Sewing apparatus

{
  "publication_number": "US10240271B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Sewing apparatus",
  "abstract": "A sewing apparatus includes a housing, an arm shaft that extends through the housing in a longitudinal direction, a cam member coupled to the arm shaft, the cam member including a front face and a rear face positioned opposite the front face, where the cam member includes a lobe positioned on one of the front face and the rear face, a needle assembly coupled to the housing, the needle assembly including a needle shaft and a needle coupled to the needle shaft, and an arm pivotally coupled to the housing and engaged with the cam member, where the needle assembly is slidably engaged with the arm in a vertical direction and the needle assembly is constrained with respect to the arm in the longitudinal direction and a lateral direction that is transverse to the longitudinal direction.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A sewing apparatus comprising: a housing; an arm shaft that extends through the housing in a longitudinal direction; a cam member coupled to the arm shaft, the cam member comprising a front face and a rear face positioned opposite the front face, wherein the cam member comprises a lobe positioned on one of the front face and the rear face; a needle assembly coupled to the housing, the needle assembly comprising a needle shaft and a needle coupled to the needle shaft; and an arm pivotally coupled to the housing at an arm pivot axis that extends in the longitudinal direction and engaged with the cam member, wherein: the needle assembly is slidably engaged with the arm in a vertical direction and the needle assembly is constrained with respect to the arm in the longitudinal direction and a lateral direction that is transverse to the longitudinal direction; the arm and the needle assembly pivot about the arm pivot axis; and the arm is repositionable between a first position, in which the arm and the needle assembly are oriented such that the needle assembly extends in a direction that is transverse to a stitch direction, and a second position, in which the needle assembly extends at least partially in the stitch direction.",
    "2. The sewing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a linking member coupled to the arm and engaged with the cam member, wherein the arm is engaged with the cam member through the linking member.",
    "3. The sewing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the arm is positioned in the second position when the lobe engages the arm, and the arm is positioned in the first position when the lobe is disengaged from the arm.",
    "4. The sewing apparatus of claim 3, wherein the lobe is a rear lobe positioned on the rear face of the cam member, and when the rear lobe engages the arm, the arm is positioned in the second position.",
    "5. The sewing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a foot coupled to the arm, wherein the foot is slidably engaged with the arm in the vertical direction and the foot is constrained with respect to the arm in the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction.",
    "6. The sewing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the lobe is a front lobe positioned on the front face of the cam member.",
    "7. The sewing apparatus of claim 6, wherein the foot is repositionable between a raised position, in which the foot is engaged with the front lobe, and a lowered position, in which the foot is disengaged from the front lobe, wherein the raised position and the lowered position are spaced apart from one another in the vertical direction.",
    "8. The sewing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the needle assembly is pivotally coupled to the cam member.",
    "9. A robot sewing apparatus comprising: a base; a robot arm coupled to the base; a sewing apparatus coupled to the robot arm, the sewing apparatus comprising: a housing; an arm shaft that extends through the housing in a longitudinal direction; a cam member coupled to the arm shaft, the cam member comprising a front face and a rear face positioned opposite the front face, wherein the cam member comprises a lobe positioned on one of the front face and the rear face; a needle assembly coupled to the housing, the needle assembly comprising a needle shaft and a needle coupled to the needle shaft; and an arm pivotally coupled to the housing at an arm pivot axis that extends in the longitudinal direction and engaged with the cam member, wherein: the needle assembly is constrained with respect to the arm in a stitch direction and the needle assembly is slidably engaged with the arm in a vertical direction; the arm and the needle assembly pivot about the arm pivot axis; and the arm is repositionable between a first position, in which the arm and the needle assembly are oriented such that the needle assembly extends in a direction that is transverse to the stitch direction, and a second position, in which the needle assembly extends at least partially in the stitch direction.",
    "10. The robot sewing apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a linking member coupled to the arm and engaged with the cam member, wherein the arm is engaged with the cam member through the linking member.",
    "11. The robot sewing apparatus of claim 9, wherein the arm is positioned in the second position when the lobe engages the arm, and the arm is positioned in the first position when the lobe is disengaged from the arm.",
    "12. The robot sewing apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a foot coupled to the arm, wherein the foot is constrained with respect to the arm in the stitch direction, and the foot is slidably engaged with the arm in the vertical direction."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present specification relates to sewing apparatuses, and in particular, to sewing apparatuses including a needle assembly that pivots with respect to a housing of the sewing apparatus. Methods for stitching a vehicle component with a sewing apparatus are also described.\n\nVehicles may include various components that include a decorative stitching, such as the seats, the door trim, and the instrument panel of the vehicle. The decorative stitching may be applied to the vehicle components using a sewing process. In a conventional sewing process, a sewing apparatus inserts a needle into the article that is being sewn. The needle is subsequently removed from the article being sewn, and the article is moved with respect to the sewing apparatus, and the needle may subsequently be inserted again into the article, repeating the process.\n\nAs a result of the curvature and relatively large size of some vehicle components, it may be difficult to move the article being sewn with respect to the sewing apparatus. Instead, the sewing apparatus may be moved with respect to the article being sewn. However, movement of the sewing apparatus with respect to the article being sewn can introduce lateral stress in the needle, in particular, when the needle is inserted into the article being sewn and the sewing apparatus is moved in a direction that is transverse to the needle. Stress in the needle may lead to fracture, which may damage the article being sewn and may require replacement of the needle, leading to manufacturing losses and increased production costs. Accordingly, a need exists for alternative sewing apparatuses.",
  "cpc": [
    "D05B 23/00",
    "B25J 11/00"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B25J 11/00",
    "D05B 23/00"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing North America Inc"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Paul L. Freer",
    "Thomas Martz"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2016-03-08",
  "publication_date": "2019-03-26",
  "grant_date": "2019-03-26",
  "priority_date": "2016-03-08",
  "application_number": "US-201615063861-A",
  "family_id": "59787762",
  "cited_by_count": 13,
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}