Abstract: An electronic component mounting apparatus in which an electronic component may be checked to provide highly accurate and efficient electronic component mounting. The apparatus includes a camera unit fixed on a head support and images an electronic component absorbed or to be absorbed onto a nozzle. The camera unit contains a camera module including a camera obtaining an image, a first lighting section disposed adjacently on a side of the camera closer to the nozzle and emitting light toward an imaging region of the camera, a second lighting section disposed adjacently on a side of the camera farther from the nozzle and emitting light toward the imaging region of the camera, and a baffle; and a bracket fixed on the head support and supporting the camera, the first lighting section, the second lighting section and the baffle.

Abstract: Before a user starts the operation of an electronic component mounting apparatus, user's input representing as to whether the user is an operator, a programmer or a manager/maintenance person is accepted and further user level information representing degree of skill of the user as to the safety measures is accepted. The power supply of a mechanical portion operating a head portion is interrupted in accordance with the state of the apparatus including at least the user level information and the open/close state of a safety cover for covering the movable range of the head portion.

Abstract: A sewing machine is provided. The sewing machine includes a needle, a feed dog which feeds a workpiece in a feeding direction, a stitching motor which vertically moves the needle, a needle swinging motor which swings the needle in a direction orthogonal to the feeding direction, a memory in which basic coordinate data of basic buttonhole stitches having a basic stitching width is stored, an input device from which a stitching width is input, and a control device which creates a modified coordinate data based on the basic coordinate data and the stitching width input from the input device, and controls the stitching motor and the needle swinging motor based on the modified coordinate data to form buttonhole stitches having the stitching width input from the input device.

Abstract: A control device of a sewing machine includes a pressing member, a pressing frame supported by the pressing member, feed detecting means for detecting a position or a feeding amount of the pressing frame, a feed dog which feeds the workpiece in the cloth feeding direction every stitch in association with the pressing frame, a feeding motor which sets a cloth feeding amount of the feed dog, a storing portion which stores, in every stitch, an error between a target position or a target feeding amount of the pressing frame and a detected position or a detected feeding amount obtained by the feed detecting means, and control means operable, in every stitch, to determine a correction value from the errors in a plurality of stitches which are stored immediately before, and to control the feeding motor to drive with the cloth feeding amount corrected by the correction value.

Abstract: A thread tensioning device of a sewing machine for forming multiple types of stitches using a plurality of threads is provided. The thread tensioning device includes thread tensioners disposed to correspond to the threads, an adjusting mechanism coupled to the thread tensioners to select a stitch type and to simultaneously adjust the tensional force applied from each of the thread tensioners to the corresponding thread such that the tensional force is selected from reference tensional forces corresponding to the selected stitch type, fine adjustment mechanisms disposed to correspond to the thread tensioners and to be manually operable to finely adjust the tensional force applied from the corresponding thread tensioner to the corresponding thread, and a reset mechanism coupled to the fine adjustment mechanisms to resets at different timings and interlockingly with the adjusting mechanism an amount of the tensional force finely adjusted by each of the fine adjustment mechanisms.

Abstract: A threading device of a sewing machine is provided. The threading device includes a threading hook which moves forward to penetrate through an eye of a needle to capture a thread and which moves backward to insert the thread into the eye, a threading shaft which holds the threading hook at a lower end thereof, a threading movement input mechanism from which an operation for causing the threading hook to carry out a threading movement is input, an up-and-down member which moves, in accordance with the operation to the threading movement input mechanism, in up and down directions to rotate the threading shaft, a thread holding mechanism which holds the thread to be inserted into the needle, and a thread releasing mechanism which releases the thread that is held by the thread holding mechanism. The thread releasing mechanism releases the thread when the threading hook is moving backward.

Abstract: The thread cutting device of a sewing machine provides a first thread catching member having a first thread catching portion for catching a thread positioned between the horizontal shuttle and the needle hole and carrying out forward and backward movements below the throat plate while the first thread catching portion catches the thread, a second thread catching member having a second thread catching portion for catching the thread laid between the needle hole and the first thread catching portion and guiding the thread caught by the first thread catching member to a fixed blade and to cut the thread by the fixed blade.

Abstract: A thread cutting device of a sewing machine is provided. The thread cutting device cuts a thread extending between a horizontal shuttle and a throat plate of the sewing machine. The thread cutting device includes a fixed blade, a first thread catcher, a second thread catcher, a driving assembly which moves the first and second thread catchers such that the first thread catcher catches the thread before the second thread catcher catches the thread and pulls the thread toward the fixed blade to cut the thread, and a guide member disposed between the first thread catcher and the driving assembly. The guide member guides the first thread catcher from an advanced position to a thread catching position to catch the thread, and further guides the first thread catcher from the thread catching position to a standby position to turn the first thread catcher toward the fixed blade.

Abstract: A zigzag sewing machine is provided. The zigzag sewing machine includes a stitching motor which moves a needle, a feeding motor which moves a feed dog to feed a cloth, a needle swinging motor which swings the needle, a multistage-operating portion operable to adjust at least one of a feed amount of the cloth and a swing amount of the needle in a minimum adjustable unit, and a control section which controls the stitching motor, the feeding motor and the needle swinging motor to carry out a zigzag sewing in accordance with the at least one of the feed amount and the swing amount adjusted by the multistage-operating portion. The control section is configured to selectively assign a first value and a second to the minimum adjustable unit depending on whether the stitching motor is in operation or not.

Abstract: A sewing machine includes a needle, a needle bar which supports the needle, an upper feeding foot operable to feed the workpiece interlockingly with an up and down movement of the needle bar, a presser foot operable to press the workpiece, a holding bar which supports the presser foot, an actuator including an operating member operable to be changed to a first state, a second state or a no-load state, and a connecting portion which couples the operating member and the holding bar. The holding bar is constantly biased downward by a biasing force. The actuator moves the presser foot up against the first biasing force when the operating member is in the first state, and moves the presser foot down when the operating member is in the second state.

Abstract: A cloth pressing device of a sewing machine is provided. The cloth pressing device includes a presser bar, a presser foot rotatably coupled to a lower end portion of the presser bar, an elastic member having a base end portion which is supported by the presser bar and a tip end portion which is engageable with a tip side portion of the presser foot to downwardly bias the tip side portion of the presser foot, and an adjusting mechanism operable to move the tip end portion of the elastic member between a position at which the tip end portion of the elastic member engages with the tip side portion of the presser foot and another position at which the tip end portion of the elastic member does not engage with the tip side portion of the presser foot.

Abstract: A thread cutting device of a sewing machine cuts a thread below a throat plate through which a needle is inserted. The thread cutting device includes a first thread catcher operable to catch the thread, a second thread catcher operable to catch the thread caught by the first thread catcher, a fixed blade operable to cut the thread caught by the second thread catcher, a driving portion which drives the first thread catcher and the second thread catcher such that the second thread catcher catches the thread caught by the first thread catcher and guides the thread toward the fixed blade, an attaching member to which the fixed blade is fixed and into which the second thread catcher is slidably inserted from above over the fixed blade, and a cover which covers the second thread catcher from above to restrict an upward movement of the second thread catcher.

Abstract: A threading device of a sewing machine is provided. The threading device includes a threading hook which moves forward to enter an eye of a needle to catch a needle thread, and moves rearward with the needle thread being caught to insert the needle thread through the eye, a threading shaft which holds the threading hook, an operating member which is operated to move the threading shaft, a threading operation mechanism which transmits the movement of the threading shaft to the threading hook to move the threading hook back and forth, and a restricting device which makes the threading operation mechanism inoperable when the spreader mechanism is attached to the sewing machine main body, and makes the threading operation mechanism operable when the spreader mechanism is detached from the sewing machine main body.

Abstract: A sewing machine is provided. The sewing machine includes a top covering shaft mechanism, a spreader mechanism detachably attached to the top covering shaft mechanism from below and operable to catch a covering thread and to interlace the covering thread with a needle thread inserted into a needle to form covering stitches, and an operating member having a hook portion and rotatably attached to either one of the top covering shaft mechanism and the spreader mechanism. The other of the top covering shaft mechanism and the spreader mechanism has a protrusion with which the hook portion is engageable. The operating member is rotatable between a position at which the hook portion engages with the protrusion to lock the spreader mechanism with respect to the top covering shaft mechanism and another position at which the spreader mechanism is detachable from the top covering shaft mechanism.

Abstract: A threading device of a sewing machine having a plurality of needles is provided. The threading device is configured to insert a thread through an eye of any one of the needles. The threading device includes a threading hook which moves forward to enter the eye of one of the needles and moves backward to catch and insert the thread through the eye, a threading mechanism which moves the threading hook to insert the thread, a selecting portion operable to select, among the plurality of needles, a needle through which the thread is to be inserted, a positioning mechanism which moves the threading hook to a position corresponding to the needle selected by operating the selecting portion, and a selected needle indicating device which distinguishably indicates the needle with respect to which the threading hook has been positioned by operating the selecting portion.

Abstract: The sewing machine includes a presser body, a presser frame, a button holding device including a fixed portion and a sliding portion, a position detecting device including a sliding base attached to the presser frame and a sliding member coupled to the presser body and slidable with respect to the sliding base, a button diameter detecting switch, and a control device. The control device obtains, from the position detecting device, a shift amount of the presser body from a sewing start position when the button diameter detecting switch detects that a sewing operation is carried by a length that corresponds to a diameter of a button, and controls a drive of a sewing needle and the feeding of the workpiece such that a buttonhole stitch corresponding to the diameter of the button is formed.

Abstract: A production program creating system creates a production program having a module in which a processing for producing a board is described. The board is produced by mounting an electronic component supplied from a component feeding device onto the board by means of a component mounting device. The component mounting device is described in model form, and a configuration information of the component mounting device is stored in a database. The module is created such that the module works with respect to the component mounting device that is described in model form, and such that the module performs a generalized processing by acquiring the configuration information of the component mounting device from the database.

Abstract: Before a user starts the operation of an electronic component mounting apparatus, user's input representing as to whether the user is an operator, a programmer or a manager/maintenance person is accepted and further user level information representing degree of skill of the user as to the safety measures is accepted. The power supply of a mechanical portion operating a head portion is interrupted in accordance with the state of the apparatus including at least the user level information and the open/close state of a safety cover for covering the movable range of the head portion.

Abstract: A sewing machine is provided. The sewing machine includes a needle, a feed dog which feeds a workpiece in a feeding direction, a stitching motor which vertically moves the needle, a needle swinging motor which swings the needle in a direction orthogonal to the feeding direction, a memory in which basic coordinate data of basic buttonhole stitches having a basic stitching width is stored, an input device from which a stitching width is input, and a control device which creates a modified coordinate data based on the basic coordinate data and the stitching width input from the input device, and controls the stitching motor and the needle swinging motor based on the modified coordinate data to form buttonhole stitches having the stitching width input from the input device.

Abstract: A threading device of a sewing machine is provided. The threading device includes a threading hook which moves forward to penetrate through an eye of a needle to capture a thread and which moves backward to insert the thread into the eye, a threading shaft which holds the threading hook at a lower end thereof, a threading movement input mechanism from which an operation for causing the threading hook to carry out a threading movement is input, an up-and-down member which moves, in accordance with the operation to the threading movement input mechanism, in up and down directions to rotate the threading shaft, a thread holding mechanism which holds the thread to be inserted into the needle, and a thread releasing mechanism which releases the thread that is held by the thread holding mechanism. The thread releasing mechanism releases the thread when the threading hook is moving backward.