Patent ID: 7194969

Claim:
A needle plate for a sewing machine placed on a sewing machine bed having a horizontal hook mechanism therein, the needle plate comprising: a first needle plate fixed to the sewing machine bed and having a needle hole through which a sewing needle is penetratable and a square hole through which a feed dog for feeding a workpiece cloth is projected and retracted; a second needle plate positioned in front of the first needle plate and above the horizontal hook mechanism and detachably attached to the first needle plate; an engagement mechanism in which the second needle plate is slid into engagement with the first needle plate, the engagement mechanism being provided with an engaged portion provided on the first needle plate, a thin-plate elastic member having a base end fixed to the second needle plate and a free end having an engagement portion engageable with the engaged portion, wherein the engaged portion and the engagement portion are engaged by an elastic force of the thin-plate elastic member; and a disengagement mechanism for disengagement of the engagement mechanism, the disengagement mechanism being provided with an operation member capable of pressing the elastic member in a direction resisting the elastic force thereof, wherein the engaged portion and the engagement portion are disengaged by pressing the operation member.