Embroidery frame

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10415168-B2
Application number	US-201816038670-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2018
Priority date	Feb 26, 2016
Publication date	Sep 17, 2019
Grant date	Sep 17, 2019

Abstract

An embroidery frame includes a pair of a first frame and a second frame configured to clamp a sewing object and a lock mechanism. The lock mechanism includes a support member configured to rotatably support the second frame such that a posture of the second frame with respect to the first frame to clamp the sewing object is switchable to a first posture and a second posture. The first posture is a posture in which a first surface of the second frame faces the first frame. The second posture is a posture in which a second surface of the second frame faces the first frame. The second surface is on the opposite side to the first surface. The lock mechanism is configured to press the second frame in at least the first posture toward a first frame side with respect to the second frame.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An embroidery frame comprising:
a first frame and a second frame configured to clamp a sewing object; and
a lock mechanism that includes a support member, a pressing lever, and a lock release lever, the support member rotatably supporting the second frame such that a facing position of the second frame with respect to the first frame to clamp the sewing object is switchable between a first facing position and a second facing position, the first facing position being a position in which a first surface of the second frame faces the first frame, the second facing position being a position in which a second surface of the second frame faces the first frame, the second surface being on an opposite side of the second frame to the first surface, and the pressing lever being configured to engage with the lock release lever to press the second frame in at least the first facing position toward a first frame side with respect to the second frame.

2. The embroidery frame according to claim 1 , wherein
the second frame includes a first anti-slip portion and a second anti-slip portion, the first anti-slip portion suppressing the sewing object from moving with respect to the second frame, the first anti-slip portion being provided on the first surface, the second anti-slip portion suppressing the sewing object from moving with respect to the second frame, the second anti-slip portion being provided on the second surface, and
the lock mechanism is configured to press the second frame toward the first frame side with respect to the second frame in each of the first facing position and the second facing position.

3. The embroidery frame according to claim 2 , wherein
the first anti-slip portion and the second anti-slip portion have mutually different physical properties.

4. The embroidery frame according to claim 2 , wherein
the first anti-slip portion is a pile member having short fibers that extend in an inclined manner from an inside to an outside of the second frame.

5. The embroidery frame according to claim 1 , wherein
the support member supports the second frame so as to be able to rotate to the first facing position and the second facing position, at one side from a center in a thickness direction of the second frame.

6. The embroidery frame according to claim 1 , wherein
the support member includes a support portion and a rotation portion, the support portion supporting the second frame on one end side of the support member, and the rotation portion being rotatably supported with respect to the first frame at another end side of the support member, and
the second frame is configured to rotate with respect to the first frame around the rotation portion when the second frame is in a position at which a distance between the support portion and the first frame becomes equal to or greater than half of a length of a side supported by the support portion, among sides of the second frame.

7. The embroidery frame according to claim 1 , wherein
the lock mechanism is configured to switch a position of the second frame with respect to the first frame to at least three positions including a first position, a second position, and a third position, and is configured to hold the second frame in at least each of the first position and the second position, the first position being a position in which the second frame is closed with respect to the first frame, the second position being a position in which, with respect to the first frame, the second frame is more open by a first predetermined amount than in the first position, and the third position being a position in which, with respect to the first frame, the second frame is more open by a second predetermined amount, the second predetermined amount being larger than the first predetermined amount.

8. The embroidery frame according to claim 7 , wherein
the lock mechanism includes a first lock mechanism and a second lock mechanism, the first lock mechanism rotatably supporting the second frame on one side of the second frame, the first lock mechanism being configured to switch the position of the second frame with respect to the first frame to each one of the at least three positions, the first lock mechanism being configured to hold the second frame in at least each of the first position and the second position, the second lock mechanism rotatably supporting the second frame on an opposite side to the one side of the second frame, the second lock mechanism being configured to switch the position of the second frame with respect to the first frame to each one of the at least three positions separately from the first lock mechanism, and the second lock mechanism being configured to hold the second frame in at least each of the first position and the second position.

9. The embroidery frame according to claim 7 , wherein
the support member is formed of an elastic body.

10. The embroidery frame according to claim 7 , wherein
the support member includes a support portion and a rotation portion, the support portion supporting the second frame on one end side of the support member, the rotation portion being rotatably supported with respect to the first frame at another end side of the support member; and
the lock mechanism further includes a first rotation shaft, a first energizing member, a second rotation shaft, and a second energizing member, the lock release lever being rotatably supported with respect to the first frame by the first rotation shaft on the one end side and extending from the first rotation shaft to the other end side, the first energizing member energizing the lock release lever in a first rotation direction away from the first frame, the pressing lever being rotatably supported with respect to the first frame around the second rotation shaft, the pressing lever being provided with a plurality of concave portions and a pressing portion, each of the plurality of concave portions being recessed toward the second rotation shaft, the each of the plurality of the concave portions being configured to engage with an end portion on the one end side of the lock release lever, the pressing portion being configured to press the support member toward a first frame side with respect to the second frame, the second energizing member energizing the pressing lever toward a side away from the first frame, and the lock mechanism being configured to switch the position of the second frame with respect to the first frame by switching the concave portion engaged with the end portion of the lock release lever in accordance with an operation of the pressing lever or the lock release lever and being configured to hold the second frame in each of the at least three positions.

11. The embroidery frame according to claim 10 , wherein
the support member includes a bent portion bent in a U shape in an extending direction of the second rotation shaft, and
the pressing portion is configured to press the bent portion of the support member toward a first frame side with respect to the second frame.

12. The embroidery frame according to claim 10 , wherein
the pressing lever is provided with a number of convex portions corresponding to the plurality of concave portions, the convex portions being adjacent to the concave portions and protruding toward a side away from the second rotation shaft,
from among the plurality of convex portions, a largest convex portion provided at a furthest position from the first frame has a largest protrusion amount with respect to the second rotation shaft, and
from among the plurality of positions of the second frame with respect to the first frame, the third position in which a distance between the f

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Kawaguchi Yasuhiko
• Ueda Daisuke
• Iida Mitsuhiro
• Osamura Takahira

Classifications

• D05C9/04 Primary

  Work holders, e.g. frames · CPC title

• D05B39/00

  Workpiece carriers (for automatically controlling movement of work-carrier to obtain particular configuration of seam D05B21/00; in general A41H15/00) · CPC title