Vibration reduction mechanism for a sewing machine

A vibration reduction mechanism for a sewing machine, the vibration reduction mechanism comprising:

• a first driveshaft configured to rotate in a first rotational direction;
• a first rotational counterweight coupled to the first driveshaft with the first driveshaft positioned between a first higher mass portion of the first rotational counterweight and a first lower mass portion of the first rotational counterweight;
• a second driveshaft substantially parallel to the first driveshaft and configured to rotate in a second rotational direction that is opposite from the first rotational direction;
• and
• a second rotational counterweight coupled to the second driveshaft with the second driveshaft positioned between a second higher mass portion of the second rotational counterweight and a second lower mass portion of the second rotational counterweight,
• wherein the first rotational counterweight and the second rotational counterweight are coordinated such that the first and second higher mass portions are configured to move substantially together along a first axis and are configured to move substantially opposite one another along a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis.

A sewing machine comprising:

• a support frame;
• a driveshaft;
• a needle bar configured to have a needle attached thereto;
• a vibration reduction mechanism including:
• a structure integrally formed in, or attached to, the support frame;
• a rotational counterweight coupled to the driveshaft;
• and
• a reciprocating counterweight coupled to the rotational counterweight and including a first portion and a second portion;
• and
• an electric motor configured to rotate the driveshaft, which causes:
• the needle bar to substantially linearly reciprocate the needle into and out of a fabric;
• the rotational counterweight to rotate;
• the first portion of the reciprocating counterweight to rotate;
• and
• the second portion of the reciprocating counterweight to substantially linearly reciprocate along a length of the structure in a first substantially linear reciprocating motion that is substantially opposite to a second substantially linear reciprocating motion of the needle bar.