Movement detector and sewing system

Abstract

A movement detector is attachable to a presser bar of a sewing machine. The movement detector includes a sensor and a housing. The sensor is configured to emit light toward a sewing workpiece and to detect the light reflected from the sewing workpiece to detect a movement amount of the sewing workpiece. The housing accommodates the sensor. The housing includes a wall surface spaced from the sensor in a detachment direction. The detachment direction is perpendicular to an emission direction in which the sensor emits the light. The wall surface is formed with an insertion opening for inserting a presser foot.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A movement detector attachable to a presser bar of a sewing machine, the movement detector comprising:
 a sensor configured to emit light toward a sewing workpiece and to detect the light reflected from the sewing workpiece to detect a movement amount of the sewing workpiece; and   a housing accommodating the sensor, the housing including a wall surface spaced from the sensor in a detachment direction, the detachment direction being perpendicular to an emission direction in which the sensor emits the light, the wall surface being formed with an insertion opening for inserting a presser foot.   
     
     
         2 . The movement detector according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a lock plate accommodated in the housing and configured to lock the presser foot, the lock plate including a fitting portion having a protruding shape or a recessed shape, the fitting portion being configured to fit with a fitted portion of the presser foot in a state where the presser foot is inserted in the housing, the fitted portion having a recessed shape or a protruding shape.   
     
     
         3 . The movement detector according to  claim 2 , wherein the lock plate extends in an emission surface direction perpendicular to the emission direction. 
     
     
         4 . The movement detector according to  claim 3 , wherein a direction opposite the detachment direction is defined as an attachment direction;
 wherein a direction opposite the emission direction is defined as a reflection direction;   wherein a direction including both the detachment direction and the attachment direction is defined as a slide direction;   wherein movement detector further comprises a slider that is slidable in the slide direction with respect to the housing;   wherein the housing further includes a slider wall surface spaced from the sensor in the reflection direction, the slider wall surface being formed with a slider opening, the slider opening extending in the slide direction;   wherein the slider includes:
 a slider plate accommodated in the housing and extending in the emission surface direction; and 
 a lever provided at the slider plate, the lever being exposed in the reflection direction through the slider opening; 
   wherein the lock plate is a leaf spring;   wherein the lock plate includes a protruding portion inclined with respect to the slide direction, the protruding portion protruding from the lock plate in an approach direction toward the slider plate, the protruding portion being arranged on a movement path of the slider that slides in the slide direction; and   wherein, when the slider slides in the detachment direction, the slider plate contacts the protruding portion and the lock plate elastically deforms in a separation direction opposite the approach direction, thereby releasing engagement between the fitting portion and the fitted portion.   
     
     
         5 . The movement detector according to  claim 4 , wherein the protruding portion is located on the movement path of the slider and downstream of the presser foot in the attachment direction in a state where the presser foot is locked; and
 wherein, when the slider slides in the detachment direction in a state where the presser foot is locked, the slider plate is configured to contact the protruding portion and the presser foot in this order, the engagement between the fitting portion and the fitted portion is released, and the presser foot is pushed out in the detachment direction.   
     
     
         6 . The movement detector according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing includes an eaves portion, the eaves portion being provided at an end of the insertion opening in a reflection direction, the reflection direction being a direction opposite the emission direction, the eaves portion protruding in the detachment direction. 
     
     
         7 . The movement detector according to  claim 3 , wherein a direction opposite the detachment direction is defined as an attachment direction;
 wherein a direction including both the detachment direction and the attachment direction is defined as a slide direction;   wherein the lock plate is a leaf spring;   wherein the lock plate includes an inclined portion that is inclined with respect to the slide direction;   wherein the inclined portion is arranged on an insertion path of the presser foot that is inserted in the attachment direction through the insertion opening; and   wherein, when the presser foot is inserted in the attachment direction through the insertion opening, the presser foot contacts the inclined portion and the lock plate elastically deforms by being pressed by the presser foot, and then the fitting portion fits with the fitted portion.   
     
     
         8 . The movement detector according to  claim 7 , wherein the fitting portion has a protruding shape protruding in an approach direction from the lock plate toward the presser foot in a state where the presser foot is inserted in the housing, the fitting portion being configured to fit into the fitted portion having a recessed shape; and
 wherein the fitting portion includes the inclined portion.   
     
     
         9 . The movement detector according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a guide portion arranged on an insertion path of the presser foot that is inserted in an attachment direction through the insertion opening, the attachment direction being a direction opposite the detachment direction, the guide portion being a groove or a protrusion,   wherein the guide portion is configured to, when the presser foot is inserted into the housing, fit to a guided portion of the presser foot, the guided portion being a protrusion or a groove.   
     
     
         10 . A movement detector attachable to a presser bar of a sewing machine, the movement detector comprising:
 a sensor configured to emit light toward a sewing workpiece and to detect the light reflected from the sewing workpiece to detect a movement amount of the sewing workpiece;   a housing accommodating the sensor, the housing including a wall surface spaced from the sensor in a detachment direction, the detachment direction being perpendicular to an emission direction in which the sensor emits the light, the wall surface being formed with an insertion opening; and   a presser foot including:
 an insertion plate inserted into the housing through the insertion opening, the insertion plate being locked in the housing; 
 a presser plate located at a position toward the emission direction and the detachment direction from the insertion plate, the presser plate extending in a slide direction, the slide direction being a direction including both the detachment direction and an attachment direction, the attachment direction being a direction opposite the detachment direction; and 
 a connection plate connecting the insertion plate and the presser plate, the connection plate extending in the emission direction from the insertion plate, the connection plate being formed with a connection plate opening extending in the emission direction from the insertion plate. 
   
     
     
         11 . The movement detector according to  claim 10 , wherein a direction opposite the emission direction is defined as a reflection direction;
 wherein a direction perpendicular to the emission direction and the slide direction is defined as a width direction;   wherein the connection plate includes a connection portion connected to the presser plate; and   wherein a size in the width direction of a first end of the connection portion is smaller than a size in the width direction of a second end of the connection portion, the first end of the connection portion being an end in the emission direction, the second end of the connection portion being an end in the reflection direction.   
     
     
         12 . The movement detector according to  claim 10 , further comprising a lock plate accommodated in the housing and configured to lock the insertion plate,
 wherein the lock plate includes a fitting portion having a protruding shape or a recessed shape;   wherein the presser foot includes a fitted portion provided at the insertion plate, the fitted portion having a recessed shape or a protruding shape; and   wherein the fitting portion is configured to fit with the fitted portion in a state where the insertion plate is inserted in the housing.   
     
     
         13 . The movement detector according to  claim 10 , wherein a center of gravity of the presser foot is located on the insertion plate. 
     
     
         14 . A movement detector attachable to a presser bar of a sewing machine, the sewing machine including a bed, the movement detector comprising:
 a sensor configured to emit light downward toward a sewing workpiece and to detect the light reflected from the sewing workpiece to detect a movement amount of the sewing workpiece, the sewing workpiece being arranged on the bed and below the presser bar, the presser bar extending in an upper-lower direction; and   a housing accommodating the sensor, the housing including a wall surface spaced from the sensor in a forward direction perpendicular to the upper-lower direction, the wall surface being formed with an insertion opening for inserting a presser foot.   
     
     
         15 . The movement detector according to  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a lock plate accommodated in the housing and configured to lock the presser foot, the lock plate including a fitting portion having a protruding shape or a recessed shape, the fitting portion being configured to fit with a fitted portion of the presser foot in a state where the presser foot is inserted in the housing, the fitted portion having a recessed shape or a protruding shape.   
     
     
         16 . A sewing system comprising:
 a sewing machine configured to perform sewing on a sewing workpiece; and   a movement detector configured to detect a movement amount of the sewing workpiece, the sewing machine comprising:
 a needle bar extending in an upper-lower direction, the needle bar being configured that a sewing needle is attachable to a lower end of the needle bar; 
 a bed located below the needle bar; and 
 a presser bar extending in the upper-lower direction, the needle bar and the presser bar being arranged in a front-rear direction perpendicular to the upper-lower direction, 
   the movement detector comprising:
 a sensor configured to emit light downward toward the sewing workpiece and to detect the light reflected from the sewing workpiece to detect the movement amount of the sewing workpiece; and 
 a housing accommodating the sensor, the housing including a wall surface spaced from the sensor in a forward direction, the forward direction being a direction from the presser bar toward the needle bar in the front-rear direction, the wall surface being formed with an insertion opening for inserting a presser foot. 
   
     
     
         17 . The sewing system according to  claim 16 , wherein the movement detector further comprises:
 a lock plate accommodated in the housing and configured to lock the presser foot, the lock plate including a fitting portion having a protruding shape or a recessed shape, the fitting portion being configured to fit with a fitted portion of the presser foot in a state where the presser foot is inserted in the housing, the fitted portion having a recessed shape or a protruding shape.