Pivoting lower arm for robotic sewing assembly
AssigneeInteva Products, LLC
InventorNicholas Hallstedt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A robotic sewing assembly is provided and includes a sewing head body, an upper arm, a motor and a lower arm. The upper arm is attachable to the sewing head body and includes a sewing needle oriented along a first axis. The lower arm is rotatably attachable to the sewing head body to be rotatable about a second axis defined transversely with respect to the first axis by the motor. The lower arm includes a stitch plate, a butterfly looper and first and second drivetrains. The first drivetrain is extendable through the lower arm and configured to maintain a position of the stitch plate during lower arm rotation. The second drivetrain is extendable through the lower arm and configured to drive the butterfly looper during the lower arm rotation.
Claims20
A robotic sewing assembly, comprising:
- a sewing head body;
- an upper arm attachable to the sewing head body and comprising a sewing needle oriented along a first axis;
- a motor;
- and
- a lower arm rotatably attachable to the sewing head body to be rotatable about a second axis defined transversely with respect to the first axis by the motor, the lower arm comprising:
- a stitch plate;
- a butterfly looper;
- a first drivetrain extendable through the lower arm and being configured to maintain a position of the stitch plate during lower arm rotation;
- and
- a second drivetrain extendable through the lower arm and being configured to drive the butterfly looper during the lower arm rotation.
A robotic sewing assembly, comprising:
- a sewing head body;
- an upper arm attachable to the sewing head body and comprising a sewing needle oriented along a first axis;
- a motor;
- a lower arm rotation drivetrain;
- and
- a lower arm rotatably attachable to the sewing head body to be rotatable about a second axis defined transversely with respect to the first axis by the motor via the lower arm rotation drivetrain, the lower arm comprising:
- a stitch plate;
- a butterfly looper;
- a first drivetrain extendable through the lower arm and being configured to maintain a position of the stitch plate during lower arm rotation;
- and
- a second drivetrain extendable through the lower arm and being configured to drive the butterfly looper during the lower arm rotation.
A method of operating a robotic sewing assembly, the method comprising:
- programming the robotic sewing assembly to execute a sewing operation with respect to an article;
- and
- driving the robotic sewing assembly in accordance with the programming, the driving comprising:
- operating an upper arm comprising a sewing needle oriented along a first axis;
- rotating a lower arm about a second axis defined transversely with respect to the first axis;
- driving a first drivetrain extending through the lower arm to maintain a position of a stitch plate of the lower arm during the rotating of the lower arm;
- and
- driving a second drivetrain extending through the lower arm to drive a butterfly looper of the lower arm during the rotating of the lower arm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.