Cap frame and method for embroidering on cap using the cap frame

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11326287-B2
Application number	US-202016997120-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 19, 2020
Priority date	Aug 20, 2019
Publication date	May 10, 2022
Grant date	May 10, 2022

Abstract

A cap frame includes a body member including an arc-shaped curved wall extending in a particular direction, an attaching portion connected to the body member, and a retaining member including a clamping portion having a plurality of protrusions aligned along the particular direction, and a facing portion. The attaching portion is removably attachable to a moving mechanism of an embroidery machine. In a state where the retaining member is attached to the body member, the clamping portion is elastically deformed in conformance with the curved wall and presses, toward the curved wall, a cap sandwiched between the curved wall and the clamping portion. The facing portion faces the curved wall of the body member. Each protrusion extends toward the curved wall from a leading end of the facing portion in a removing direction and faces a leading end of the curved wall of the body member in the removing direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cap frame comprising:
a body member including a curved wall, the curved wall having an arc shape and extending in a particular direction;
an attaching portion connected to the body member and configured to be removably attached to a moving mechanism of an embroidery machine; and
a retaining member including:
a clamping portion configured to, in a state where the retaining member is attached to the body member, be elastically deformed in conformance with the curved wall and press, toward the curved wall, a cap sandwiched between the curved wall and the clamping portion; and
a facing portion configured to, in a state where the retaining member is attached to the body member, face the curved wall of the body member,

wherein the clamping portion has a plurality of protrusions,
wherein in a state where retaining member is attached to the body member, each of the plurality of protrusions extends toward the body member from a leading end of the facing portion in a removing direction and faces a leading end of the curved wall of the body member in the removing direction, and the removing direction is directed from one side of the cap frame, in which the attaching portion is provided, toward the other side of the cap frame, in which the curved wall is provided,
wherein the plurality of protrusions are aligned along the particular direction,
wherein the facing portion has a first surface on one side thereof facing the body member in a state where the retaining member is attached to the body member, and
wherein in a state where the retaining member is attached to the body member, as the first surface extends in the removing direction, the first surface is inclined toward the body member.

2. The cap frame according to claim 1 ,
wherein the facing portion further has a second surface on the other side thereof opposite to the one side thereof in a state where the retaining member is attached to the body member, and
wherein in a state where the retaining member is attached to the body member, as the second surface extends in the removing direction, the second surface is inclined toward the body member.

3. The cap frame according to claim 1 ,
wherein the facing portion includes a projecting portion on one side thereof facing the body member, and
wherein in a state where the retaining member is attached to the body member, the projecting portion protrudes toward the body member from a particular area belonging to the facing portion and including a center of the facing portion in the particular direction.

4. The cap frame according to claim 1 ,
wherein the retaining member further includes a first engagement portion and a second engagement portion disposed at end portions of the clamping portion in the particular direction in a state where the retaining member is attached to the body member,
wherein the body member further includes a third engagement portion and a fourth engagement portion configured to:
engage the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion, respectively, of the retaining member;
in a case where the third engagement portion and the fourth engagement portion are in engagement with the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion, respectively, of the retaining member with the plurality of protrusions being positioned along the curved wall, restrict the retaining member and the body member from moving relative to each other, thereby fastening the retaining member to the body member in conformance with the body member; and
in a case where the third engagement portion and the fourth engagement portion are out of engagement with the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion, respectively, of the retaining member, allow the retaining member and the body member to move relative to each other,

wherein the retaining member has four equally defined sections in the particular direction, and
wherein in a state where the retaining member is attached to the body member, the retaining member has the protrusions at at least two of the four sections, and the at least two of the four section are defined adjacent to a center of the retaining member in the particular direction.

5. The cap frame according to claim 1 ,
wherein the retaining member further includes a first engagement portion and a second engagement portion disposed at end portions of the clamping portion in the particular direction in a state where the retaining member is attached to the body member,
wherein the body member further includes a third engagement portion and a fourth engagement portion configured to:
engage the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion, respectively, of the retaining member;
in a case where the third engagement portion and the fourth engagement portion are in engagement with the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion, respectively, of the retaining member with the plurality of protrusions being positioned along the curved wall, restrict the retaining member and the body member from moving relative to each other, thereby fastening the retaining member to the body member in conformance with the body member; and
in a case where the third engagement portion and the fourth engagement portion are out of engagement with the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion, respectively, of the retaining member, allow the retaining member and the body member to move relative to each other, and

wherein the cap frame further includes:
a first guide portion defining a movable direction of the first engagement portion as a first guide direction toward the third engagement portion and a direction opposite to the first guide direction; and
a second guide portion defining a movable direction of the second engagement portion as a second guide direction toward the fourth engagement portion and a direction opposite to the second guide direction.

6. The cap frame according to claim 5 ,
wherein the third engagement portion is configured to engage the first engagement portion at one of a plurality of engagement positions and the fourth engagement portion is configured to engage the second engagement portion at one of a plurality of engagement positions, thereby allowing the retaining member and the body member to be located at one of a plurality of relative positions.

7. The cap frame according to claim 5 ,
wherein the first guide portion includes a first wall extending in the first guide direction, and
wherein the second guide portion includes a second wall extending in the second guide direction.

8. The cap frame according to claim 5 ,
wherein a distance between the first guide portion and the second guide portion in a width direction decreases in a direction opposite to a convex direction of the curved wall, wherein the width direction is perpendicular to both an attaching direction and the convex direction, and the attaching direction is directed from the other side of the cap frame, in which the curved wall is provided, toward the one side of the cap frame, in which the attaching portion is provided.

9. The cap frame according to claim 8 ,
wherein in a state where the retaining member is attached to body member with the clamping portion conforming to the curved wall of the body member, a distance between the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion in the width direction decreases in the direction opposite to the convex direction.

10. The cap frame according to claim 8 ,
wherein the retaining member further includes a first shaft and a second shaft at the respective end portions of the clamping portion, wherein the first shaft and the second shaft extend along the attaching dir

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Osamura Takahira
• Kawaguchi Yasuhiko
• Iida Mitsuhiro
• Takeuchi Kazuki

Classifications

• 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

• D05C9/04 Primary

  Work holders, e.g. frames · CPC title