TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] This disclosure relates to a sewing machine controller having a manipulation portion
that can be manipulated by a user and a sewing machine.
BACKGROUND DISCUSSION
[0002] JP2002-28390A (hereinafter referred to as Reference 1) discloses a finger ring-shaped controller
having a manipulation switch that can be manipulated by a user's fingertip. In this
document, operation start/stop manipulation can be made while a user sends a cloth
with both hands during needlework. In order to prevent the controller from slipping
or being strongly fitted when a user puts on the controller on her/his finger, the
finger ring portion is made of an elastic body.
[0003] JP4571832A (hereinafter referred to as Reference 2) discloses a safety device capable of preventing
an erroneous operation of a sewing machine having a wireless controller to protect
a user. In this document, a sewing machine body is provided with an activation/deactivation
switching device capable of deactivating an instruction signal from the wireless controller,
and a user switches the activation/inactivation switching device into a deactivation
side when the sewing machine is not operated.
[0004] JP2004-275388A (hereinafter referred to as Reference 3) discloses a safety control device of the
sewing machine for protecting a user by suppressing driving of a motor even when a
user turns on the power switch to supply power while the operation start/stop signal
generating means is set to a motor operation state.
[0005] DE-U-29907407 discloses a push-button switch for use with a sewing machine control keyboard : the
key of this push-button switch is preassembled thanks to elastic holding means in
order to mount the push-button switch in a simple manner even in poorly accessible
areas.
[0006] In the technique disclosed in Reference 1, the manipulation portion may be mistakenly
manipulated for some reason (for example, a user, a body of a third party, or other
objects may unintentionally touch the manipulation portion of the sewing machine controller,
and the like) even when a user does not intend to operate the sewing machine during
sewing preparation and the like. In this case, the sewing machine controller may be
erroneously manipulated regardless of a user's intention, and the sewing machine may
be suddenly operated so as to astonish a user.
[0007] In the technique disclosed in Reference 2, since a user is required to manipulate
the activation/deactivation switching device, there is no function of the safety device
when a user forgets the manipulation. In addition, when a user sets the activation/deactivation
switching device to deactivation, and this state is maintained for a while, a user
may misunderstand, in the next use time, that the controller or the sewing machine
is malfunctioned.
[0008] In the technique disclosed in Reference 3, it is possible to obtain an advantage
of preventing an erroneous operation when power is on while the controller is manipulated.
However, the manipulation portion may be mistakenly manipulated for some reason (for
example, a user, a body of a third party, or other objects may unintentionally touch
the manipulation portion, and the like) even when a user does not intend to operate
the sewing machine during sewing preparation and the like. In this case, the sewing
machine may be suddenly operated regardless of user's intention so as to astonish
a user.
[0009] Thus, a need exists for a sewing machine controller and a sewing machine advantageously
capable of removing a problem that the manipulation portion is mistakenly manipulated
for some reason (for example, a user, a body of a third party, or other objects may
unintentionally touch the manipulation portion, and the like) even when a user does
not intend to operate the sewing machine.
SUMMARY
[0010] According to an aspect of this disclosure, there is provided a sewing machine controller
manipulated by a user to output a sewing-related signal, including: a base body; a
manipulation portion that is provided in the based body such that a part thereof is
exposed from the base body so as to allow a user to perform manipulation, moves in
a predetermined manipulation direction through user manipulation to directly or indirectly
output a sewing-related signal, and is movable in an unlocking direction and a locking
direction unidentical to the manipulation direction; a locking portion provided in
the base body to define a locking position for restricting movement of the manipulation
portion in the manipulation direction; an unlocking portion provided in the base body
to release the locking of the locking portion and enables user manipulation for moving
the manipulation portion in the unlocking direction unidentical to the manipulation
direction; and a lock spring provided in the base body to exert a biasing force for
automatically recovering the manipulation portion to the locking position when the
user manipulation for the manipulation portion is released.
[0011] The locking portion defines a locking position for restricting movement of the manipulation
portion in the manipulation direction. For this reason, even when the manipulation
portion is mistakenly manipulated for some reason (for example, a user, a body of
a third party, or other objects may unintentionally touch the manipulation portion,
and the like), the manipulation portion is not allowed to output the sewing-related
signal to the sewing machine side because the manipulation portion is locked to the
locking position. Therefore, unlike the related art, it is possible to suppress a
sudden operation of the sewing machine regardless of a user's intention and suppress
user's astonishment.
[0012] However, the manipulation portion is unlocked if a user moves the manipulation portion
in the unlocking direction unidentical to the manipulation direction of the manipulation
portion based on a user's positive intention. If the manipulation portion is manipulated
by a user in the manipulation direction while the manipulation portion is unlocked,
the sewing-related signal is directly or indirectly output to the sewing machine side.
[0013] As the user manipulation for the manipulation portion is released, the lock spring
automatically recovers the manipulation portion to the locking position. At this moment,
the manipulation portion is not allowed to move in the manipulation direction. In
this case, even when the manipulation portion is mistakenly manipulated for some reason
(for example, a user, a body of a third party, or other objects may unintentionally
touch the manipulation portion of the sewing machine controller, and the like), the
sewing-related signal is not output because the manipulation portion is recovered
to the locking position and locked. Therefore, unlike the related art, it is possible
to suppress a sudden operation of the sewing machine regardless of a user's intention
and suppress user's astonishment.
[0014] In the sewing machine controller described above, the lock spring may exert a first
biasing force for automatically recovering the manipulation portion to the locking
position when the user manipulation for the manipulation portion is released and a
second biasing force for automatically recovering the manipulation portion to an initial
position of the manipulation portion before the user manipulation by biasing the manipulation
portion to a direction opposite to the manipulation direction. In this case, as the
user manipulation for the manipulation portion is released, the manipulation portion
is automatically recovered to the locking position due to the first biasing force
of the lock spring. In addition, it is possible to automatically recover the manipulation
portion to the initial position of the manipulation portion before the user manipulation
by biasing the manipulation portion in a direction opposite to the manipulation direction
by the second biasing force of the lock spring.
[0015] In the sewing machine controller described above, the lock spring may include a coil
spring portion that is formed by winding a coil wire in a coil shape, has a gap between
neighboring coil wires, and is compressible in an axial direction, a first arm portion
extending from one end of the coil spring portion, and a second arm portion extending
from the other end of the coil spring portion, the coil spring portion may exert the
first biasing force, and the first and second arm portions may exert the second biasing
force. In this configuration, regardless of whether or not the locking spring is a
single component, the coil spring portion of the lock spring can exert the first biasing
force, and the first and second arm portions of the lock spring can exert the second
biasing force. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the number of components and cost
and achieve small space occupation.
[0016] In the sewing machine controller described above, the base body may be provided with
a movable lever pressed by the manipulation portion when the manipulation portion
is manipulated in the manipulation direction, and a switch base having a switch for
outputting, to a sewing machine side, a signal corresponding to a manipulation amount
of the manipulation portion in the manipulation direction by sensing a movement position
of the movable lever, and a lever recovery spring may be provided for recovering the
movable lever to the corresponding initial position when manipulation of the manipulation
portion is released. In this configuration, the movable lever is pressed by the manipulation
portion, and the movable lever moves depending on the manipulation amount of the manipulation
portion when the manipulation portion is manipulated in the manipulation direction.
The switch outputs a signal corresponding to the manipulation amount of the manipulation
portion in the manipulation direction to the sewing machine side by sensing a movement
position of the movable lever.
[0017] The manipulation portion is movable in the unlocking direction and the locking direction
unidentical to the manipulation direction as well as the manipulation direction. It
is preferable that the movable lever also be recovered to the corresponding initial
position when the manipulation portion is recovered to the corresponding initial position.
However, the manipulation portion moves to a plurality of directions. Therefore, if
both the manipulation portion and the movable lever are recovered by the same spring,
the movable lever moves in the same direction in synchronization when the manipulation
portion moves in the locking direction, so that a relationship between the movable
lever and the switch may be influenced. This may influence the output of the signal.
In this regard, a lever recovery spring for recovering the movable lever to the corresponding
initial position as the movable lever is independent from the movement of the manipulation
portion when the manipulation of the manipulation portion is released is provided
separately from the lock spring.
[0018] The sewing machine controller may further include: a housing that forms a chamber
for storing the base body having the manipulation portion, includes first and second
housing portions that are relatively movable, and is capable of foot-stepping with
a user's foot; and a movement guide formed in the first and second housing portions
to move the manipulation portion of the base body in an unlocking direction against
the biasing force of the lock spring while the base body is stored in the chamber
of the housing, wherein the manipulation portion moves in the manipulation direction
by the relative movement between the first and second housing portions, and a sewing-related
signal is output to a sewing machine side.
[0019] In this configuration, the movement guide formed in the first or second housing portion
unlocks the manipulation portion of the base body by moving the manipulation portion
in the unlocking direction while the base body is stored in the chamber of the housing.
For this reason, as the first and second housing portions move relatively, the manipulation
portion moves in the manipulation direction, so that the sewing machine controller
can output a sewing-related signal. The relative movement between the first and second
housing portions may be achieved by moving at least one of the first and second housing
portions. The relative movement between the first and second housing portions may
be performed with a user's hand or user's foot-stepping. In the latter case, a foot
controller manipulated by user's foot-stepping is provided.
[0020] According to another aspect of this disclosure, there is provided a sewing machine
including a main body and a sewing machine controller manipulated by a user to output
a sewing-related signal, the sewing machine controller including: a base body; a manipulation
portion that is provided in the based body such that at least a part thereof is exposed
from the base body so as to allow a user to perform manipulation, moves in a predetermined
manipulation direction through user manipulation to directly or indirectly output
a sewing-related signal, and is movable in a locking direction and an unlocking direction
unidentical to the manipulation direction; a locking portion provided in the base
body to define a locking position for restricting movement of the manipulation portion
in the manipulation direction; an unlocking portion provided in the base body to release
the locking of the locking portion and enables user manipulation for moving the manipulation
portion in the unlocking direction unidentical to the manipulation direction; and
a lock spring provided in the base body to exert a biasing force for automatically
recovering the manipulation portion to the locking position when the user manipulation
for the manipulation portion is released. In this configuration of the sewing machine,
it is possible to obtain the same effects and advantages as those of the first aspect.
[0021] As described above, according to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a sewing
machine controller advantageously capable of addressing a problem that the manipulation
portion is mistakenly manipulated for some reason (for example, a user, a body of
a third party, or other objects may unintentionally touch the manipulation portion,
and the like) even when a user does not intend to operate the sewing machine.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] The foregoing and additional features and characteristics of this disclosure will
become more apparent from the following detailed description considered with the reference
to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a sewing machine according to a first embodiment;
Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a hand controller;
Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating an internal structure of the hand controller;
Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an inner side of the hand controller
where a manipulation portion is locked;
Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an inner side of the hand controller
where the manipulation portion is unlocked;
Fig. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a main part of the hand controller where
the manipulation portion is locked;
Fig. 7 is a perspective view illustrating an inner side of the hand controller where
the manipulation portion is unlocked;
Fig. 8 is a perspective view illustrating a state before the hand controller is stored
in a housing; and
Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state that the hand controller is
stored in the housing and is used as a foot controller.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0023] The base body is provided with a manipulation portion, a locking portion, an unlocking
portion, and a lock spring, and may have a box shape or a non-box shape. The manipulation
portion is provided in the base body such that at least a part thereof is exposed
from the base body to allow user manipulation. The manipulation portion moves in a
predetermined manipulation direction based on the user manipulation so as to directly
or indirectly output a sewing-related signal. "Signal is directly output" means that
a signal is output by moving the manipulation portion. "Signal is indirectly output"
means that another member moves as the manipulation portion moves to output a signal
from a switch. The locking portion defines a locking position for restricting movement
of the manipulation portion in the manipulation direction. The unlocking portion is
said to unlock the locking portion and enable user manipulation for moving the manipulation
portion in the unlocking direction unidentical to the manipulation direction. By way
of example, the unlocking portion has a structure including a pivot shaft capable
of sliding the manipulation portion in a direction intersecting the manipulation portion
while the manipulation portion pivots in the manipulation direction, and a pivot hole
where the pivot shaft is fitted.
[0024] The direction unidentical to the manipulation direction means a direction different
from the manipulation direction of the manipulation portion. For example, the unidentical
direction means that a direction has an inclination angle θ with respect to the manipulation
direction of the manipulation portion. The angle θ may be arbitrarily set to a range
of 20 to 330°. Specifically, the angle θ may be set to 30 to 180°, 60 to 150°, or
90°. The lock spring refers to a biasing member that exerts a biasing force for automatically
recovering the manipulation portion to the locking position when the user manipulation
for the manipulation portion is released. The lock spring may include a spring known
in the art such as a twisted coil spring, a coil spring, and a plate spring is explained
with an example.
(First Embodiment)
[0025] Fig. 1 illustrates a concept of the first embodiment.
Fig. 1 illustrates a use condition of the sewing machine according to an exemplary
embodiment. According to an exemplary embodiment, in a sewing machine having a free-hand
embroidery function for allowing a user to freely move a ring-shaped embroidery frame
4 with a hand, a hand controller 3 serving as a sewing machine controller is provided.
The hand controller 3 is a controller manipulated by a user with a hand and is used
to output a sewing-related signal such as a sewing speed, a sewing width, and the
like to the control unit of the sewing machine body 1 to perform adjustment manipulation
for a variable mechanism of the sewing machine. In order to perform embroidery smoothly,
the sewing machine body 1 is preferably provided with an extension table 2. The sewing
machine body 1 includes a bed portion 1c, a vertical arm portion 1d, a horizontal
arm portion 1e, a vertically-movable presser bar 1f, and a vertically-movable needle
1h.
[0026] As illustrated in Fig. 1, the hand controller 3 is indirectly integrated with the
embroidery frame 4 by a mount 6. Alternatively, the hand controller 3 may be directly
integrated with the embroidery frame 4. In the embroidery frame 4, a workpiece cloth
(sewing subject) is interposed between inner and outer rings. The workpiece cloth
is interposed between the inner and outer rings in a stretched state and is fixed
by a fixing screw (not illustrated). Therefore, when a user holds the embroidery frame
4 and moves it on the extension table 2 in order to send the workpiece cloth during
embroidery, the hand controller 3 connected to the embroidery frame 4 moves in the
same direction at the same time. Alternatively, the hand controller 3 may be used
separately from the embroidery frame 4.
[0027] As illustrated in Fig. 1, the hand controller 3 and the controller jack 1a of the
sewing machine body 1 are electrically connected to each other with a harness (connection
cable) 5. When a user pressedly manipulates the manipulation portion 15 of the hand
controller 3 with a hand in the manipulation direction (arrow direction C1), the adjustment
manipulation for start/stop of the sewing, a sewing speed, or a sewing width is signalized
in response to the manipulation, and the signal is output from the hand controller
3 to the control unit of the sewing machine body 1 through the harness 5, so that
the sewing machine body 1 is controlled by a microcomputer of the control unit. Although
the harness 5 is used as a connection cable for connecting the hand controller 3 and
the sewing machine body 1 according to this embodiment, the signal output from the
hand controller 3 may be transmitted to the sewing machine body 1 via a wireless transmission
means.
[0028] While the manipulation portion 15 of the hand controller 3 is not pressedly manipulated
in the manipulation direction (arrow direction C1), the manipulation portion 15 is
automatically locked to the locking position as described below. If the manipulation
portion 15 is locked in this manner, the manipulation portion 15 is not allowed to
move in the manipulation direction (arrow direction C1) because the manipulation portion
15 is locked to the locking position even when the manipulation portion 15 is mistakenly
pressedly manipulated in the manipulation direction (arrow direction C1) for some
reason (a user, a body of a third party, or other obj ects may unintentionally touch
the manipulation portion 15, and the like). Therefore, the hand controller 3 is not
allowed to output the sewing-related signal to the sewing machine body 1. Therefore,
unlike the related art, it is possible to suppress a sudden operation of the sewing
machine regardless of a user' s intension and suppress user's astonishment.
[0029] Fig. 2 is an exploded view illustrating a casing 7 as the base body. As illustrated
in Fig. 2, the casing 7 includes a first casing 71 and a second casing 72. After various
components are assembled in the second casing 72, the first and second casings 71
and 72 are integrated with each other by an installation screw 19 to form the casing
7.
[0030] As recognized from Fig. 2, the casing 7 is provided with a switch base 12, a resistance
board 16, and a movable lever 14 in addition to the manipulation portion 15. The manipulation
portion 15 includes a pivot shaft 15c having a pivot hole 15a serving as a pivot point
and a manipulation protrusion 15h having a base 15e and a manipulation surface 15f
integrated with the base 15e and manipulated by a user with a fingertip. The switch
base 12 is fixed in the casing 7 and outputs a signal corresponding to a manipulation
amount of the manipulation portion 15 to the control unit of the sewing machine body
1. The switch base 12 includes a base 12c having a pivot shaft 12a and a locking pin
12b (locking portion).
[0031] The movable lever 14 is provided pivotably in synchronization with manipulation of
the manipulation portion 15 in the manipulation direction (arrow direction C1) in
the casing 7. The pivot shaft 12a of the switch base 12 is pivotably assembled with
the pivot hole 14b serving as a pivot point 14a of the movable lever 14. As a result,
the movable lever 14 can pivot with respect to the pivot shaft 12a of the switch base
12 in the arrow directions C1 and C2. In addition, the resistance board 16 is fixed
to the switch base 12 by an installation screw 25. The movable lever 14 is upwardly
(arrow direction U) biased to the switch base 12 by the biasing force of the lever
recovery spring 17 at all times and is held in a stop position by a function of a
stopper (not illustrated) of the switch base 12. If the movable lever 14 is upwardly
(arrow direction U in Fig. 2) biased by the biasing force of the lever recovery spring
17 at all times in this manner, the manipulation portion 15 located over the movable
lever 14 is biased in the same direction. In this case, if a pressing force greater
than the biasing force of the lever recovery spring 17 is downward (arrow direction
D in Fig. 2) applied to the movable lever 14, the movable lever 14 pivots downward
(arrow direction D) on the pivot point 14a. However, if such a force is removed, the
movable lever 14 and the manipulation portion 15 pivot upwardly (arrow direction U)
by the biasing force of the lever recovery spring 17 so as to be recovered to an original
position.
[0032] As recognized from Fig. 2, the switch base 12 obtained by assembling the aforementioned
components (such as the movable lever 14) is fixed to the second casing 72 by an installation
screw 18. In addition, the connector 10 is also fixed to the second casing 72 by a
plurality of lock screws 11. In this case, the connector 10 and the resistance board
16 are electrically connected to each other by the harness 24 (see Fig. 4).
[0033] As recognized from Fig. 2, the pivot shaft 7c (engagement portion) of the second
casing 72 obtained by assembling the aforementioned components pivotably supports
the pivot hole 15a (engagement target portion) serving as a pivot center of the manipulation
portion 15. As a result, the manipulation portion 15 is pivotable in the arrow direction
C1 (manipulation direction or downward) or in the arrow direction C2 (opposite to
the manipulation direction or upwardly) with respect to the casing 7. In addition,
the manipulation portion 15 can slide along a horizontal direction (axial direction
of the pivot shaft 7c), that is, in the arrow direction B1 (unlocking direction) or
B2 (locking direction) of Fig. 5 with respect to the casing 7. Therefore, the pivot
shaft 7c of the second casing 72 and the pivot hole 15a of the manipulation portion
15 constitute the unlocking portion capable of pivoting the manipulation portion 15
in the manipulation direction (arrow direction C1) and sliding the manipulation portion
15 in a direction (unidentical direction, arrow direction B1 (unlocking direction),
or arrow direction B2 (locking direction)) intersecting with the manipulation direction
(arrow direction C1).
[0034] As illustrated in Fig. 2, the lock spring 8 includes a coil spring portion 80, a
first arm portion 81 extending from one end of the coil spring portion 80, and a second
arm portion 82 extending from the other end of the coil spring portion 80. As illustrated
in Fig. 3, the first arm portion 81 abuts on a part 15r of the manipulation portion
15, and the second arm portion 82 abuts on a part 7r of the casing 7. As a result,
the manipulation portion 15 is biased in the arrow direction C2 (opposite to the arrow
direction C1 which is the manipulation direction) at all times. In this manner, the
manipulation portion 15 is biased to the corresponding initial position F1 (see Fig.
3) along the arrow direction C2 by virtue of the first and second arm portions 81
and 82. In this case, as illustrated in Fig. 3, the engagement portion 15W of the
base 15e of the manipulation portion 15 abuts on the stopper 7s of the casing 7. Therefore,
the manipulation portion 15 is held in the initial position F1 (position where the
manipulation portion 15 is most protruded in the arrow direction C2) (see Fig. 3).
In this case, since the movable lever 14 is upwardly (arrow direction U) biased by
virtue of the biasing force of the lever recovery spring 17 at all times as described
above, the upper surface 14u of the movable lever 14 makes contact with the contact
portion 15i having a convex shape on the lower surface of the base 15e of the manipulation
portion 15 (see Fig. 3). In this manner, the manipulation portion 15 is reliably held
in the corresponding initial position F1 (manipulation amount of arrow direction C1
= 0) by virtue of the upward biasing force of the lock spring 8 and the upward biasing
force of the lever recovery spring 17.
[0035] Description will be made in more detail. According to this embodiment, the manipulation
portion 15 is upwardly (arrow directions C2 and U) biased by the helical torsion coil
spring effect (second biasing force) caused by the first and second arm portions 81
and 82 of the lock spring 8 as described above. In addition, as illustrated in Figs.
4 and 5, the coil spring portion 80 of the lock spring 8 is formed by winding the
coil wire in a coil shape, and a gap84 is formed between neighboring coil wires (see
Fig. 4). The coil spring portion 80 is compressible in the axial direction (arrow
directions E1 and E2) in order to allow adjustment of the width of the gap 84. For
this reason, as illustrated in Fig. 4, a seat portion 15y of the manipulation portion
15 is biased to the second casing 72 in the arrow direction E2 (locking direction)
by virtue of the compression spring effect (first biasing force) of the coil spring
portion 80 of the lock spring 8 at all times. However, as recognized from Fig. 5,
if a user moves the manipulation portion 15 in the arrow direction B1 (unlocking direction)
with a hand, the seat portion 15y of the manipulation portion 15 may move the coil
spring portion 80 in the arrow direction E1 (unlocking direction) while compressively
deforming the coil spring portion 80 in its axial direction. In this case, the width
of the gap 84 of the coil spring portion 80 is narrowed so that the coil spring portion
80 accumulates the compressive load (biasing force to the arrow direction E2). This
is one of the differences from the related art.
[0036] In other words, although the lock spring 8 is physically a single component, it provides
both the compression spring effect in the axial direction (arrow direction E2) caused
by the coil spring portion 80 and the twisted coil spring effect caused by the first
and second arm portions 81 and 82. Since the width of the gap 84 of the coil spring
portion 80 of the lock spring 8 may vary due to such a compression spring effect,
the manipulation portion 15 is slidable along the arrow directions E1 (unlocking direction)
and E2 (locking direction) so as to move to each of the locking and unlocking positions.
This is one of the differences from the related art. The arrow directions E1 and E2
refer to the thickness direction of the casing 7.
[0037] That is, according to this embodiment, the coil spring portion 80 of the lock spring
8 can exert a second biasing force for automatically recovering the manipulation portion
15 to the initial position F1 of the manipulation portion 15, which is a position
before a user manipulates the manipulation portion 15, as a user releases the pressing
manipulation in the arrow direction C1 for the manipulation portion 15, because the
first and second arm portions 81 and 82 of the lock spring 8 bias the manipulation
portion 15 in the manipulation direction (arrow direction C1) and the opposite direction
(arrow direction C2). In addition, the coil spring portion 80 of the lock spring 8
exerts a first biasing force for automatically recovering the manipulation portion
15 to the locking position by moving the manipulation portion 15 in the arrow direction
E2 (locking direction). In this manner, by virtue of the second biasing force caused
by the first and second arm portions 81 and 82 of the lock spring 8, the manipulation
portion 15 is biased in a direction (arrow direction C2) opposite to the user manipulation
direction so that the manipulation portion 15 can be automatically and easily recovered
to the initial position F1 of the manipulation portion 15, which is a position before
a user performs manipulation.
[0038] In this manner, regardless of whether or not the lock spring 8 is a single component,
the first and second arm portions 81 and 82 of the lock spring 8 can exert the second
biasing force for recovering the manipulation portion 15 to the corresponding initial
position F1, and the coil spring portion 80 of the lock spring 8 can exert the first
biasing force for moving the manipulation portion 15 in the locking direction (arrow
directions E2 and B2). In this manner, since even a single lock spring 8 can be used
as both types of springs, it is possible to reduce the number of components, reduce
cost, and achieve small space occupation. In addition, in Fig. 2, mount holes 7a and
7b provided in the second casing 72 are used to fix the mount 6 for the hand controller
3.
[0039] According to this embodiment, as illustrated in Fig. 3, a resistor 23 serving as
a switch for sensing a user manipulation amount of the manipulation portion 15 in
the pressing manipulation direction (arrow direction C1) is used. The resistor 23
is provided in the resistance board 16. The resistor 23 includes a resistance pattern
16a and a resistance pattern 16b in which a plurality of resistors are arranged side
by side in series. The contact point 13a of the contact point clasp 13 provided in
the movable lever 14 short-circuits the resistance patterns 16a and 16b. Here, as
a user pressedly manipulates the manipulation portion 15 in the manipulation direction
(arrow direction C1), the manipulation operation of the manipulation portion 15 is
tranmitted to the movable lever 14 through the contact portion 15i of the manipulation
portion 15 and the upper surface 14u (see Fig. 3). Furthermore, the movable lever
14 is pressedly manipulated in a downward direction (arrow direction D) by by the
pivot shaft 12a of the switch base 12 as a rotational center. In this case, the movable
lever 14 making contact with the manipulation portion 15 also pivots in the same direction
(arrow direction D) depending on the pressing manipulation amount of the manipulation
portion 15. This changes the short-circuit position of the contact point 13a of the
contact point clasp 13 changes the resistance patterns 16a and 16b. For this reason,
an internal resistance value of the resistor 23 of the resistance board 16 changes.
As a result, as a user pressedly manipulates the manipulation portion 15 in the manipulation
direction (arrow direction C1), the adjustment manipulation for start/stop of the
sewing, a sewing speed, or a sewing width is signalized based on the pressing manipulation
amount of the manipulation portion 15, and the signal is output to the control unit
of the sewing machine body 1 through the harness 5 (see Fig. 1), so that control is
executed by a microcomputer internally provided in the sewing machine. In addition,
without limiting to the embodiment by the resistor 23, other sensors may be used to
sense the pressing amount of the manipulation portion 15 in the manipulation direction
(arrow direction C1) performed by a user in the manipulation direction.
[0040] A sequence for manipulating the manipulation portion 15 from the locking position
in the aforementioned description will be described in more detail. As illustrated
in Figs. 4 and 6, in a normal state, that is, when any pressing manipulation is not
performed in the manipulation direction (arrow direction C1) by the manipulation portion
15, the pin contact portion 15u in the base 15e side of the manipulation portion 15
makes contact with the locking pin 12b (locking portion) of the switch base 12 by
a distance A as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 6. The locking pin 12b is fixed to the
switch base 12. In this case, the locking pin 12b serves as a locking portion for
restricting the movement of the manipulation portion 15 in the manipulation direction
(arrow direction C1). Therefore, even when a user pressedly manipulates the manipulation
portion 15 in the manipulation direction (arrow direction C1), or even when other
objects touch the manipulation portion 15 while the manipulation portion 15 is locked
by the locking pin 12b, the manipulation portion 15 does not pivot any more in the
manipulation direction (arrow direction C1). Therefore, the hand controller 3 does
not output a sewing-related signal to the sewing machine body 1, and the sewing machine
does not operate. That is, the manipulation portion 15 remains in the locking state
in the locking position.
[0041] However, as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 7, if a user slides the manipulation portion
15 by a distance A or more in the arrow direction B1 (unlocking direction or axial
direction of the locking pin 12b), the contact (lock) between the pin contact portion
15u on the lower surface of the base 15e of the manipulation portion 15 and the locking
pin 12b of the switch base 12 is released. That is, the manipulation portion 15 is
unlocked from the locking position. In this manner, a user is allowed to further pressedly
manipulate the manipulation portion 15 in the manipulation direction (arrow direction
C1) with a hand from the unlocking state of the manipulation portion 15. Therefore,
a user presses the movable lever 14 in the same direction by further pressedly manipulating
the manipulation portion 15 in the manipulation direction (arrow direction C1) so
as to change the short-circuit position of the contact point 13a of the contact point
clasp 13 on the resistance patterns 16a and 16b as described above. For this reason,
the internal resistance value in the resistor 23 of the resistance board 16 changes
as described above. If a user pressedly manipulates the unlocked manipulation portion
15 in the manipulation direction (arrow direction C1) in this manner, the adjustment
manipulation for start/stop of the sewing, a sewing speed, or a sewing width is signalized,
and the signal is output to the control unit of the sewing machine body 1 through
the harness 5 (see Fig. 1), so that it is possible to operate the sewing machine by
a microcomputer internally provided in the sewing machine. This is one of the differences
from the related art.
[0042] In addition, as a user removes a finger from the manipulation portion 15 after a
user presses the manipulation portion 15 in the arrow direction C1, the manipulation
portion 15 is lifted to a direction (arrow direction C2) opposite to the manipulation
direction by virtue of the biasing force of the first and second arm portions 81 and
82 of the lock spring 8, and then, the manipulation portion 15 moves in the locking
direction (arrow direction B2) by virtue of the biasing force of the coil spring portion
80 of the lock spring 8 in the locking direction (arrow direction E2), so that the
manipulation portion 15 is automatically recovered to the locking position, and the
manipulation portion 15 is maintained in the locking state (see Fig. 4). In this manner,
while the manipulation portion 15 is locked to the locking position, the manipulation
portion 15 is not allowed to move in the manipulation direction (arrow direction C1).
In this case, even when the manipulation portion 15 is mistakenly manipulated in the
manipulation direction (arrow direction C1) for some reason (for example, a user,
a body of a third party, or other objects may unintentionally touch the manipulation
portion 15, and the like), the manipulation portion 15 is not allowed to move because
the manipulation portion 15 is locked to the locking position. Therefore, the hand
controller 3 is not allowed to output the sewing-related signal to the sewing machine
body 1. Therefore, unlike the related art, it is possible to suppress the sewing machine
from being suddenly operated regardless of a user's intention and suppress user's
astonishment.
[0043] According to this embodiment, the hand controller 3 is provided with the movable
lever 14 pressed by the manipulation portion 15 when the manipulation portion 15 is
manipulated in the manipulation direction (arrow direction C1) and a switch base 12
having a resistor 23 (switch) that outputs the signal corresponding to the manipulation
amount of the manipulation portion 15 in the manipulation direction (arrow direction
C1) by sensing the movement position of the movable lever 14 as described above. In
addition, the hand controller 3 is provided with the lever recovery spring 17 for
recovering the movable lever 14 to the corresponding initial position F2 when manipulation
of the manipulation portion 15 is released. According to this embodiment, when the
manipulation portion 15 is manipulated in the manipulation direction (arrow direction
C1), the movable lever 14 is pressed by the manipulation portion 15, and the movable
lever 14 moves depending on the manipulation amount of the manipulation portion 15.
The resistor 23 (switch) outputs the signal corresponding to the manipulation amount
of the manipulation portion 15 in the manipulation direction (arrow direction C1)
to the control unit side of the sewing machine body 1 by sensing the movement position
of the movable lever 14.
[0044] According to this embodiment, the manipulation portion 15 is movable in the locking
direction (arrow directions B2 and E2) and the unlocking direction (arrow directions
B1 and E1) unidentical to the manipulation direction as well as in the manipulation
direction (arrow direction C1). For this reason, when the manipulation portion 15
is recovered to the corresponding initial position F1 (see Fig. 4), it is preferable
that the movable lever 14 also be recovered to the corresponding initial position
F2 (see Fig. 4). However, as described above, the manipulation portion 15 also slides
in a direction intersecting the manipulation direction. For this reason, if both the
manipulation portion 15 and the movable lever 14 are recovered by the same spring,
the movable lever 14 may also move in the same direction in synchronization when the
manipulation portion 15 moves in the locking direction (arrow directions B2 and E2).
In this case, a slide magnitude between the resistor 23 and the contact point 13a
of the movable lever 14 may be influenced. In this regard, the lever recovery spring
17 for recovering the movable lever 14 to the corresponding initial position F2 when
the manipulation of the manipulation portion 15 in the manipulation direction is released
is provided separately from the lock spring 8. The lever recovery spring 17 is a spring
dedicated to the movable lever 14. The lock spring 8 is a spring dedicated to the
manipulation portion 15.
(Second Embodiment)
[0045] Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate a second embodiment. Basically, a configuration and effects
and advantages of this embodiment are similar to those of the aforementioned embodiment,
and Figs. 1 to 7 will be correspondingly applied. A box-shaped housing 100 is provided
to store the hand controller 3. The housing 100 includes first and second housing
portions 101 and 102. The first housing portion 101 includes a bottom wall 101a, a
side face wall 101b, and a side face wall 101c. The second housing portion 102 includes
a ceiling wall 102a, a side face wall 102b, and a side face wall 102c. The housing
100 has a box shape and provides a chamber 104 for detachably storing the hand controller
3. One end portions 101e and 102e of the first and second housing portions 101 and
102, respectively, are provided with a pivot support portion 105 for pivoting. The
other end portions 101f and 102f of the first and second housing portions 101 and
102, respectively, can relatively pivotable and openable (movable) through the pivot
support portion 105. The first housing portion 101 forms a lower casing. The second
housing portion 102 forms a cover. As illustrated in Fig. 9, the ceiling wall 102a
of the second housing portion 102 is provided with a movement guide 110 directed to
the bottom wall 101a of the first housing portion 101. The movement guide 110 includes
a cam surface 111 inclined relative to a vertical line while the housing 100 is closed,
a first surface 112 extending in a vertical direction, and a second surface 113 extending
in a horizontal direction.
[0046] As recognized from Fig. 8, the hand controller 3 is detachably stored in the chamber
104 of the housing 100 when it is used. In this case, the hand controller 3 is stored
in the chamber 104 of the housing 100 in a positioned state by the positioning portion
107 of the first housing portion 101. In this state, as illustrated in Fig. 9, the
positioning surface 107c of the positioning portion 107 makes contact with the side
surface 7s of the hand controller 3 to set a position of the hand controller 3. The
manipulation portion 15 of the hand controller 3 is upwardly projected more than the
upper surface 107u of the positioning portion 107. However, without limiting thereto,
the manipulation surface 15f of the manipulation portion 15 may face the ceiling wall
102a of the second housing portion 102.
[0047] If the chamber 104 becomes a closed space by closing the first and second housing
portions 101 and 102, as recognized from Fig. 9, the movement guide 110 of the second
housing portion 102 is lowered in the arrow direction D5, and the movement guide 110
slides the manipulation portion 15 of the hand controller 3 in the arrow direction
B1 (unlocking direction) and then, moves the manipulation portion 15 of the hand controller
3 in the manipulation direction (arrow direction C1). In this case, since the movement
guide 110 has an inclined cam surface 111, the manipulation portion 15 can automatically
move in the arrow direction B1 (unlocking direction) as the cam surface 111 presses
the manipulation portion 15. For this reason, by the hand controller 3, the manipulation
portion 15 automatically moves from the locking position to the unlocking direction
(arrow direction B1). In this manner, while the manipulation portion 15 is in the
unlocked state, the side surface 15s of the manipulation portion 15 faces the first
surface 112 of the movement guide 110. Therefore, the manipulation portion 15 is not
allowed to move in the arrow direction B2 (locking direction). In addition, since
the manipulation surface 15f of the upper surface of the manipulation portion 15 faces
the second surface 113 of the movement guide 111, the pressing manipulation can be
made for the manipulation portion 15 in the arrow direction C1 (manipulation direction)
by the second housing portion 102. In this state, as a user pressedly manipulates
the second housing portion 102 in the manipulation direction (arrow direction C1)
with a hand or a foot, the manipulation portion 15 of the hand controller 3 is operated
in synchronization. For this reason, as described above in the first embodiment, the
adjustment manipulation for start/stop of the sewing, a sewing speed, or a sewing
width from the hand controller 3 is signalized, and the signal is output to the sewing
machine body 1 through the harness or wirelessly. Accordingly, control is executed
by a microcomputer internally provided in the sewing machine.
[0048] If the second housing portion 102 moves to be separated from the first housing portion
101, that is, if the first and second housing portions 101 and 102 are opened, the
cam surface 111 of the movement guide 110 and the manipulation surface 15f of the
manipulation portion 15 are separated from each other. Therefore, the manipulation
portion 15 moves in the arrow direction B2 (locking direction) so as to be automatically
recovered to the locking position and locked. In addition, the relative movement between
the first and second housing portions 101 and 102 may be achieved by moving at least
one of the first and second housing portions 101 and 102.
[0049] When the hand controller 3 is used, the relative movement between the first and second
housing portions 101 and 102 may be performed with a user's hand. Alternatively, a
user's foot may be used like the foot stepping or the like. In the latter case, a
foot controller 3F for performing a stepping manipulation with a user's foot is provided.
[0050] When the foot controller 3F having such a structure is used, the manipulation portion
15 is unlocked by the movement guide 110 of the second housing portion 102 at all
times, so that the foot controller 3F can be used as a stepping type foot controller.
For this reason, compared to a case where a user uses two types of controllers, it
is possible to advantageously obtain each function with low cost if a user uses an
inexpensive box-shaped housing 100.
[0051] According to this embodiment, even when a force is mistakenly applied to the manipulation
portion 15 for some reason (for example, a user, a body of a third party, or other
objects may unintentionally make touch, and the like) when a user does not intend
to operate the sewing machine during the sewing preparation and the like, the manipulation
portion 15 is locked, and the signal for operating the sewing machine is not output,
so that safety is guaranteed for a user. When a user removes a hand from the manipulation
portion 15, the manipulation portion 15 is automatically recovered to the locking
state. Therefore, especial manipulation is not required for a user, and it is possible
to reliably operate the safety function.
(Other Embodiments)
[0052] Although the manipulation portion 15 and the movable lever 14 are separate components
in the aforementioned embodiments, the manipulation portion 15 and the movable lever
14 may be integrated with each other depending on a structure of the switch for sensing
the movement position of the movable lever 14. In this case, since a biasing force
of the lock spring 8 is utilized, the lever recovery spring 17 may be removed. Although
a user performs unlocking by moving the manipulation portion 15 in the arrow direction
B1 and then moves it in the arrow direction C1, the invention is not limited thereto.
Instead, unlocking may be performed by slightly moving the manipulation portion 15
in the arrow direction C1 and then moving it in the arrow direction B1, and then the
manipulation portion 15 may move in the arrow direction C1. A user may also manipulate
the manipulation portion 15 in a combined direction between the arrow directions B1
and C1 with a finger. The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above
in conjunction with the appended drawings, and may be appropriately modified without
departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.
1. Nähmaschinenregler, der von einem Benutzer betätigt wird, um ein auf das Nähen bezogenes
Signal auszugeben,
dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass er umfasst:
einen Grundkörper (7),
einen Betätigungsabschnitt (15), der in dem Grundkörper (7) so vorgesehen ist, dass
ein Teil davon von dem Grundkörper (7) so hervorsteht, dass ein Benutzer eine Betätigung
ausführen kann, der sich durch eine Benutzerbetätigung in einer vorbestimmten Richtung
(C1) bewegt, um direkt oder indirekt ein auf das Nähen bezogenes Signal auszugeben
und der in einer Verriegelungsrichtung (B2) und in einer Entriegelungsrichtung (B1),
die nicht mit der Betätigungsrichtung (C1) identisch sind, bewegbar ist,
einen Verriegelungsabschnitt (12b), der in dem Grundkörper (7) vorgesehen ist, um
eine Verriegelungsposition zu definieren, um eine Bewegung des Betätigungsabschnittes
(15) in der Betätigungsrichtung (C1) einzuschränken,
einen Entriegelungsabschnitt, der in dem Grundkörper (7) vorgesehen ist, um die Verriegelung
des Verriegelungsabschnittes (12b) zu lösen, und der eine Benutzerbetätigung ermöglicht,
um den Betätigungsabschnitt (15) in der Entriegelungsrichtung (B1), die nicht mit
der Betätigungsrichtung (C1) identisch ist, zu bewegen, und
eine Haltefeder (8), die in dem Grundkörper vorgesehen ist, um eine Vorspannkraft
zum automatischen Zurückführen des Betätigungsabschnittes (15) in die Verriegelungsposition
auszuüben, wenn die Benutzerbetätigung des Betätigungsabschnittes (15) gelöst wird.
2. Nähmaschinenregler nach Anspruch 1, wobei die Haltefeder (8) eine erste Vorspannkraft
zum automatischen Zurückführen des Betätigungsabschnittes (15) in die Verriegelungsposition,
wenn die Benutzerbetätigung des Betätigungsabschnittes (15) gelöst wird, und eine
zweite Vorspannkraft zum automatischen Zurückführen des Betätigungsabschnittes (15)
in eine Anfangsposition des Betätigungsabschnittes (15) vor der Benutzerbetätigung
durch Vorspannen des Betätigungsabschnittes (15) in eine Richtung (C2) ausübt, die
entgegengesetzt der Betätigungsrichtung (C1) ist.
3. Nähmaschinenregler nach Anspruch 2, wobei die Haltefeder (8) einen Spiralfederabschnitt
(80) umfasst, der durch Aufwickeln eines Spiraldrahtes in Spiralform ausgebildet ist,
einen Abstand (84) zwischen benachbarten Spiraldrähten aufweist und in einer axialen
Richtung komprimierbar ist, wobei sich ein erster Armabschnitt (81) von einem Ende
des Spiralfederabschnittes (80) erstreckt und sich ein zweiter Armabschnitt (82) von
dem anderen Ende des Spiralfederabschnittes (80) erstreckt, und
wobei der Spiralfederabschnitt (80) die erste Vorspannkraft ausübt und die ersten
und zweiten Armabschnitte (81, 82) die zweite Vorspannkraft ausüben.
4. Nähmaschinenregler nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 3, wobei der Grundkörper (7) mit
einem bewegbaren Hebel (14), der durch den Betätigungsabschnitt (15) gedrückt wird,
wenn der Betätigungsabschnitt (15) in der Betätigungsrichtung (C1) betätigt wird,
und einem Schaltersockel (12) versehen ist, der einen Schalter zum Ausgeben eines
Signals, das einem Betätigungsgrad des Betätigungsabschnittes (15) in der Betätigungsrichtung
(C1) durch Messen einer Bewegungsposition des bewegbaren Hebels (14) entspricht, zu
einer Nähmaschinenseite aufweist, und wobei eine Hebelrückführfeder (17) zum Zurückführen
des bewegbaren Hebels (14), wenn eine Betätigung des Betätigungsabschnittes (15) gelöst
wird, in eine entsprechende Anfangsposition (F2) vorgesehen ist.
5. Nähmaschinenregler nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 4, ferner umfassend: ein Gehäuse
(100), das eine Kammer (104) zum Aufnehmen des Grundkörpers (7) mit dem Betätigungsabschnitt
(15) bildet, das erste und zweite Gehäuseabschnitte (101, 102) umfasst, die relativ
zueinander bewegbar sind, und das dafür geeignet ist, mit dem Fuß eines Benutzers
getreten zu werden, und eine Bewegungsführung (110), die in dem ersten oder zweiten
Gehäuseabschnitt (102, 102) ausgebildet ist, um den Betätigungsabschnitt (15) des
Grundkörpers (7) in einer Entriegelungsrichtung (B1) gegen die Vorspannkraft der Haltefeder
(8) zu bewegen, während der Grundkörper (7) in der Kammer (104) des Gehäuses (100)
untergebracht ist,
wobei der Betätigungsabschnitt (15) sich in der Betätigungsrichtung (C1) durch die
relative Bewegung zwischen den ersten und zweiten Gehäuseabschnitten (101, 102) bewegt,
und ein auf das Nähen bezogenes Signal zu einer Nähmaschinenseite ausgegeben wird.
6. Nähmaschine, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass sie den Nähmaschinenregler nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 5 umfasst.