FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to manual tools, and particularly relates to a punch needle assembly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the field of embroidery, a punch needle is a manual tool used for embroidery or rug making that creates a field of tightly-packed loops of thread or yarn on a woven fabric substrate. The punch needle generally consists of a hollow needle with an angled opening attached to a wooden or plastic handle. The punch needle's eye/hole is drilled just above its tip, rather than at its base as with most sewing needles. Yarn is threaded through the hollow punch needle via an opening at the top of its handle, and out through the eye. A punch needle stitch is made by forcing the needle through the weave of the fabric, creating a loop that is kept in place by friction. The tool is held so that the eye of the needle stays on the opposite side of the direction of the stitch. Over the years, different models of punch needles have been developed to provide the user with varying benefits. However, one of the major issues with a punch needle is that every punch needle with a varying diameter has a permanent handle attached. A model for interchangeable punch needles has been developed, however, the existing punch needles requires additional operation such as in-situ molding. Furthermore, the shape, diameter and length of the punch needles offered are limited in their purpose and utility. The existing punch needles do not offer a snug fit and would be loose-fitting and wobbly inside the assembly of the punch needle, enabling the user to not utilize the punch needles for longer hours. Additionally, the tips of the punch needles are sharp, which may prove harmful to the user. The existing punch needles are short in length, thus limiting the type of embroidery the user is able to create on a fabric. Therefore, there is a need to create an ergonomic, single piece design of a the punch needle which facilitates the use of longer length punch needles with varying diameters, with a snug fit, and allow the user to utilize the punch needle for longer hours and create different types of embroidery with a single tool.

OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION

The main objective of the present invention is to provide a punch needle assembly.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a punch needle assembly with varying punch needle sizes.

Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide a punch needle assembly with varying needle sizes that fit snugly into the handle of the punch needle assembly.

Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide a punch needle assembly that is single piece design.

Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide a punch needle assembly which does not need to be subjected to any additional operation like in-situ plastic molding.

Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide a punch needle assembly which is able to hold the punch needle without any slipping and/or wobbling of the punch needle.

These and other objectives of the present invention will be apparent from the drawings and descriptions herein. Every objective of the invention is attained by at least one embodiment of the present invention. SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention relates to a punch needle assembly which comprises of a handle with a hollow cylinder inside of the handle, a punch holder which is attached to the handle, a guide bush, a thumb screw, a punch needle, and a threader, in which the guide bush is placed inside the punch holder to insert the punch needle, and the thumb screw is inserted into the punch holder horizontally to secure the punch needle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. The present invention will be described in more detail herein after with the aid of the description which relates to preferred embodiments of the invention explained with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 illustrates the exploded, cross-sectional view of the punch needle assembly

Fig. 2 illustrates the assembled view of the punch needle assembly

Fig. 3 illustrates the guide bush (3) of the punch needle assembly

Fig. 4 illustrates and the punch needle(s) (5) of varying diameters

Further, skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and may not have been necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the flow chart illustrates the method in terms of the most prominent steps involved to help to improve understanding of aspects of the Present invention. Furthermore, in terms of the construction of the product, one or more components of the product may have been represented in the figures by conventional symbols, and the figures may show only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the figures with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having benefit of the description herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following description includes the preferred best mode of one embodiment of the present invention. It will be clear from this description of the invention that the invention is not limited to these illustrated embodiments but that the invention also includes a variety of modifications and embodiments thereto. Therefore, the present description should be seen as illustrative and not limiting. While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, it should be understood, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed, but, on the contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” designate both the singular and the plural, unless expressly stated to designate the singular only.

Although the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, this description is not meant to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications of the disclosed embodiments, as well as alternate embodiments of the invention, will become apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to the description of the invention. It is therefore contemplated that such modifications can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention as defined.

The present invention relates to a punch needle assembly which comprises of a handle (1) with a hollow cylinder (6) inside of the handle (1), a punch holder (2) which is attached to the handle (1), a guide bush (3), a thumb screw (4), a punch needle (5), and a threader (7), and in which, the guide bush (3) is placed inside the punch holder (2) to insert the punch needle (5), and the thumb screw (4) is inserted into the punch holder (2) horizontally to secure the punch needle (5), as referred to in Fig. 1, which illustrates the exploded, cross-sectional view of the punch needle assembly, and as referred to in Fig. 2, which illustrates the assembled view of the punch needle assembly.

In an embodiment, the punch needle (5) is inserted into the guide bush (3), as illustrated in Fig. 3, and the punch needle (5) is secured in place in the hollow cylinder (6) inside of the handle (1) by fastening the thumb screw (4).

In an embodiment, the threader (7) is inserted through tip of the punch needle (5) to guide a user to create loops on a fabric by punching of the punch needle (5).

In an embodiment, the punch holder (2) is secured to the handle with adhesive used for metal and wood.

In an embodiment, the diameter of the punch needle (5) is in the range of 2 mm to 5 mm, and the punch needle(s) (5) of varying diameter are illustrated in Fig. 4. Preferably, the diameter of the punch needle (5) is of 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, and 5 mm.

In an embodiment, the punch needle (5) is made up of stainless steel tubes.

In a preferred embodiment, the punch needle (5), which is made up of a stainless steel tube, is hollow on the inside. Preferably, the punch needle has a triangularshaped tip with a hole in the tip of the punch needle (5). The triangular- shaped tip of the punch needle (5) is rounded off to avoid the user from coming in contact with sharp edges of the tip of the punch needle (5).

In an embodiment, the handle (1) is made up of engineered wood.

In an embodiment, the punch holder (2) is made up of stainless steel. In an embodiment, the thumb screw (4) is made up of stainless steel.

In an embodiment, the guide bush (3) is made up aluminum.

In an embodiment, the threader (7) is made up of tiger tail wire.

In a preferred embodiment, the present invention is a punch needle assembly for the punch needle (5) with a diameter of 2 mm. The punch needle assembly has a handle (1) with a hollow cylinder (6) inside of the handle (1), a punch holder (2) which is attached to the handle (1), a guide bush (3) for a punch needle (5) with a diameter of 2 mm, a thumb screw (4), a punch needle (5) with a diameter of 2 mm, and a threader (7), and in which, the guide bush (3) for a punch needle (5) with a diameter of 2 mm is placed inside the punch holder (2) to insert the punch needle (5) with a diameter of 2 mm, and the thumb screw (4) is inserted into the punch holder (2) horizontally to secure the punch needle (5) with a diameter of 2 mm. The punch needle (5) with a diameter of 2 mm is inserted into the guide bush (3) for the punch needle with a diameter of 2 mm, and the punch needle (5) with a diameter of 2 mm is secured in place in the hollow cylinder (6) inside of the handle (1) by fastening the thumb screw (4). The threader (7) is inserted through tip of the punch needle (5) with a diameter of 2 mm to guide a user to create loops on a fabric by punching of the punch needle (5) with a diameter of 2 mm.

In another preferred embodiment, the present invention is a punch needle assembly for the punch needle (5) with a diameter of 3 mm. The punch needle assembly has a handle (1) with a hollow cylinder (6) inside of the handle (1), a punch holder (2) which is attached to the handle (1), a guide bush (3) for a punch needle (5) with a diameter of 3 mm, a thumb screw (4), a punch needle (5) with a diameter of 3 mm, and a threader (7), and in which, the guide bush (3) for a punch needle (5) with a diameter of 3 mm is placed inside the punch holder (2) to insert the punch needle (5) with a diameter of 3 mm, and the thumb screw (4) is inserted into the punch holder (2) horizontally to secure the punch needle (5) with a diameter of 3 mm. The punch needle (5) with a diameter of 3 mm is inserted into the guide bush (3) for the punch needle (5) with a diameter of 3 mm, and the punch needle (5) with a diameter of 3 mm is secured in place in the hollow cylinder (6) inside of the handle (1) by fastening the thumb screw (4). The threader (7) is inserted through tip of the punch needle (5) with a diameter of 3 mm to guide a user to create loops on a fabric by punching of the punch needle (5) with a diameter of 3 mm.

In another preferred embodiment, the present invention is a punch needle assembly for the punch needle (5) with a diameter of 4 mm. The punch needle assembly has a handle (1) with a hollow cylinder (6) inside of the handle (1), a punch holder (2) which is attached to the handle (1), a guide bush (3) for a punch needle (5) with a diameter of 4 mm, a thumb screw (4), a punch needle (5) with a diameter of 4 mm, and a threader (7), and in which, the guide bush (3) for a punch needle (5) with a diameter of 4 mm is placed inside the punch holder (2) to insert the punch needle (5) with a diameter of 4 mm, and the thumb screw (4) is inserted into the punch holder (2) horizontally to secure the punch needle (5) with a diameter of 4 mm. The punch needle (5) with a diameter of 4 mm is inserted into the guide bush (3) for the punch needle (5) with a diameter of 4 mm, and the punch needle (5) with a diameter of 4 mm is secured in place in the hollow cylinder (6) inside of the handle (1) by fastening the thumb screw (4). The threader (7) is inserted through tip of the punch needle (5) with a diameter of 4 mm to guide a user to create loops on a fabric by punching of the punch needle (5) with a diameter of 4 mm.

In another preferred embodiment, the present invention is a punch needle assembly for the punch needle (5) with a diameter of 5 mm. The punch needle assembly has a handle (1) with a hollow cylinder (6) inside of the handle (1), a punch holder (2) which is attached to the handle (1), a guide bush (3) for a punch needle (5) with a diameter of 5 mm, a thumb screw (4), a punch needle (5) with a diameter of 5 mm, and a threader (7), and in which, the guide bush (3) for a punch needle (5) with a diameter of 5 mm is placed inside the punch holder (2) to insert the punch needle (5) with a diameter of 5 mm, and the thumb screw (4) is inserted into the punch holder (2) horizontally to secure the punch needle (5) with a diameter of 5 mm. The punch needle (5) with a diameter of 5 mm is inserted into the guide bush (3) for the punch needle (5) with a diameter of 5 mm, and the punch needle (5) with a diameter of 5 mm is secured in place in the hollow cylinder (6) inside of the handle (1) by fastening the thumb screw (4). The threader (7) is inserted through tip of the punch needle (5) with a diameter of 5 mm to guide a user to create loops on a fabric by punching of the punch needle (5) with a diameter of 5 mm.

In a preferred embodiment, the handle (1) is made up of engineered wood. The handle (1) has a length in the range of 80 mm to 120 mm. Preferably, the handle (1) is carved to be of an elongated, irregular shape with a ridge. The handle (1) preferably provides a grip for the user to hold the handle conveniently, and is 100 mm in length. The handle (1) is subsequently shaped by lathe work and finished, to obtain the handle (1). The handle (1) is made with an ergonomic design to provide maximum comfort to the user while using the punch needle assembly for longer hours. The hollow cylinder (6) present inside the handle (1) allows varying the punch needle (5) to be accommodated at varying lengths, and the punch needle (5) is secured inside the hollow cylinder (6) by fastening of the thumb screw (4). The varying lengths of the punch needle (5) allows the user to create loops of different types on a fabric by punching using the punch needle assembly.

In a preferred embodiment, the guide bush (3) is made up of Aluminum. The guide bush (3) is made by subjecting an aluminum rod to a turning and milling machine, and finished to obtain the guide bush (3). Preferably, the guide bush (3) is made for the punch needle (5) with a diameter in the range of 2 mm to 5 mm. The guide bush (3) and the thumb screw (4) allows the punch needle (5) to fit snugly in the punch holder, thus avoiding any slipping out or wobbling of the punch needle (5) while in use.

In a preferred embodiment, the punch needle (5) is made up of a stainless steel tube. The diameter of the punch needle (5) is in the range of 2 mm to 5 mm. Preferably, the diameter of the punch needle (5) is of 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, and 5 mm. The punch needle (5) has a triangular- shaped tip with a hole in the tip of the punch needle (5). The triangular shaped tip of the punch needle (5) is rounded off to avoid the user from any contact with sharp edges of the tip of the punch needle (5). The punch needle (5) is angularly cut by the use of a fixture, and subsequently precision drilled, de -burred, and finished using a vibratory machine to obtain the punch needle (5). The length of the punch needle is in the range of 70mm to 100 mm. The longer length of the punch needle (5) allows the user to easily create different types of embroidery using the punch needle assembly. The hole present in the tip of the punch needle (5) is made with precision in order to facilitate smooth flowing of the yam.

In a preferred embodiment, the threader (7) is made up of a tiger tail wire. The threader (7) is inserted through the tip of the punch needle (5) to guide a user to create loops on a fabric by punching of the punch needle (5). The threader (7) is convenient for the user in order to perform threading. The threader (7) is durable, and breakage-free.

In a preferred embodiment, the punch needle assembly requires the user to obtain a single handle, and the handle (1) is interchangeable with the guide bush (3) and the punch needle (5) of the desired diameter, which is in the range of 2 mm to 5 mm. The requirement of the single handle eliminates the necessity of usage of a different handle for punch needles with different diameters. The punch needle (5) with various diameters eliminates the necessity of the use of in-situ plastic molding around the punch needle to make the interchangeable with the handle (1). The punch needle (1) is free of any in-situ plastic molding to facilitate the usage of the single handle.

It will be apparent to one with skill in the art that many changes, modifications and variations can be made without departing from the inventive concept disclosed in the embodiments described above. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such changes, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the claims given below.

ADVANTAGES OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

Exemplary embodiments for providing a punch needle assembly discussed above may provide certain advantages. Though not required to practice aspects of the disclosure, these advantages may include those provided by the following features.

In one embodiment, an advantage of the present invention is that the assembly is a simple design with a single, ergonomically designed handle, eliminating the need for multiple handles for varying sizes of punch needles.

In another embodiment, an advantage of the present invention is that the assembly is not subjected to any additional operation such as in-situ plastic moulding.

In another embodiment, an advantage of the present invention is that the assembly possesses a guide bush (3), which has eliminated undesirable loose fitment of the punch needle (5).

In another embodiment, an advantage of the present invention is that the assembly possesses the guide bush (3) that allows the punch needle (5) to be snugly guided with no excess clearance.

In another embodiment, an advantage of the present invention is that the assembly possesses the single, ergonomically designed handle to provide maximum comfort to the user for longer hours.