in Figure 9, the magnet 87 is positioned on the lower surface of the main body 20, above the rear end of the second rib 34, and is formed with a length that spans the pair of needle insertion holes 33.

[0104] (Effects and Benefits) Next, the effects and benefits of the clamping device 10 having the above structure will be explained.

[0105] In other words, as shown in the needle insertion direction A of Figure 4, the clamping device 10 is configured such that the sewing machine needle 1 is inserted into the needle insertion hole 33 from the needle tip 4 in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the needle fixing shaft 120 (see Figures 4-9, etc.), and then rotates around the rotation support part 35 as a pivot point and is inserted out from the opening 37 so that the needle tip 4 is facing downwards compared to when the sewing machine needle was inserted into the needle insertion hole 33, and the needle handle 2 is housed in the receiving recess 27 (see Figures 10-14, etc.).

[0106] Therefore, the sewing machine needle 1, after being rotated with the rotation support part 35 as a pivot point, can be positioned on the back side of components such as the looper 103, which may be located in front of the sewing machine than the needle holder 15, thus reliably preventing the sewing machine needle 1 from coming into contact with components such as the looper.

[0107] Furthermore, instead of the conventional method of fixing the needle by placing the needle handle in the recessed compartment and then closing the clamp lever, the sewing machine user can recognize that the fixing of the sewing machine needle 1 to the needle holder 15 is the correct procedure by following a new, different work procedure: inserting the sewing machine needle 1 into the needle insertion hole 33 from the needle tip 4 in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the needle fixing shaft 120, and then rotating it using the rotation support part 35 as a pivot point. This allows the sewing machine user to reliably fix the sewing machine needle 1 to the needle holder 15 in a predetermined stable position (the position intended by the manufacturer).

[0108] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the clamp lever 60 is capable of closing the housing recess 27 when the needle handle 2 is housed in the housing recess 27 and the needle handle 2 is pushing the needle ejection pin 80 against the biasing force of the biasing member 85.

[0109] According to the above embodiment, when the needle handle 2 is housed in the housing recess 27 with the needle tip 4 facing downwards, the needle push-out pin 80 is pushed against the biasing force of the biasing member 85, and in this state the housing recess 27 is closed by the clamp lever 60, so the biasing force of the biasing member 85 acts on the needle push-out pin 80, and the clamp lever 60 closes with the needle handle 2 being pushed by the needle push-out pin 80.

[0110] Therefore, when the clamp lever 60 is opened against the housing recess 27 in order to replace the sewing machine needle 1 from the needle holder 15, the biasing force of the biasing member 85 biases the needle push-out pin 80, causing its tip 82 to protrude from the pin insertion hole 47 and push the needle handle 2 of the sewing machine needle 1. As a result, the sewing machine needle 1 rotates via the rotation support part 35, and the position of the sewing machine needle 1 is automatically returned to the state in which the needle tip 4 is inserted into the needle insertion hole 33. Consequently, the sewing machine needle 1 becomes easier to pull out of the needle insertion hole 33, improving the workability of replacing the sewing machine needle 1 with the needle holder 15.

[0111] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 9, a magnet 87 is arranged on the lower surface of the main body 20 to attract the sewing machine needle 1 when the needle tip 4 is inserted into the needle insertion hole 33, and when the clamp lever 60 is opened from the housing recess 27, the needle handle 2 is pushed by the needle push pin 80, the sewing machine needle 1 rotates, and the position of the sewing machine needle 1 returns to the state in which it was inserted into the needle insertion hole 33.

[0112] According to the above embodiment, when the sewing machine needle 1 is inserted into the needle insertion hole 33 from the needle tip 4, the sewing machine needle 1 is attracted to the magnet 87, so that the sewing machine needle 1 can be held in a stable position, and thereafter, the rotational movement of the sewing machine needle 1 with the rotation support part 35 as the pivot point, and the storage operation when storing the needle handle 2 in the storage recess 27 can be performed stably.

[0113] Furthermore, when the clamp lever 60 is opened from the storage recess 27 to replace the sewing machine needle 1 from the needle holder 15, and the position of the sewing machine needle 1 is returned to the state in which the needle tip 4 is inserted into the needle insertion hole 33, the magnet 87 attracts the sewing machine needle 1, so the position of the sewing machine needle 1 can be stably held, and the workability of replacing the sewing machine needle 1 with the needle holder 15 can be further improved.

[0114] Furthermore, when the clamp lever 60 is opened relative to the receiving recess 27, it is possible to prevent the sewing machine needle 1 from unintentionally falling out of the main body 20 of the needle holder 15 or from shifting position from its predetermined position on the main body 20.

[0115] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 7, the main body 20 is provided with a needle positioning unit 39 that positions the flat surface 6 of the needle handle 6 so that it faces the bottom surface 27a of the housing recess 27 when the sewing machine needle 1 is inserted into the needle insertion hole 33 from the needle tip 4, and a needle insertion amount regulating unit 41 that contacts the inclined surface 7 of the sewing machine needle 1 when the sewing machine needle 1 is inserted into the needle insertion hole 33, thereby regulating the amount of insertion of the sewing machine needle 1 into the needle insertion hole 33.

[0116] According to the above embodiment, since the needle positioning section 39 and needle insertion amount regulating section 41 are provided as described above, when the sewing machine needle 1 is rotated after being inserted into the needle insertion hole 33 from the needle tip 4, the needle handle can be corrected and positioned to the correct orientation, the insertion amount of the sewing machine needle 1 can be set to be suitable for the rotation of the sewing machine needle 1, the workability of fixing the sewing machine needle 1 when it is rotated and fixed to the needle holder 15 can be improved, and incorrect assembly of the sewing machine needle 1 to the needle holder 15 can be suppressed.

[0117] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the needle holder 15 has a needle fixing spring 70 that elastically biases the clamp lever shaft 50 toward the rear of the main body 20 within the elongated hole 45 when the clamp lever 60 is closed against the receiving recess 27. As shown in Figure 13, when the elongated hole 45 is viewed from the axial direction of the needle fixing shaft 120, the elongated hole 45 has a shape that extends for a long distance with a constant width along the needle handle height direction H, which is the height of the needle handle 2 from the needle handle flat surface 6.

[0118] According to the above embodiment, since the elongated hole 45 has the above configuration, when the clamp lever 60 is closed against the receiving recess 27, it is possible to easily set the angle of the clamp arm 62 provided on the clamp lever 60, and the clamp arm 62 of the clamp lever 60 can be firmly engaged with the needle handle 2 of the sewing machine needle 1, thereby more stably fixing the sewing machine needle 1 to the needle holder 15.

[0119] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 8, the clamp lever 60 is provided with a restricting portion 65 that restricts it from closing against the receiving recess 27 when the sewing machine needle 1 is inserted into the needle insertion hole 33 from the needle tip 4 and before the sewing machine needle 1 rotates so that the needle tip 4 faces downward.

[0120] According to the above embodiment, since the restricting part 65 of the above configuration is provided, the closing operation of the clamp lever 60 against the housing recess 27 before the sewing machine needle 1 is rotated is restricted, and the clamp lever 60 can only be closed against the housing recess 27 after the sewing machine needle 1 has been rotated to a predetermined position, thereby more securely fixing the sewing machine needle 1 to the needle holder 15.

[0121] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 14, the clamp lever 60 has a pair of support pieces 63 into which the clamp lever shaft 50 is inserted and fixed, and a pair of support parts 43 are provided on the side surface 22 of the main body 20 so as to be located outside the pair of support pieces 63.

[0122] According to the above embodiment, a pair of support parts 43 are provided on the side surface 22 of the main body 20 so as to be located outside the pair of support pieces 63, 63 of the clamp lever 60. This allows the pair of support pieces 63 of the clamp lever 60 to be stably supported, suppressing wobbling of the clamp lever 60 and allowing the sewing machine needle 1 to be firmly fixed to the needle holder 15 while restricting its movement.

[0123] Furthermore, the same effect as described above can be obtained if a pair of support pieces are provided on the side of the main body so as to be located inside the pair of support pieces of the clamp lever.

[0124] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modified embodiments are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention, and such embodiments are also included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0125] 1 sewing machine needle 2 needle handles 3. Shaft section 4 Needle tip 5 Curved surface 6 Needle handle flat surface 7 Slope 10. Sewing machine needle clamping device (clamping device) 20 Main unit 21 Front 23 Rear 27 Receiving recess 27a Bottom 33 Needle insertion holes 35 Rotating support part 37 Opening 39 Needle positioning section 41 Needle insertion volume regulating section 45 long hole 47 Pin protrusion / retraction holes 50 Clamp lever shaft 60 Clamp Lever 62 Clamp Arms 63 Support piece 65 Regulatory Department 67 Unlock Pieces 72 rock pieces 76 Cover 80 needle push pins 85. Biasing member 87 Magnets

Claims

1. A sewing machine needle clamping device for detachably fixing a sewing machine needle, which has a needle handle and a shaft portion on which the needle tip is provided, to a receiving recess of a needle holder provided on a sewing machine, The aforementioned pin fastener is The main body is fixed to the needle fixing shaft of the sewing machine, A recess formed on the front side of the main body for accommodating the needle handle, A clamp lever shaft loosely fitted into an elongated hole formed in the main body, It has a clamp arm that engages with the needle handle, and a clamp lever into which the clamp lever shaft is fitted and which is openable and closable relative to the housing recess, The aforementioned main body is A needle insertion hole is formed extending from the front side to the rear side in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the needle fixing shaft, allowing the sewing machine needle to be inserted from the needle tip, A rotating support portion is formed in front of the needle insertion hole and rotatably supports the sewing machine needle such that the needle tip is facing downwards compared to when it is inserted into the needle insertion hole, It has an opening formed on the rear side of the rotating support portion that communicates with the needle insertion hole and opens downward relative to the needle insertion hole, A sewing machine needle clamping device characterized in that the sewing machine needle is inserted into the needle insertion hole from the needle tip in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the needle fixing shaft, rotates around the rotation support portion as a pivot point and is inserted out from the opening such that the needle tip is facing downwards compared to when the sewing machine needle is inserted into the needle insertion hole, and the needle handle is housed in the housing recess.

2. A needle ejection pin is positioned on the rear side of the main body, in a location that fits into the housing recess. A pin retraction hole is formed in the bottom surface of the aforementioned housing recess, through which the tip of the needle ejection pin extends and retracts. The aforementioned needle ejection pin is biased by a biasing member in a direction such that its tip protrudes from the pin insertion / retraction hole. The sewing machine needle clamping device according to claim 1, wherein the clamp lever is capable of closing the housing recess when the needle handle is housed in the housing recess and the needle handle pushes the needle push-out pin against the biasing force of the biasing member.

3. A sewing machine needle clamp device according to claim 2, wherein a magnet is provided on the lower surface of the main body that can attract the sewing machine needle when the sewing machine needle is inserted into the needle insertion hole from the needle tip, and when the clamp lever is opened from the housing recess, the needle handle is pushed by the push pin, the sewing machine needle rotates, and the position of the sewing machine needle returns to the state in which it was inserted into the needle insertion hole.

4. A flat surface is formed on the outer circumference of the needle handle of the sewing machine needle, and an inclined surface is formed on the outer circumference of the sewing machine needle midway along its axial direction. The bottom surface of the receiving recess has a flat shape that conforms to the flat surface of the needle handle. A sewing machine needle clamping device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the main body is provided with a needle positioning unit that positions the flat surface of the needle handle so that it faces the bottom surface of the housing recess when the sewing machine needle is inserted into the needle insertion hole from the needle tip, and a needle insertion amount regulating unit that contacts the inclined surface of the sewing machine needle when the sewing machine needle is inserted into the needle insertion hole to regulate the amount of insertion of the sewing machine needle into the needle insertion hole.

5. A flat surface is formed on the outer circumference of the needle handle of the sewing machine needle. The bottom surface of the receiving recess has a flat shape that conforms to the flat surface of the needle handle. The aforementioned pin holder has a pin fixing spring that elastically biases the clamp lever shaft in the rearward direction of the main body within the elongated hole when the clamp lever is closed against the receiving recess. The sewing machine needle clamping device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein when the elongated hole is viewed from the axial direction of the needle fixing shaft, the elongated hole has a shape that extends for a long time with a constant width along the needle handle height direction, which is the height of the needle handle from the flat surface of the needle handle.

6. A sewing machine needle clamping device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the clamp lever is provided with a restricting portion that restricts it from closing against the receiving recess when the sewing machine needle is inserted into the needle insertion hole from the needle tip and before the sewing machine needle rotates so that the needle tip faces downward.

7. The clamp lever has a pair of support pieces into which the clamp lever shaft is inserted and fixed, The sewing machine needle clamp device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a pair of support portions are provided on the side surface of the main body so as to be located outside or inside the pair of support pieces.

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