A quilting frame unit 10 for supporting a quilt core 100 to be sewn by a quilting machine 110 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The quilting frame unit 10 includes a frame support structure 12, a machine carriage assembly 14, a frame assembly 16 including a plurality of fabric support members 86, 87, 88, 89 configured to support the quilt core 100 relative to the quilting machine 110, and a retention system 18. The frame support structure 12 is adapted to support the machine carriage assembly 14. The machine carriage assembly 14 provides for lateral and longitudinal movement of the quilting machine 110 as suggested by arrows A and B in FIG. 3. The frame assembly 16 is affixed to the frame support structure 12. The retention system 18 is configured to retain the quilt core 100 to the plurality of fabric support members 86, 87, 88, 89 of the frame assembly 16 so that the quilt core 100 is held in place on the frame assembly 16 while the quilt core 100 is being sewn.

To sew the quilt core, the quilt core 100 is draped over the fabric support members 86, 87, 88, 89 of the frame assembly 16. The retention system 18 is then used to retain the quilt core 100 to the plurality of fabric support members 86, 87, 88, 89 of the frame assembly 16. This positions a fabric zone 120 of the quilt core 100 for sewing by the quilting machine 110. Successive fabric zones 130 of the quilt core 100 may be consecutively secured to the frame assembly 16 of the quilting frame unit 10 with the sewn fabric zones of the quilt core 100 advanced into the machine throat 112 of the quilting machine 110 and rolled onto a flexible take-up spool 114. This helps keep the fabric layers of the sewn fabric zones from interfering with the sewing of the successive fabric zone 130 positioned on the frame assembly 16 for sewing.

The retention system 18 includes one or more quilt core retention members 20 and one or more secondary retention clips 22 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The quilt core retention devices 20 and the secondary retention clips 22 are configured to selectively couple with one of the fabric support members 86, 87, 88, 89 with the quilt core draped over to retain the quilt core 100 to the frame assembly 16.

Each of the quilt core retention devices 20 includes a retention clip 24 and an elastic fabric retainer arm 26 as shown in FIGS. 2-12. The retention clip 24 selectively couples to the rear fabric support member 87 of the frame assembly 16 with the quilt core draped over the plurality of fabric support members 86, 87, 88, 89 to retain the quilt core 100 to the rear fabric support member 87. The elastic fabric retainer arm 26 defines a quilt-core roll receiving channel 28 configured to receive a quilt core roll 100R of unsewn or previously sewn fabric of the quilt core 100.

The quilt-core roll receiving channel 28 is configured to receive a quilt core roll 100R of unsewn or previously sewn fabric of the quilt core 100 to support the quilt core roll 100R relative to the frame assembly 16 when the quilt core 100 is draped over the frame assembly 16.

In this way, the fabric layers of the sewn/unsewn fabric zones are prevented from interfering with the sewing of the fabric zone 130 positioned on the frame assembly 16 for sewing. Additionally, by securing the quilt core roll 100R to the rear fabric support member 87, successive or subsequent fabric zones 130 may be positioned and secured for sewing without much effort of repositioning the quilt core 100.

The elastic fabric retainer arm 26 has a fixed end 30 coupled to the retention clip 24 and a free end 32 spaced apart from the fixed end 30 as shown in FIGS. 4-12. The elastic fabric retainer arm 26 is configured to be deformed or deflected to adjust the size of the quilt-core roll receiving channel 28 to be able to receive the quilt core roll 100R. The fabric retainer arm 26 is made of an elastic material configured to return to its normal shape, or a first loop shape, after the fabric retainer arm 26 has been deflected or deformed.

The elastic material may be a plastic material in some embodiments. The plastic material may be polycarbonate in some embodiments. In some embodiments, the elastic material is another suitable material that returns to its original shape after being deformed.

The elastic fabric retainer arm 26 is biased toward a first loop shape or original loop shape so that the elastic fabric retainer arm 26 applies a retaining force FR on the quilt core roll 100R in the quilt-core roll receiving channel 28 to block the quilt core roll 100R from moving out of the quilt-core roll receiving channel 28. In the first loop shape, the quilt-core roll receiving channel 28 has a first area 34A as shown in FIG. 9.

When the elastic fabric retainer arm 26 is deflected, the elastic fabric retainer arm 26 deforms from the first loop shape to a second loop shape as shown in FIG. 10. In the second loop shape, the quilt-core roll receiving channel 28 has a second area 36A that is greater than the first area 34A to accommodate the quilt core roll 100R. As shown in FIG. 10, there is not an opening between the fabric retainer arm 26 and the retention clip 24 so that the quilt core roll 100R may be inserted into the quilt-core roll receiving channel 28.

To deflect the fabric retainer arm 26, a user may need to apply an opening force to the elastic fabric retainer arm 26 as suggested in FIG. 10. The opening force needs to be greater than the retaining force FR to cause the elastic fabric retainer arm 26 to deflect. Once the quilt core roll 100R is in the quilt-core roll receiving channel 28, the user may release the opening force, which cases the elastic fabric retainer arm 26 to deflect back towards the first loop shape and apply the retaining force FR to the quilt core roll 100R.

While the quilt core roll 100R is in the quilt-core roll receiving channel 28, the elastic fabric retainer arm 26 may have a third loop shape as shown in FIG. 11. In the third loop shape, the quilt-core roll receiving channel 28 has a third area 38A that is greater than the first area 34A but less than the second area 36A. In the illustrative embodiment, the elastic fabric retainer arm 26 may have a plurality of loops shapes with varying areas between the first and second areas 34A, 36A depending on the size of the quilt core roll 100R to be received in the quilt-core roll receiving channel 28.

Turning again to the retention clip 24, the retention clip 24 includes a clip base 42, a first deflectable clip arm 44, and a second deflectable clip arm 46 as shown in FIG. 4-12. The first deflectable clip arm 44 extends from a first end of the clip base 42. The second deflectable clip arm 46 extends from a second end spaced apart from the first end of the clip base 42 to define a support-member receiving channel 48. The support-member receiving channel 48 is configured to receive the rear fabric support member 87.

The fixed end 30 of the elastic fabric retainer arm 26 is fixed to one of the first deflectable clip arm 44 and the second deflectable clip arm 46 as shown in FIGS. 4-12. In the illustrative embodiment, the fixed end 30 is fixed to the first deflectable clip arm 44. The fixed end 30 may be interchangeable coupled to either one of the first deflectable clip arm 44 and the second deflectable clip arm 46.

Each deflectable clip arm 44, 46 includes an engagement portion 44E, 46E, a lip portion 44L, 46L, and a tab 44T, 46T as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The engagement portion 44E, 46E defines a plurality of frame receiver facets 50. The frame receiver facets 50 are configured to engage with grooves 92 on the support member 87 to couple the retention clip 24 to the support member 87. The lip portion 44L, 46L extends from the engagement portion 44E, 46E away from the support member 87 to a terminal end 44TE, 46TE. The lip portion 44L of the first deflectable clip arm 44 and the lip portion 46L of the second deflectable clip arm 46 define a clip throat 52 therebetween.

The tab 44T, 46T extends from the engagement portion 44E, 46E away from the support-member receiving channel 48 at a location spaced apart from the terminal end 44TE, 46TE of the lip portion 44L, 46L to define a fixed-end receiving channel 44C, 46C therebetween. The fixed end 30 of the elastic fabric retainer arm 26 is located in the fixed-end receiving channel 44C to couple the elastic fabric retainer arm 26 to the retention clip 24 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

In the illustrative embodiment, the retention clip 24 has a generally u-shaped or horseshoe shaped cross-section as shown in FIGS. 4-12. The term “u-shaped” when used in reference to the retention clip 24 in this specification, including the claims, shall be defined to include any retention clip shape having a u-shaped, generally u-shaped, or horseshoe shaped cross-section, and to include a retention clip shape having a cross-section in which the retention clip cross-section has a retention clip receiving width 24W which is greater than the retention clip throat width 52W of the retention clip throat 52 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

Each of the first and second deflectable clip arms 44, 46 of the retention clip 24 are elastic such that when the clip arms 44, 46 deflect, they reciprocate back to the original shape. Therefore, the retention clip 24 retains its u-shaped or horseshoe shaped cross-section after attaching or removing the retention clip from the rear fabric support member 87.

The original shape of the retention clip 24 is shown in FIG. 7, where the retention clip 24 is in an unengaged position. As the retention clip 24 is attached to the fabric support member 87, the retention clip 24 moves from the unengaged position to a partially engaged position as shown in FIG. 8, which causes the pair of deflectable clip arms 44, 46 to deflect relative the clip base 42.

In the partially engaged position, the pair of deflectable clip arms 44, 46 are deflected relative the clip base 42 such that the retention clip throat width 52W of the clip throat 52 has increased as shown in FIG. 8. This allows the rear fabric support member 87 to move into the support-member receiving channel 48 of the retention clip 24 so that the retention clip 24 is in a fully engaged position as shown in FIG. 9. In the fully engaged position, the rear fabric support member 87 is located in the support-member receiving channel 48 so that frame receiver facets 50 on the clip arms 44, 46 engage with the grooves 92 on the fabric support member 87.

The fixed end 30 of the elastic fabric retainer arm 26 has the same cross-section as the fixed-end receiving channel 44C formed in the deflectable clip arm 44 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. In the illustrative embodiment, the fixed end 30 of the elastic fabric retainer arm 26 is thicker than an opening of the channel 44C so that the fixed end 30 of the elastic fabric retainer arm 26 does not move out of the channel 44C.

The fixed end 30 of the elastic fabric retainer arm 26 may be inserted into the channel 44C such that the tab 44T and the lip portion 44L deflect as shown in FIG. 6. In this way, the fixed end 30 of the elastic fabric retainer arm 26 may pass through into the channel 44C. The tab 44T and the lip portion 44L are elastic such that when the tab 44T and the lip portion 44L deflect, they reciprocate back to the original shape to hold the fixed end 30 in place.

Alternatively, the fixed end 30 may be slide into the channel 44C from either side of the retention clip 24 as shown in FIG. 24. Rather than deflect the tab 44T and the lip portion 44L, the fixed end 30 may be slide into the channel 44C through open ends of the channel 44C on either side of the retention clip 24 as shown in FIG. 2.

The free end 32 of the elastic fabric retainer arm 26 has a terminal end with a hook shape as shown in FIGS. 5-12. The hook shape of the free end may make it easier for the user to engage the free end 32 of the elastic fabric retainer arm 26 and deflect the elastic fabric retainer arm 26 to its different shapes.

Turning again to the frame support structure 12, the frame support structure 12 includes a first end support 80, a second end support 82, and frame support members 84A, 84B, 84C, 84D as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. Front carriage track 95 and rear carriage track 96 included in the machine carriage assembly 14 each extend laterally between and interconnect the first and second end supports 80