Multi-Needle Sewing Machine with Decoupled Drive Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing multi-needle chain stitch sewing machines require unnecessary movement of all needles and needle bars during the sewing process, resulting in inefficient mass movement and increased energy consumption, as all needles oscillate together, even when not all are engaged in sewing.
Innovation Solution
Individual needles are connected to an oscillating drive shaft and can be decoupled from it, allowing only engaged needles to move and sew, while others remain stationary, reducing unnecessary mass movement and energy use through direct drive mechanisms like oscillating drive shafts and crank drives, with optional pneumatic, hydraulic, or electromechanical coupling and decoupling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If all needles are moved during every sewing process, then the sewing machine can maintain a simple structure, but the mass to be moved increases unnecessarily and energy consumption rises
Solution Approach 1:
The needle bar is divided into multiple independently controllable needle units, each with its own drive mechanism. This segmentation allows individual needles to be moved or held stationary based on sewing requirements, reducing the total mass that must be moved during operation while maintaining structural organization through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle positions are made dynamically adjustable during the sewing process. Each needle can be independently raised or lowered based on real-time sewing requirements, allowing the system to adapt its moving mass dynamically rather than moving all needles continuously, thus reducing energy consumption and unnecessary movement.
2Device complexity
If all needles oscillate together, then the drive mechanism remains simple, but energy consumption increases due to unnecessary movement of non-engaged needles
Solution Approach 1:
The drive mechanism is segmented into individual drive units for each needle, allowing selective activation. Only the needles currently engaged in sewing receive drive power, while others remain stationary, significantly reducing energy consumption without requiring a completely complex centralized control system.
Solution Approach 2:
Different needles have different operational states (active or inactive) based on local sewing requirements. The drive system provides localized control to each needle, enabling energy-efficient operation by activating only the specific needles needed for the current sewing task rather than driving all needles uniformly.
3Use of energy by moving object
If needles are made independently controllable, then energy efficiency improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The needle bar is divided into multiple independently controllable needle units, each with its own drive mechanism. This segmentation allows individual needles to be moved or held stationary based on sewing requirements, reducing the total mass that must be moved during operation while maintaining structural organization through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle positions are made dynamically adjustable during the sewing process. Each needle can be independently raised or lowered based on real-time sewing requirements, allowing the system to adapt its moving mass dynamically rather than moving all needles continuously, thus reducing energy consumption and unnecessary movement.
Data Source
AI summary
The machine has stitch-forming elements provided with needles (6) and gripper hooks (28). The needles and hooks are driven to perform double chain stitches in a multilayer sewing material. The needles are connected indirectly/directly to a rotationally oscillating driving shaft (3). Two of the needles are stopped and decoupled from the shaft in such a manner that the two needles in the stopped position or in a position decoupled from the shaft are not moved in a translational fashion in a direction of a sewing material support during the sewing operation and do not pierce the material. An independent claim is also included for a process for creating a sewing pattern in a multilayer sewing material.