Sewing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10240271-B2
Application number	US-201615063861-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 8, 2016
Priority date	Mar 8, 2016
Publication date	Mar 26, 2019
Grant date	Mar 26, 2019

Abstract

A sewing apparatus includes a housing, an arm shaft that extends through the housing in a longitudinal direction, a cam member coupled to the arm shaft, the cam member including a front face and a rear face positioned opposite the front face, where the cam member includes a lobe positioned on one of the front face and the rear face, a needle assembly coupled to the housing, the needle assembly including a needle shaft and a needle coupled to the needle shaft, and an arm pivotally coupled to the housing and engaged with the cam member, where the needle assembly is slidably engaged with the arm in a vertical direction and the needle assembly is constrained with respect to the arm in the longitudinal direction and a lateral direction that is transverse to the longitudinal direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sewing apparatus comprising:
a housing;
an arm shaft that extends through the housing in a longitudinal direction;
a cam member coupled to the arm shaft, the cam member comprising a front face and a rear face positioned opposite the front face, wherein the cam member comprises a lobe positioned on one of the front face and the rear face;
a needle assembly coupled to the housing, the needle assembly comprising a needle shaft and a needle coupled to the needle shaft; and
an arm pivotally coupled to the housing at an arm pivot axis that extends in the longitudinal direction and engaged with the cam member, wherein:
the needle assembly is slidably engaged with the arm in a vertical direction and the needle assembly is constrained with respect to the arm in the longitudinal direction and a lateral direction that is transverse to the longitudinal direction;
the arm and the needle assembly pivot about the arm pivot axis; and
the arm is repositionable between a first position, in which the arm and the needle assembly are oriented such that the needle assembly extends in a direction that is transverse to a stitch direction, and a second position, in which the needle assembly extends at least partially in the stitch direction.

2. The sewing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a linking member coupled to the arm and engaged with the cam member, wherein the arm is engaged with the cam member through the linking member.

3. The sewing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the arm is positioned in the second position when the lobe engages the arm, and the arm is positioned in the first position when the lobe is disengaged from the arm.

4. The sewing apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the lobe is a rear lobe positioned on the rear face of the cam member, and when the rear lobe engages the arm, the arm is positioned in the second position.

5. The sewing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a foot coupled to the arm, wherein the foot is slidably engaged with the arm in the vertical direction and the foot is constrained with respect to the arm in the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction.

6. The sewing apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the lobe is a front lobe positioned on the front face of the cam member.

7. The sewing apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the foot is repositionable between a raised position, in which the foot is engaged with the front lobe, and a lowered position, in which the foot is disengaged from the front lobe, wherein the raised position and the lowered position are spaced apart from one another in the vertical direction.

8. The sewing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the needle assembly is pivotally coupled to the cam member.

9. A robot sewing apparatus comprising:
a base;
a robot arm coupled to the base;
a sewing apparatus coupled to the robot arm, the sewing apparatus comprising:
a housing;
an arm shaft that extends through the housing in a longitudinal direction;
a cam member coupled to the arm shaft, the cam member comprising a front face and a rear face positioned opposite the front face, wherein the cam member comprises a lobe positioned on one of the front face and the rear face;
a needle assembly coupled to the housing, the needle assembly comprising a needle shaft and a needle coupled to the needle shaft; and
an arm pivotally coupled to the housing at an arm pivot axis that extends in the longitudinal direction and engaged with the cam member, wherein:
the needle assembly is constrained with respect to the arm in a stitch direction and the needle assembly is slidably engaged with the arm in a vertical direction;
the arm and the needle assembly pivot about the arm pivot axis; and
the arm is repositionable between a first position, in which the arm and the needle assembly are oriented such that the needle assembly extends in a direction that is transverse to the stitch direction, and a second position, in which the needle assembly extends at least partially in the stitch direction.

10. The robot sewing apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising a linking member coupled to the arm and engaged with the cam member, wherein the arm is engaged with the cam member through the linking member.

11. The robot sewing apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the arm is positioned in the second position when the lobe engages the arm, and the arm is positioned in the first position when the lobe is disengaged from the arm.

12. The robot sewing apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising a foot coupled to the arm, wherein the foot is constrained with respect to the arm in the stitch direction, and the foot is slidably engaged with the arm in the vertical direction.

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America

Inventors

• Freer Paul L
• Martz Thomas

Classifications

• D05B23/00 Primary

  Sewing apparatus or machines not otherwise provided for (for making zip closures A44B19/00) · CPC title

• B25J11/00

  Manipulators not otherwise provided for · CPC title