Thread feeding apparatus for an embroidering machine

Abstract

The present invention relates to a thread feeding apparatus for an embroidering machine, comprising a thread tension adjuster including a thread tension adjusting body and a thread winding unit; a thread take-up unit including a thread retainer and oscillating to tense and release the upper thread; a thread take-out unit including a thread take-out lever and retaining the upper thread; a driver driving the thread winding unit to rotate and the thread take-out lever to reciprocate; a rotating motion transformer rotating the thread winding unit to wind the upper thread on the thread tension adjusting body; and a straight line motion transformer and moving the thread take-out lever to retain the upper thread on the thread retainer. Thus, a single driver is used for winding an upper thread and retaining the upper thread, thereby enhancing productivity. Further, the number of components is reduced.

1 . A thread feeding apparatus for an embroidering machine, comprising:
 a thread tension adjuster that comprises a thread tension adjusting body on which an upper thread is partially wound and which males resistance to the upper thread, and a thread winding unit provided in a predetermined rotating shaft and winding the upper thread on the thread tension adjusting body by rotating while holding the upper thread spaced apart from the rotating shaft, and adjusting the tension of the upper thread;   a thread take-up unit that comprises a thread retainer on which the upper thread is retained, and oscillates within a predetermined section to tense and release the upper thread;   a thread take-out unit that comprises a thread take-out lever reciprocating between a take-out position in which the upper thread is taken out from a thread transferring path and a thread retaining position on which the upper thread is retained, and retains the upper thread on the thread retainer by talking out the upper thread on the thread transferring path;   a driver that drives the thread winding unit to rotate and the thread take-out lever to reciprocate;   a rotating motion transformer that transforms a driving operation of the driver into a rotating motion, and rotates the thread winding unit to wind the upper thread on the thread tension adjusting body; and   a straight line motion transformer that transforms the driving operation of the driver into a straight line motion, and moves the thread take-out lever to retain the upper thread on the thread retainer.   
   
   
       2 . The thread feeding apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a lifting link connected to the driver and moves up and down by the driving operation of the driver,
 wherein the rotating motion transformer comprises:   a driving pin protruded from one side of the lifting link;   a driving cam formed with a predetermined cam profile movably engaged with the driving pin, and rotatably coupled to a predetermined rotating shaft; and   a power transmission unit transferring the rotation of the driving cam to the thread winding unit.   
   
   
       3 . The thread feeding apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the straight line motion transformer comprises:
 a bracket provided in one of the lifting link and the thread take-out unit, and formed with an elongated hole at a predetermined angle to a lifting direction of the lifting link; and   a movable pin provided in the other one of the lifting link and the thread take-out unit, and moving in a straight line while being movably engaged with the elongated hole.   
   
   
       4 . The thread feeding apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising a needle bar lifting unit to which a needle bar mounted with a needle is liftably coupled, and which is connected with the lifting link,
 wherein the driver drives the needle bar lifting unit to move up and down to move from a sewing work section to a predetermined threading work section.   
   
   
       5 . The thread feeding apparatus according to  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a thread catcher that comprises a hook for catching the upper thread and a hook body for supporting the hook, and threads the upper thread through an eye of the needle while reciprocating to pass the hook through the eye of the needle; and   a thread catcher driver that comprises a thread catcher supporter to support the thread catcher, and a thread catcher driving link formed with a pin sloping part at a predetermined angle to the lifting direction of the lifting link to contact the driving pin within the threading work section of the needle, and reciprocates the thread catcher,   wherein the driver drives the driving pin to move along the pin sloping part, and allows to pass the hook through the eye of the needle by making the thread catcher driving link press and release the thread catcher supporter.   
   
   
       6 . The thread feeding apparatus according to  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a thread transferring bracket that is formed with a needle bar sloping part having a predetermined angle transversely to the lifting direction of the needle bar, and is rotatably installed in a predetermined rotating shaft while being parallel with a plane formed by the eye of the needle and the hook; and   a thread unwinding bracket provided in the needle bar lifting unit, and rotating the thread transferring bracket while sliding on and getting in contact with the needle bar sloping part to take up the upper thread retained in the hook and transfer the upper thread to the hook body,   wherein the driver drives the lifting link to move down from the threading work position to the sewing work section and allows to rotate the thread transferring bracket by the thread unwinding bracket to thread the upper thread through the eye of the needle while the upper thread is moved to and released from the hook body.   
   
   
       7 . The thread feeding apparatus according to  claim 3 , further comprising a needle bar lifting unit to which a needle bar mounted with a needle is liftably coupled, and which is connected with the lifting link,
 wherein the driver drives the needle bar lifting unit to move up and down to move from a sewing work section to a predetermined threading work section.   
   
   
       8 . The thread feeding apparatus according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a thread catcher that comprises a hook for catching the upper thread and a hook body for supporting the hook, and threads the upper thread through an eye of the needle while reciprocating to pass the hook through the eye of the needle; and   a thread catcher driver that comprises a thread catcher supporter to support the thread catcher, and a thread catcher driving link formed with a pin sloping part at a predetermined angle to the lifting direction of the lifting link to contact the driving pin within the threading work section of the needle, and reciprocates the thread catcher,   wherein the driver drives the driving pin to move along the pin sloping part, and allows to pass the hook through the eye of the needle by malting the thread catcher driving link press and release the thread catcher supporter.   
   
   
       9 . The thread feeding apparatus according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a thread transferring bracket that is formed with a needle bar sloping part having a predetermined angle transversely to the lifting direction of the needle bar, and is rotatably installed in a predetermined rotating shaft while being parallel with a plane formed by the eye of the needle and the hook; and   a thread unwinding bracket provided in the needle bar lifting unit, and rotating the thread transferring bracket while sliding on and getting in contact with the needle bar sloping part to take up the upper thread retained in the hook and transfer the upper thread to the hook body,   wherein the driver drives the lifting link to move down from the threading work position to the sewing work section and allows to rotate the thread transferring bracket by the thread unwinding bracket to thread the upper thread through the eye of the needle while the upper thread is moved to and released from the hook body.