Sewing Machine Feed Foot Rod Guide Stability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing sewing machines experience undesired relative movement between transport components and components fixed to the housing, leading to instability and wear, particularly in the feed foot rod and transport foot mechanisms.

Innovation Solution

A sewing machine design incorporating a feed foot rod guide with a guide slot and counter-guide component, including a bolt and plastic slider, ensures secure guidance and minimizes unwanted movement, allowing for retrofitting of existing machines.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If a guide component with guide slot and counter-guide component is added to guide the transport foot rod, then positional stability and guidance precision are improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveguidance precisionVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A guide component with guide slot and counter-guide component with sliding piece is introduced as an intermediary element between the transport foot rod and the housing. This mediator provides precise guidance by allowing linear movement along the guide slot while preventing unwanted twisting and lateral movements, thus improving guidance precision without requiring complex integration into the existing structure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The guidance function is segmented into two separate components: a guide component attached to the housing and a counter-guide component attached to the transport foot rod. This segmentation allows each component to be simpler in design while collectively providing precise guidance, reducing the complexity burden on any single element

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If a sliding piece made of plastic is used for low-wear guidance, then reliability and durability are improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovedurabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing precision
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The material parameter of the sliding piece is changed from metal to plastic. This material parameter change provides self-lubricating properties and wear resistance, improving reliability and durability. The plastic material tolerates slight manufacturing variations better than metal, reducing the stringency of precision requirements while maintaining functional performance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Adaptability or versatility

If a retrofittable transport foot rod guide assembly is designed, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveadaptabilityVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The guide system is divided into separate, modular components: a guide component that can be attached to the housing and a counter-guide component that attaches to the transport foot rod. This modular segmentation enables retrofitting to existing machines without requiring complete system redesign, improving adaptability while keeping individual component complexity manageable

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The guide component and counter-guide component are designed with universal attachment features that can be adapted to different sewing machine models. The guide slot geometry and mounting mechanisms are standardized to allow the same assembly to work across multiple machine types, enhancing versatility without proportionally increasing complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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

The solution stabilizes the feed foot rod and transport foot bar, reducing wear and preventing twisting, while enabling cost-effective retrofitting of existing sewing machines with improved positional stability and reduced maintenance.

Implementation Method 1

A sliding piece enables low-wear guidance of the transport foot rod

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Data Source

PatentEP3133198B1Sewing machine and sewing machine module
Publication Date: 2019.05.29 DURKOPP ADLER GMBH
  • EP3133198B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3133198B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3133198B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a sewing machine with a needle bar (6) for holding a sewing needle, with a needle bar frame (33) for guiding the movement of the needle bar (6), and with a feed dog rod (16) for holding a feed dog. A feed dog rod guide (34) serves to guide axial displacement of the feed dog rod (16), comprising a guiding component (35) connected to the needle bar frame (33) and a counter-guiding component (39) connected to the feed dog rod (16), which is in direct guide connection with the guide component (35). This results in a feed dog rod guide in which undesirable play of the feed dog rod relative to other components of the sewing machine is avoided.