Heat Cutting Device For Embroidery Sewing Machine

Abstract

Distal end section of a heat cutter is movable among a processing position where the heating distal end section is kept pressed against a workpiece, a standby position located away from the workpiece, and a refracted position located farther away from the workpiece than the standby position. Pressing member is movable between an operating position where the pressing member presses down the workpiece and a non-operating position where the pressing member does not press down the workpiece. The distal end section is moved between the standby position and the retracted position in interlocked relation to the movement of the pressing member, and, while the pressing member is in the operating position, the distal end section is moved between the standby position and the processing position. Thus, appropriate processing can be performed even at start and end points of the processing.

1 . A heat cutting device for an embroidery sewing machine which performs desired processing on a workpiece, held on an embroidery frame, by partly heating the workpiece, said heat cutting device comprising:
 a heat cutter having a heatable heating distal end section, said distal end section being movable among a processing position where said heating distal end section is kept pressed against the workpiece, a standby position located away from the workpiece and a retracted position located farther away from the workpiece than the standby position;   a pressing member for pressing down the workpiece on the embroidery frame, said pressing member being movable between an operating position where said pressing member presses down the workpiece and a non-operating position where said pressing member does not press down the workpiece;   an interlocking drive device for effecting movement of said pressing member between the operating position and the non-operating position and movement of said heating distal end section between the standby position and the retracted position in interlocked relation to each other; and   a heating-distal-end-section driving device for, while said pressing member is in the operating position, driving said heating distal end section to move between the standby position and the processing position.   
     
     
         2 . The heat cutting device as claimed in  claim 1 , which further comprises a support mechanism for not only movably supporting said heat cutter in such a manner that said heating distal end section can move between the standby position and the processing position but also fixedly supporting said pressing member, and
 wherein said interlocking drive device effects the movement of said pressing member between the operating position and the non-operating position and the movement of said heating distal end section between the standby position and the retracted position in interlocked relation to each other by moving said support mechanism toward and away from the workpiece.   
     
     
         3 . The heat cutting device as claimed in  claim 2 , which further comprises a limiting member for limiting movement of said heat cutter, and an amount of projection, beyond a lower surface of said pressing member, of said heating distal end section is variably adjustable by said limiting member.