Sewing machine

A sewing machine comprising a needle plate attaching/detaching mechanism, wherein the needle plate attaching/detaching mechanism comprises:

• a needle plate fixing portion rotatably provided below a needle plate mounted on a sewing machine main body, and configured such that it can be moved between a fixed position at which the needle plate is fixed to the sewing machine main body and a non-fixed position at which the fixed state of the needle plate is released;
• a driving gear coupled to the needle plate fixing portion such that they can be rotated as a single unit;
• a motor having an output shaft to which a motor gear is provided such that they can be rotated as a single unit;
• a transmission mechanism configured to be switchable between a transmission state in which a driving force from the motor is transmitted to the driving gear and a disconnection state in which the transmission is disconnected;
• and
• an operating member comprising a manual gear configured to transmit a manual operating force to the driving gear,
• wherein, when the operating member is not operated, the transmission mechanism is set to the transmission state, and the manual gear is disconnected from the driving gear,
• and wherein, when the operation member is operated, the operating member switches the transmission mechanism from the transmission state to the disconnection state, and the manual gear is coupled to the driving gear.