Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
165 words
A protection apparatus for safety operation of an electric motor-driven sewing machine, comprising: drive mechanisms for driving said sewing machine by an electric motor; a thread trimmer mechanism for automatically trimming a thread; a thread wiper mechanism removing thread as trimmed by said thread trimmer mechanism, means for supplying predetermined command signals; means for detecting selected positions of a needle of said sewing machine; control circuit means for controlling said various mechanisms in accordance with the corresponding detected signals and control signals; abnormality detecting means for detecting an abnormal state in which two of said signals, which are not to take place simultaneously during normal operation, occur simultaneously and for generating an output abnormality signal in response thereto; and means for responding to the output abnormality signal from abnormality detecting means thereby to invalidate operations of at least said drive mechanism, said automatic thread trimmer mechanism and said thread wiper mechanism and to actuate a stoping mechanism to stop the operation of said sewing machine.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
165 words
A protection apparatus for safety operation of an electric motor-driven sewing machine, comprising: drive mechanisms for driving said sewing machine by an electric motor; a thread trimmer mechanism for automatically trimming a thread; a thread wiper mechanism removing thread as trimmed by said thread trimmer mechanism, means for supplying predetermined command signals; means for detecting selected positions of a needle of said sewing machine; control circuit means for controlling said various mechanisms in accordance with the corresponding detected signals and control signals; abnormality detecting means for detecting an abnormal state in which two of said signals, which are not to take place simultaneously during normal operation, occur simultaneously and for generating an output abnormality signal in response thereto; and means for responding to the output abnormality signal from abnormality detecting means thereby to invalidate operations of at least said drive mechanism, said automatic thread trimmer mechanism and said thread wiper mechanism and to actuate a stoping mechanism to stop the operation of said sewing machine.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
70 words
A protection apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said abnormality detecting means is adapted to detect simultaneous generation of both a forward tread signal constituting a command signal for driving said sewing machine and a backward tread signal constituting a command for the automatic thread trimming operation, both of said tread signals being produced by foot pedal switches for producing at least some of said predetermined command signals.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
63 words
A protection apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a mechanism for stopping the operation of the sewing machine immediately after said abnormal state is detected by said abnormality detecting means thereby to invalidate operation of said thread wiper mechanism, wherein said sewing machine stopping mechanism is adapted to maintain the stopped state of said sewing machine for a predetermined time.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
40 words
A protection apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein, in response to detection of the abnormal state, operation of the drive mechanism of said sewing machine is made invalid and at the same time an alarm device is actuated.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
29 words
A protection apparatus as set forth in claim 1, the restoration of the operation of said sewing machine is adapted to be accomplished by an externally applied reset signal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
57 words
A protection apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein of the two signals detected by said abnormality detecting means, one is produced by an up position detector for detecting an upper position of the sewing needle, while the other signal is produced by a down position detector for detecting a lower position of the sewing needle.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
41 words
A protection apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means for invalidating operation of said drive mechanism thereby to stop the operation of said sewing machine in response to the detection of abnormality is provided with alarm generating means.