Concentric Hopping Foot for Sewing Machine Throat Space
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional hopping foot designs in sewing machines either limit visibility of the needle bar or reduce the available throat space, which is crucial for fabric accumulation, especially in machine quilting.
Innovation Solution
A hopping foot assembly with a bushing system that includes a lock nut, spring base ring, swing arm, and sleeve, allowing adjustable orientation and increased throat space, while maintaining downward force on the fabric and stabilizing the hopping foot's position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the hopping foot is positioned laterally from the needle bar into the throat, then the hopping foot can press down on the fabric effectively, but the available throat space for fabric accumulation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The hopping foot is repositioned from a lateral position to a position directly above the needle bar, utilizing the vertical dimension instead of the lateral dimension. This dimensional change allows the hopping foot to maintain its fabric pressing function while clearing the throat space, thereby resolving the contradiction between fabric positioning stability and throat space availability
2Area of stationary object
If the hopping foot is positioned behind the needle bar, then the throat space is increased, but the visibility of the needle bar to the operator is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The hopping foot is repositioned from a rear position to a position directly above the needle bar, utilizing the vertical dimension to achieve both increased throat space and improved visibility. This positional change in the vertical plane resolves the contradiction by allowing the operator to see the needle bar clearly while maintaining adequate throat space for fabric accumulation
3Adaptability or versatility
If the hopping foot is spring loaded to accommodate fabric thickness variations, then adaptability to different fabrics is improved, but the structural complexity of the hopping foot assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spring loading mechanism allows the hopping foot to dynamically adjust its pressing force based on fabric thickness variations. By changing the physical state parameter (spring compression), the system achieves adaptability to different fabric thicknesses without requiring complex mechanical structures, thus resolving the contradiction between adaptability and structural complexity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances visibility of the needle bar and increases the fabric accumulation area within the sewing machine's throat, improving operational efficiency in quilting and other sewing operations.
Implementation Method 1
The bushing spring maintains a downward force on the hopping foot bushing and the hopping foot at all times as the hopping foot and the hopping foot bushing move up and down due to variations in the thickness of the fabric being sewed
Implementation Method 2
The bushing lock nut may control the extent of the threading of the hopping foot onto the hopping foot bushing and stabilize the hopping foot orientation
Implementation Method 3
The bushing spring swing arm stabilizes the lateral positioning of the hopping foot bushing and the hopping foot as the hopping foot and the hopping foot bushing experience the normal up and down movement
Data Source
AI summary
A sewing machine hopping foot assembly having a hopping foot which has a hopping foot top with a hopping foot needle bar opening, a hopping foot base with a hopping foot base opening, and one or more hopping foot arms connecting the hopping foot top to the hopping foot base, having a hopping foot bushing with an interior annular space, the hopping foot bushing being connected to the hopping foot, the annular space providing for a normal up and down sewing movement of the needle bar in the annular space.