Patent Abstract:
A system and method for capturing thread from an entraining aft flow is provided, wherein the entraining airflow is selectively created in response to a location of the user relative to the device. The entraining airflow is sufficient to entrain an anticipated length of the thread, wherein the entraining airflow then passes through a grill. The grill shape, the airflow rate and the airflow velocity are selected to retain the entrained thread on the grill. The airflow is then terminated without requiring user intervention. Upon retention of a number of threads on the grill, the grill is separated from the housing and the retained threads are simultaneously disposed of in a desired container.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a system and method for selectively creating an airflow sufficient to entrain an anticipated length of the thread and capturing the length of thread from the airflow to provide for selective removal of a captured thread length from the airflow. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,817,306 discloses a cut looper thread disposal means at a side location of the needle and orthogonal to the sewing direction. This disposal means includes a thread suction tube (thread suction device), a thread pick and pull cylinder, and a looper thread presser foot. The thread suction tube sucks and collects the part of the looper thread cut by the stationary blade, at a single location, that is, in the vicinity of a suction port. The thread pick and pull cylinder picks at a pick part of the looper thread and pulls it into the vicinity of the suction part of the suction tube. 
         [0003]    However, this machine mounted, automated device is not applicable to individual users. Further, this device is integral with the sewing machine and is not compatible with any retrofit of the machine. That is, the device has limited applicability for individual users. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The present disclosure provides a thread capturing apparatus including a housing having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet at least partially defined by a throat having a converging section; a grill removably connected relative to the housing, the grill located proximal to the throat; a motor within the housing; a fan connected to the motor and disposed within the housing, the fan selected to create an airflow through the housing from the inlet to the outlet; and a proximity sensor initiating rotation of the fan in response to a portion of the user being located within (i) a substantially predetermined distance from the housing or (ii) a detecting region/volume of the proximity sensor. 
         [0005]    In a further configuration, the housing has a removable wall selectively providing access to the fan independent of the inlet and the outlet of the housing. Further, the housing, the motor, and the fan can be sized to entrain a thread within the created air flow through the throat. 
         [0006]    A method is provided including the steps of initiating an airflow through a converging throat into a housing in response to locating a portion of the thread within a given distance or volume from the converging throat or a grill adjacent to the converging throat, at least a portion of the airflow passing through the grill; at least partially entraining the thread in the airflow through the grill to engage the thread on the grill; and automatically terminating airflow through the converging throat. 
         [0007]    It is further contemplated, the airflow can be initiated in response to one of a portion of the user and the thread being disposed within a given distance from the throat or within a detecting volume of the proximity sensor. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the thread capturing device, with a portion of the device removed for illustration purposes; and 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the thread capturing device. 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an alternative configuration of the device. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0011]    The thread capturing device  10  includes a housing  20  having an inlet  22  and an outlet  24 ; a fan assembly  40  and a removable grill  60 . 
         [0012]    The housing  20  generally includes an enclosing body  30  such as having top  31 , bottom  32 , left  33 , right  34 , front  35  and back  36  walls. It is contemplated the top  31 , bottom  32 , left  33 , right  34 , front  35  and back  36  walls can be individually formed or as many as five of the walls can be integrally formed such as by casting or molding. 
         [0013]    One of the walk includes the inlet  22  and another wall includes the outlet  24 , As seen in  FIG. 1 , the top wall  31  or lid includes the inlet  22  and the back wall  36  includes the outlet  24 . 
         [0014]    In one configuration of the housing  20 , as seen in  FIG. 2 , the side walk  33 ,  34  include opposing retaining channels  38  on an inside surface of the walls. 
         [0015]    The housing  20  can be formed from a variety of materials including metals, plastics, composites, or laminates. A representative size of the housing  20  is approximately 4 inches wide, approximately 8 inches long, and approximately 8 inches tall. 
         [0016]    The inlet  22  has an area of approximately 16 square inches and the outlet  24  has at least approximately 16 square inches. 
         [0017]    As seen in  FIG. 2 , the lid or top wall  31  can be removably attached to the remaining walls for accessing the interior of the housing  20  and the fan assembly  40 . 
         [0018]    As seen in  FIG. 2 , the fan assembly  40  includes a plurality of blades  42 , a motor  44  and an engaging collar  46 , wherein peripheral edges of the engaging collar are sized to be received within the retaining channels  38  of the side walls  33 ,  34 , thereby locating the fan assembly relative to the housing  20 . 
         [0019]    The fan blades  42  are selected to provide a relatively high flow at a given rotation rate. Satisfactory fan blades  42  have been found to have a dimension of approximately 2.5 inches. The fan blades  42  can number from 2 to 5 or more. 
         [0020]    The motor  44  can be driven by an internal power source  48 , such as a battery or plurality of batteries retained within the housing  20 , or an external source by means of an electrical plug. A satisfactory motor  44  includes a dc motor of approximately 33 watts. However, as discussed below, the specific speed of the motor  44  is at least partly determined by the sizing of the housing  20  inlet and the configuration of the fan blades  42 . 
         [0021]    In one configuration the fan assembly  40 , the housing inlet  22  and housing outlet  24  are selected to provide an air flow of about between 3 and 8 ounces thrust. 
         [0022]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the thread capturing device  10  includes a throat  50  proximal to the inlet  22  of the housing  20 , wherein the throat defines a converging section  52  extending from a wide end to a narrow end. The throat  50  can be fixedly or removably attached to the housing  20 . In one configuration the throat  50  converges by between 10% and 70%. That is, the area of narrow end can be approximately 90% to 30% of the area of the wide end. 
         [0023]    The removable grill  60  is disposed within the throat  50 . The grill  60  is removably located relative to the housing  20 , such as by removably connecting the grill to the throat  50  which is affixed to the housing or affixing the grill relative to the throat, wherein the throat is removably attached to the housing. The grill  60  or throat  50  can be removably connected by gravity or a retaining mechanism such as magnets, detents, snap-fit, threads, or hook and loop fasteners. In  FIG. 3 , the grill  60  is located at or proximal to the bottom of the throat  50 . Thus, the throat  50  and the grill  60  can be simultaneously removed, cleaned and replaced. However, it is also contemplated the grill  60  can be operably located nearer the inlet of the throat  50  such that the grill (and enmeshed threads) can be removed from the throat, the grill cleaned and replaced. 
         [0024]    The grill  60  includes at least one and more preferably, a plurality of slats or bars  62  extending across the area of the throat. The slats  62  are selected to engage the threads entrained in a passing airflow. Therefore, the slats  62  can have a cross section configured to enhance engagement with the threads. The slats  62  can also have a relatively abrupt edge or leading edge to assist in retention of threads. In one configuration, the grill  60  has a mesh size between approximately 15 mm to 200 mm, such that the threads accumulate on the grill. 
         [0025]    The grill  60  is operably retained within or connected to the throat  50  such that a portion of the grill and slats  62  occlude a portion of the inlet  22 . 
         [0026]    The thread capturing device  10  can include a proximity sensor  70  known in the art, wherein the proximity sensor is configured to detect the presence of a user within a predetermined location of the housing  20 , such as the inlet  22 . The proximity sensor  70  can define a detecting region or volume, wherein the presence of a portion of the user within the zone is sensed and causes activation of the fan assembly  40 . In one configuration, the proximity sensor  70  is selected to detect a user&#39;s hand within approximately 6 inches of the inlet. That is, the detecting region has a six inch dimension. Depending on the proximity sensor  70 , the zone sensed by the proximity sensor can be substantially spherical or having generally planar edges. The proximity sensor  70  is operably connected to the fan assembly  40  or the power supply  48  for initiating rotation of the blades  42 . 
         [0027]    It is also contemplated the thread capturing device  10  can include a control switch  74  for selectively disposing the device in an operative state or an inoperative state. The control switch  74  can be connected to at least one of the power source  48 , the motor  44  and the proximity sensor  70 . 
         [0028]    A controller  80  or timer (which can be integral with the controller or separate component  82 , is operably connected to at least one of the fan assembly  40 , the proximity sensor  70  and the power source  48 . The controller  80  or timer  82  is configured to maintain operation of the fan assembly  40  for a fixed period of time from activation, or from the last activation. Satisfactory periods of operation include between approximately 1 to 8 seconds. Thus, the fan assembly  40  terminates operation independent of user intervention. 
         [0029]    In operation, a user having a thread to be captured passes their hand within the detecting region of the proximity sensor  70 . Upon the proximity sensor  70  detecting passage or presence of the hand, the proximity sensor initiates rotation of the fan assembly  40  which creates an airflow across the grill  60  through the inlet  22  of the housing  20  and to the outlet  24  of the housing. 
         [0030]    The airflow is sufficient to entrain an anticipated length of thread such as between approximately one quarter inch to 6 or 12 inches from within the detecting zone of the proximity sensor  70 . The thread is typical sewing thread for residential or even commercial weight, such as fixed length of one inch to 6 inches. 
         [0031]    As the generated airflow passes by the hand of the user (the hand having the thread), the length of thread is entrained within the airflow and removed from the hand. The airflow than passes across the grill  60  and the thread engages portions of the slats  62  and is thus retained by the grill. The controller  80  or timer  82  then terminates operation of the fan assembly  40  after the predetermined time period has elapsed since the last actuation of the proximity sensor  70  or fan assembly. 
         [0032]    Upon collection of a given number of threads on the grill  60 , the user can use a control button  84  to place the thread capturing device in an inoperative state. The control button  84  can be in the form of a shut off, disable or disconnect switch between the power source  48  and the fan assembly  40 . The user can then remove the grill  60  (or the grill and the throat  50 ) along with the captured threads. The captured threads from the removable grill  60  can then be readily disposed as a group into an appropriate disposal mechanism. 
         [0033]    The removable grill  60  (or grill and throat  50 ) is then reengaged with the housing  20  and the control button  84  is actuated to render the capturing device in the operative state and the cycle can repeat. 
         [0034]    Although the present invention has been described in terms of preferred embodiments, it will be understood that variations and modifications may be made without departing from the true spirit and scope thereof.

Technology Classification (CPC): 3