Serger Machines

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/644,062 filed May 8, 2024, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

The field of the disclosure relates generally to sewing machines and, more particularly, to overlock table assemblies for serger machines.

Serger machines (also commonly referred to as overlocker machines) are used to sew an edge seam in fabric by creating loops of stitches on a front and back side of the fabric as well as overcast over an edge of the fabric, commonly referred to as an overlock stitch, preventing the edge of the fabric from unraveling and providing a polished appearance to the seams and/or edges of the fabric. Serger machines typically have a cutting blade assembly, including a moveable blade and a stationary blade, positioned adjacent to the needle plate, which trims an edge of the fabric, prior to the stitches being formed on the fabric.

Conventional serger machines include a cutting blade guard which may include a front surface for directing or guiding the trimmed fabric away from the cutting assembly and/or the needle plate. These conventional serger machines do not have the ability to be used with supplemental sewing machine accessories, such as seam guides, hemmer foots, biasing guides, and the like, because of the large open space in front of the guard and on an inner side of the needle plate, for the directed cut fabric. Furthermore, this large open space in front of the guard and/or cutting assembly, prevents a sewist from being able to rest their hands or forearms on a surface that is on an inner side, or in front, of the needle plate and/or the presser foot, e.g., to guide fabric during a sewing or cutting operation.

Thus, there is a need for an overlock table assembly for use with serger machines that overcomes at least some of these limitations described above.

This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the disclosure, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.

In one aspect, an overlock table assembly for use with a sewing machine having a needle plate is provided. The overlock table assembly includes a guard for being positioned adjacent the needle plate of the sewing machine when the overlock table assembly is used with the sewing machine and a table including a fabric feeding surface, at least a portion of the fabric feeding surface of the table being positioned on a front side of the guard.

In another aspect, a sewing system is provided. The sewing system includes a serger machine assembly including a cutting assembly, a sewing assembly and an overlock table assembly. The overlock table assembly includes a guard being positioned adjacent a needle plate of the serger machine assembly and a table including a fabric feeding surface, at least a portion of the fabric feeding surface of the table being positioned on a front side of the guard.

In another aspect, an overlock table assembly for use with a sewing machine having a needle plate is provided. The overlock table assembly includes a guard for being positioned adjacent the needle plate of the sewing machine when the overlock table assembly is used with the sewing machine and at least one accessory attachment for attaching a sewing accessory.

Various refinements exist of the features noted in relation to the above-mentioned aspects of the present disclosure. Further features may also be incorporated in the above-mentioned aspects of the present disclosure as well. These refinements and additional features may exist individually or in any combination. For instance, various features discussed below in relation to any of the illustrated embodiments of the present disclosure may be incorporated into any of the above-described aspects of the present disclosure, alone or in any combination.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.

Embodiments of the overlock table assembly described herein have known advantages over conventional serger machines and/or any suitable sewing machine capable of creating stitches and/or cutting fabric, generally referred to herein as a sewing machine. In some embodiments described herein, the overlock table assembly is an attachment which may be selectively connected/disconnected from a serger or sewing machine. In embodiments described herein, the overlock table assembly includes a table including a fabric feeding surface extending in front of, and/or on an inner side of, a guard and/or on an inner side, or a front side, of the needle plate, providing a surface that a user may rest fabric and/or their hands, wrists, or forearms on, during use of the serger machine, for example, to guide fabric between the needle plate and the presser foot. As such, the ability to rest a user's hands and wrists while using the overlock table assembly provides sewists with improved control and stability during an overlock sewing or cutting operation while reducing sewist fatigue.

In embodiments described herein, the overlock table assembly enables the creation of an overlock stitch, with or without trimming the edges of a fabric, e.g., with or without the use of the cutting assembly. In embodiments described herein, the overlock table assembly enables the creation of both overlock stitches, which may be used to finish or encase a fabric edge, and a conventional cover or chain stitch, simultaneously, without requiring the user to switch machines or switch attachments.

In embodiments described herein, the overlock table includes one or more accessory attachments, embodied as a threaded bore, which may be used to selectively connect/disconnect accessories to the overlock table. As such, embodiments of the overlock table assembly enables the creation of overlock stitches while using sewing accessories, e.g., double bias binder or seam guide, simultaneously, without requiring a sewist to change machines or change sewing machine attachments. Furthermore, embodiments of the overlock table assembly enables one or more of the creation of overlock stitches, conventional cover and chain stitches, and the use of sewing machine accessories, simultaneously. Accordingly, embodiments of the overlock table assembly described herein improve a sewists experience, enabling sewists to create unique and/or desired stitching patterns and fabrics or looks, e.g., binding tape or fabric, with a single pass through the sewing machine and without requiring a user to change sewing machines or sewing attachments. The single pass through the sewing machine, by using the overlock table assembly not only saves time of a sewist, but also reduces sewist fatigue. The overlock table assembly is useful for both experienced sewists, enabling the creation of unique designs and patterns, as well as novice sewist because of its ease of use providing a single attachment which can be used to create a variety of stitching designs and patterns.

In embodiments described herein, the overlock table assembly includes a cut fabric channel positioned in proximity, or defined in part by, a cut fabric guide surface, which directs cut fabric cut by a cutting assembly, into and through the cut fabric channel. In embodiments described herein, the cut fabric channel may be an elongate channel positioned between the guard and the fabric feeding surface of the table. The elongate channel may be generally aligned with the cutting assembly such that cut fabric may be directed to pass through the channel.

Example embodiments of the overlock table assembly are described in detail herein. Aspects of the overlock table assembly are not limited to the specific embodiments described, but rather, components of the overlock table assembly may be used independently and separately from other described components. For example, in some embodiments, the overlock table assembly may include accessory attachments embodied as threaded bores, however, the accessory attachments may include any suitable attachments enabling an accessory to be connected to the overlock table assembly. In the embodiments described herein, the overlock table may include attachments to selectively connect or disconnect the overlock table assembly to serger machines and/or sewing machines. However, it may be understood that the overlock table assembly may be formed integrally with one or more components of a serger machine and/or a sewing machine.

As used herein, the terms “about,” “substantially,” “essentially” and “approximately” when used in conjunction with ranges of dimensions, concentrations, temperatures or other physical or chemical properties or characteristics is meant to cover variations that may exist in the upper and/or lower limits of the ranges of the properties or characteristics, including, for example, variations resulting from rounding, measurement methodology or other statistical variation.

When introducing elements of the present disclosure or the embodiment(s) thereof, the articles “a,” “an,” “the” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” “containing” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. The use of terms indicating a particular orientation (e.g., “top,” “bottom,” “side”, etc.) is for convenience of description and does not require any particular orientation of the item described.

is an enlarged front view of a known conventional (i.e., prior art) serger machine. The conventional serger machineincludes a conventional guardpositioned adjacent to a needle plate, a needle assembly, and a cutting assembly. The conventional serger machinehas a large open areaon an inner sideof the needle plate, and/or a front sideor inner side of the of the guard. That is, there is no platform, nor any surface, positioned on the inner sideof the needle plateand/or on a front sideof the guard. Rather, in the conventional serger machine, fabric cut by the cutting assemblyis deflected by a front surfaceof the guardand is discarded through the large open area. Furthermore, in the conventional serger machine, there are no available attachment options (e.g., sewing machine accessories such as a double binder or fabric guide), nor an available surface or structure for which a user may selectively connect sewing machine accessories.

In some embodiments, the needle assemblymay include one or more conventional cover or chain needle holdersfor creating cover or chain stitches and one or more overlock needle holdersfor creating an overlock stitches.

show one suitable overlock table assembly, indicated generally at, connected to an example serger machine, indicated generally at. As will be described in further detail herein, in some embodiments, the overlock table assemblyis embodied as an attachment which may be selectively connected or disconnected to a serger/sewing machine. In alternative embodiments, the overlock table assemblymay be formed integrally with, or fixed to, the serger machine, such that the overlock table assemblymay not be readily removed, e.g., removed by an end user. Additionally, or alternatively, the overlock table assemblymay be used with any other suitable sewing or serger machine or system.

In further reference to, the serger machineincludes an upper arm, supported by a side bodythat extends generally vertically from a lower body. The upper armextends generally horizontally from the side bodysuch that at least a portion of the upper armis positioned directly vertically over, and spaced a distance from, the lower body. The serger machinegenerally includes a front side Fthat a sewist may face during operation of the serger machine, and an opposing rear side R. The serger machinegenerally includes an inner direction Iextending from an outer endof lower bodyand/or a distal endof the upper armtowards the side bodyand an outer direction Oextending away from the side bodytowards the distal endand the outer end.

The upper armsupports a presser foot(e.g., any suitable presser foot, such as a standard presser foot, a clear presser foot, a Teflon presser foot, a cover chain presser foot, an open toe presser foot, and/or any other suitable style of presser foot formed of any suitable material). The lower bodysupports a needle plateand/or a feed assembly. The feed assemblymay include feed dogs, e.g., with or without differential feed capabilities, which acts to pull fabric between the presser footand the needle plateduring sewing.

The serger machinemay also include a needle clamp assembly, at least partially supported by the upper arm. The serger machinealso includes a looper assembly, not shown, for forming the overlock stitches. The looper assembly may include an upper looper and a lower looper, the looper threads lock with one or more needle threads, and one or more stitch fingers, e.g., prongs, projecting from the needle plateare used to support and/or form stitches.

In some embodiments, the serger machinealso includes a thread poleextending from the upper armfor supporting one or more spools of threadfor use with the cover or chain needle holdersfor creating cover or chain stitches and/or one or more overlock needle holdersfor creating overlock stitches. The serger machinemay further include one or more thread guidesfor directing thread to the needle clamp assemblyand/or the looper (e.g., upper, or lower) assembly.

The serger machinefurther includes a cutting assembly, including a moveable bladeand a stationary blade. The cutting assemblytrims a fabric edge of a fabric by moving the moveable bladeagainst the stationary blade, creating a scissor like motion to cut fabric.

In embodiments described herein, the overlock table assemblyand/or the serger machinemay be used with any suitable threads, e.g., overlock thread, decorative thread (e.g., 28 wt., 30 wt., 12 wt., and/or 8 wt.), embroidery threads, silk threads, metallic threads, wool/wool blend threads, cotton and/or polyester threads.

In further reference to, when the overlock table assemblyis used with the serger machine, the overlock table assemblyis positioned on, or connected to, the lower body. In embodiments described herein, the overlock table assemblyincludes at least a portion that is positioned on an inner sideof the needle plate, the cutting assembly, the needle clamp assembly, and/or the presser foot. As will be described in further detail below, at least a portion of the overlock table assemblydirectly abuts the needle plate.

In alternative embodiments, the overlock table assemblymay be used with any suitable serger machineand/or a sewing machine having any suitable features or components enabling the overlock table assemblyto function as described herein.

show various views of the overlock table assemblydisconnected from the serger machine. The overlock table assemblyincludes a guardand a tableincluding a fabric feeding surface. The guardextends generally vertically from the fabric feeding surface.

The tableincludes a front sideand an opposing rear sideand an outer side(generally positioned towards the outer direction Owhen the tableis connected to the serger machine) and an opposing inner side(generally positioned towards the inner direction Iwhen the tableis connected to the serger machine). Generally, when the overlock table assemblyis in use with the serger machine, the rear sideis positioned adjacent to, or in contact with, the lower bodyof the serger machine. The outer sideincludes a first outer surfaceincluding at least a portion that is aligned with, or in contact with, an inner surfaceof the needle plate, when the overlock table assemblyis in use with the serger machine. See.

The overlock table assemblyfurther defines a cut fabric channelgenerally positioned between the guardand the table. The cut fabric channelis defined between a front surfaceof the guardand a first rear surfaceof the table. The cut fabric channelis also defined by a second outer surfaceof the table. When the overlock table assemblyis in use with the serger machine, at least a portion of the cut fabric channelmay also be defined by the inner surfaceof the needle plate. See, for example.

The cut fabric channelmay also be defined by an inner surfaceof a side wall, visible in. Generally, the side wallis positioned below the needle plate, when the overlock table assemblyis used with the serger machine. The side wallincludes one or more outer surfaces, opposing the inner surface, which may engage with one or more surfaces or structures of the serger machine. The side wallincludes an upper surfacepositioned vertically lower than the fabric feeding surfaceand/or vertically below the needle plate, when the overlock table assemblyis in use with the serger machine.

With reference now to, in some embodiments, the cut fabric channelis an elongate channel, having a length Lthat is greater than a width W. The length Lof the cut fabric channelextends between the first outer surface, or the inner surfaceof the needle plate, and the second outer surface. The width Wextends between the first rear surfaceand the front surfaceof the guard.

In the embodiments described herein, the channel length Lis greater than a length Lof the guard, and a second rear surfaceof the tabledefines at least a portion of the cut fabric channel. In alternative embodiments, the channel length Lmay be substantially the same as the length Lof the guard, or, alternatively, the channel length Lmay be shorter than the length Lof the guard.

In reference to, the front surfacemay act as a cut fabric guide, directing fabric into the cut fabric channel. The front surfaceof the guardincludes a curved portion(e.g., concave) and one or more planar surfaces. The curved portionmay be slightly vertically elevated above the cut fabric channel, such that the curved portionmay be used to direct cut fabric into and/or through the cut fabric channel.

In further reference to, the guardfurther includes an overhang portion, extending, at least partially, over the cut fabric channel. A lower surfaceof the overhang portionmay also act as a cut fabric guide, directing the cut fabric into the cut fabric channel. The lower surface, of the overhang portion, may be positioned adjacent to the front surfaceof the guard. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the curved portionand the lower surfaceare adjacently positioned. In some embodiments, the lower surfaceis also curved (e.g., concave) or curved similarly (e.g., having similar radius of curvature) to the curved portion.

When the overlock table assemblyis connected to the serger machine, the curved portionand/or the overhang portionare positioned vertically above the needle plateand/or above the presser foot. See, for example. The overhang portion, and in particular, the lower surfacemay be displaced from the fabric feeding surfaceby an overhang height h. See. In addition, the overhang portion, and in particular the lower surfacemay extend over the cut fabric channelby a distance of l. The distance lmay be less than the width Wof the cut fabric channel. In alternative embodiments, the lower surfacemay include one or more planar portions.

The one or more planar surfacesmay be slanted, relative to the vertical direction, further directing cut fabric through the cut fabric channeland moving the cut fabric in towards the front side F. In the illustrated embodiment, the one or more planar surfacesincludes an upper planar surfacehaving a first slope angle and a lower planar surfacehaving a second slope angle that is greater than the first slope angle (best viewed in).

With reference to, when the overlock table assemblyis connected to the serger machine, the cutting assemblyis positioned adjacent to the guardand/or the cut fabric channel, in particular, at least a portion of the cutting assemblyis exposed to the cut fabric channeland at least a portion of the guardis positioned to cover at least a portion of the cutting assembly. As mentioned above, the cutting assemblyincludes a moveable cutter and a stationary cutter that cuts the fabric using a scissor motion between the two cutters is used to cut fabric. In embodiments described herein, the cutting assemblycuts fabric adjacent to the cut fabric channeland slightly in front of the front surfaceof the guardand below the lower surfaceof the overhang portion.

As seem in, the overhang portionmay extend adjacent to a front endof the presser foot, but not exceeding the front endof presser foot. Further, in the illustrated embodiment, the cut fabric channelis generally aligned with the needle plateand the presser foot. The first rear surfaceof the table, defining the cut fabric channel, is generally aligned with a front endof the presser foot, when the overlock table assemblyis used with the serger machine.

The cut fabric may fall through the cut fabric channelto be discarded out of a lower opening, such that cut fabric falls through the cut fabric channeland out of a bottom sideof the overlock table assemblyand/or the serger machine(). For example, in some embodiments, a sewist may position a bin below the cut fabric channeland/or the lower openingto collect the cut fabric after the cut fabric has fallen through the overlock table assembly. In some other suitable embodiments, the overlock table assemblymay include a bin, selectively connectable or formed integrally with, the overlock table assemblyto collect cut fabric.

The guardmay also include a hood, positioned above the overhang portion. The hoodmay be generally curved (e.g., convex), including a front surfacethat is angled and a top surfacethat is generally horizontally planar. In other embodiments, the hoodmay be any suitable shape or configuration enabling the overlock table assemblyto function as described herein.

In some suitable embodiments, the guardfurther includes an awning, extending from an inner edgeof the hood. The awningincludes a lower surface, e.g., for deflecting cut fabric into the cut fabric channel. The lower surfaceof the awningmay be positioned adjacent to the lower surfaceof the overhang portion, for example, the lower surfaceof the awningmay serve as an extension of the lower surfaceof the overhang portion, such that there is complete lower surface,extending over the entire length of the cut fabric channel.

With reference now to, in some embodiments, the guardincludes a rear panel, at least partially enclosing or defining a guard cavity. The hoodmay also, at least partially, define or enclose the guard cavity. The rear panelmay support a guard or thread wireprotruding therefrom, at least partially retained within the guard cavity(best viewed in), which prevents thread from dragging across the hood.

In further reference to, in embodiments described herein, the fabric feeding surfacemay include one or more planar surfacesincluding a first planar surfacethat is positioned on a front sideof the cut fabric channeland/or on a front sideof the guard, a second planar surfacethat is positioned on the front sideof the guardand on an inner sideof the guard, and a side planar surfacethat is positioned on the inner sideof the guardand on a rear sideof the cut fabric channel.

In the embodiments described herein, the first planar surface, the second planar surface, and side planar surfaceare connected, and/or formed integrally together. When the overlock table assemblyis in use with the serger machine, at least one of the planar surfacesare flush with, e.g., in the same plane, as an upper surfaceof the needle plate. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the first planar surfaceis flush with, and in contact with, the needle plate.

The first planar surfaceincludes a length L, that is generally the same length as the channel length L. The first planar surfaceincludes a width W. The second planar surfaceincludes a width W. The second planar surfaceincludes a length L. The side planar surfaceincludes a length Land a width W. The length Lmay be between 2-3 inches, 2-5 inches, and/or 3-6 inches. The length Land length Lmay have an overall length between 3-4 inches, 3-5 inches, or 3-6 inches. The width W, the width W, and width W, may have an overall width of between 2 and 3 inches, between 3-4 inches, and/or between 3-5 inches.

In embodiments described herein, the fabric feeding surfacemay include one or more curved or chamfered surfaces. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the front sideof the tableincludes a curved (e.g., convex) surface. The tablealso includes one or more rounded corners.

In reference to, in some embodiments described herein, the overlock table assemblyincludes one or more assembly attachments, also referred to herein as tabs or clips, which may be used to selective connect or disconnect the overlock table assemblyto the serger machine. The attachmentsare shaped complimentary to corresponding serger machineattachments (not shown), such that the attachmentmay be matingly engaged with the attachments of the serger machineto guide into place and connect the overlock table assemblyto the serger machine. In embodiments described herein, the overlock table assemblymay be connected or disconnected from the serger machinewithout the use of tools and/or additional separate fixturing mechanisms, e.g., separate screws or bolts. Rather, in some embodiments described herein, the overlock table assemblymay be connected or disconnected from the serger machineby hand.