Sewing bobbin assembly and method thereof

Abstract

A sewing bobbin assembly and method that provides access of a sewing machine, and particularly a bobbin in the sewing machine, to a larger supply of thread with automatic reloading of the bobbin during use thereof.

1 . A bobbin assembly comprising:
 a bobbin;   a thread support element for supporting a spool of thread; and   an elongated tube for receiving thread from the spool and routing the thread through a sewing machine and to the bobbin.   
     
     
         2 . The bobbin assembly according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an air transmission tube operable to deliver a supply of air,   wherein the tube is at least partially aligned with the air transmission tube so that the tube is operable to receive air transmitted from the air transmission tube.   
     
     
         3 . The bobbin assembly according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an elongated shaft in communication with and operable to rotate the bobbin.   
     
     
         4 . The bobbin assembly according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a bobbin winder operable to selectively rotate the bobbin.   
     
     
         5 . The bobbin assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the bobbin winder is selectively movable to and from a use configuration and a non-use configuration. 
     
     
         6 . The bobbin assembly according to  claim 5 , wherein (i) the use configuration is the bobbin winder abutted against the bobbin and extending at least partially through an opening in a bobbin cover, and (ii) the non-use configuration is the bobbin winder spaced from the bobbin. 
     
     
         7 . The bobbin assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein the tube is selectively movable to and from a use configuration and a non-use configuration. 
     
     
         8 . The bobbin assembly according to  claim 7 , wherein (i) the use configuration is the tube adjacent to the bobbin and extending at least partially through an opening in a bobbin cover, and (ii) the non-use configuration is the tube spaced away from and not adjacent to the bobbin. 
     
     
         9 . The bobbin assembly according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of grippers projecting from the bobbin, the plurality of grippers operable to snag the thread from the spool; and   a tensioner in communication with the bobbin, the tensioner operable to provide resistance to a rotation of the bobbin.   
     
     
         10 . A method of sewing using a bobbin assembly, the method comprising:
 installing a spool having a thread on a thread support element; and   feeding the thread from the spool into an elongated tube.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising:
 blowing the thread through the tube via air transmitted from an air transmission tube. 
 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising:
 blowing the thread through the tube and to a bobbin. 
 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising:
 rotating the bobbin to accumulate a supply of the thread on the bobbin. 
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising:
 catching an upper thread via a bobbin element; 
 adding tension to the thread via the upper thread; and 
 cutting the thread via a cutting element. 
 
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer readable medium containing computer instructions stored therein for causing a computer processor to perform the steps of:
 monitoring a condition of a bobbin; and   executing a refilling process when the condition indicates that the bobbin is at least partially depleted of a thread,   wherein the refilling process includes feeding the thread from a thread supply into an elongated tube.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 15  containing computer instructions stored therein for causing a computer processor to further perform the step of:
 blowing the thread through the tube via air transmitted from an air transmission tube. 
 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 15  containing computer instructions stored therein for causing a computer processor to further perform the step of:
 blowing the thread through the tube and to a bobbin. 
 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 15  containing computer instructions stored therein for causing a computer processor to further perform the step of:
 rotating the bobbin to accumulate a supply of the thread on the bobbin. 
 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 15  containing computer instructions stored therein for causing a computer processor to further perform the steps of:
 catching an upper thread via a bobbin element; 
 adding tension to the thread via the upper thread; and 
 cutting the thread via a cutting element.