Patent Grant
9738007
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric stapler in which a level difference produced between a guide plate that feeds sheets of paper from a paper processing equipment provided in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer to a stapler main body and a table provided on the stapler main body is eliminated.
Related Art
A stapler, equipped in a paper processing equipment provided in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer, bounds a plurality of sheets as one set. A stapling action is carried out in such a manner that the sheets fed from the copying machine side are put on a guide plate, then the sheets are fed to a table provided to the stapler, and then the staple is driven into the sheets on the table. In order to align edges of the sheets, a receiving plane to which the edge of the sheets hits must be formed on the guide plate. Also, in order to feed the sheets to the table, a top end of the guide plate must be set at least on the table. However, if the guide plate is set directly on the table, the stapling action cannot be carried out owing to a hindrance of the guide plate. For this reason, an opening portion is formed in the guide plate by notching a portion corresponding to the table of the stapler, and the sheets are fed onto the table of the stapler in a state that the sheets on the guide plate are exposed from the opening portion. Also, there are a two-location binding and a corner binding as the stapler function. In order to respond to these modes, the opening portion is formed in the positions corresponding to the stapling locations respectively, then the guide plate is provided at a height that is contained in a space between the driver and the clincher of the stapler, then the stapler is moved up to the position of the opening portions in the guide plate along the side surface of the guide plate, and then the stapling action is performed.
Here, the table acts as a platform that is fixed on the stapler main body to staple the sheets. For example, in an apparatus in which the driver is driven to come close to the clincher fixed to the stapler main body, to perform the stapling action, the table is provided on a side of the clincher. When the driver comes close to the clincher, the sheets are pushed against a top surface of the table by the driver, and then the staple is driven toward clincher.
Meanwhile, when respective heights of a loading surface of the guide plate and the table of the stapler are different, the sheets on the guide plate are brought into a floating state over the table of the stapler. Therefore, when particularly a bundle of the sheets is thick, the bundle itself has rigidity and thus a bottom of the sheets cannot be firmly pushed against the table of the stapler in the stapling action. As a result, it is possible that the stapling failures are caused, e.g., a crown portion of the staple is lifted up from a surface of the sheets, a clinching of legs of the staple becomes insufficient, and the like.
As the measure taken against these failures, such an approach may be considered that the guide plate with small rigidity is arranged such that the guide plate is bent in the stapling action to bring the sheets into contact with the table of the stapler. However, when the guide plate with small rigidity is arranged, the guide plate itself is bent by a weight of the sheets if the number of sheets is large, so that a risk of a collision of the stapler main body with the guide plate is increased when the stapler is moved. Also, when the guide plate is set in a higher position than the table of the stapler to avoid such collision, such a problem arises that a space through which the sheets are inserted in the stapling action is decreased and thus a transfer of the sheets is disturbed.
As another measure, a technology to construct the stapler movably in a vertical direction and perform the stapling action after the table and the loading surface of the guide plate are set to constitute a substantially coplanar plane is known (see JP-A-07-215565).
However, according to the above technology, the stapler must be moved in not only a lateral direction but also the vertical direction. Therefore, a moving mechanism for moving the stapler is required on an outside of the stapler, so that such a situation cannot be avoided that an overall apparatus is made complicated and is increased in size.
One or more embodiments of the invention provide an electric stapler capable of causing a table and a loading surface of a guide plate to constitute a substantially coplanar plane in a stapling action, by utilizing a driving force for the stapling action of the stapler, without a particular device.
In accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention, an electric stapler is provided with: a base B; and a stapler main body 1 arranged on the base B and including a driver unit 2 having a driver for driving a staple S to pierce through sheets of paper P, a clincher unit 3 having a clincher for clinching the driven staple, and a table 4 provided on one of the driver unit 2 and the clincher unit 3 and on which the sheets P are supported during a stapling action. The stapler main body 1 is supported to be displacable with respect to the base B. The table 4 is configured to be movable between a first position and a second position apart from the first position in a direction where the driver drives the staple, in accordance with a displacement of the stapler main body 1 with respect to the base B.
An electric motor M configured to drive both the driver unit 2 and the clincher unit 3 may be mounted within the stapler main body 1. A displacement movement of the stapler main body 1 with respect to the base B may be powered by said electric motor M. The electric motor M may be arranged within the stapler main body 1 so that a whole of the electric motor M is also displaceable with respect to the base B in accordance with the displacement movement of the stapler main body 1.
The stapler main body 1 may be configured to displace with respect to the base B in accordance with the stapling action of the driver unit 2 or the clincher unit 3.
According to this structure, the stapler main body is displaced with respect to the base by utilizing the stapling action of the driver unit or the clincher unit such that the table of the stapler main body moves. Therefore, the sheets can be clamped in the stapling action, without a particular mechanism, such that the table of the stapler moves by utilizing the driving force required for the stapling action of the stapler merely in the situation that the stapler main body is supported to displace with respect to the base. As a result, the overall stapler can be held compactly, and the satisfactory stapling action can always be done while eliminating a level difference between the table and the sheets at a low cost.
In the above structure, the stapler main body 1 may be displaced by a clamping action in which the sheets P are clamped by bringing the clincher unit 3 close to the driver unit 2 in the stapling action.
According to this structure, by continuing to apply a power to bring the clincher unit close to the driver to clamp the sheets, the stapler main body equipped with the table is displaced. As a result, the sheets can be clamped without fail, and the stapling action can be done satisfactorily.
In the above structure, a cam 22 may be arranged on a driving shaft 21 provided on said one of the driver unit 2 and the clincher unit 3 on which the table 4 is provided. A cam follower 24 may be provided on the base B and engaged with the cam 22. The stapler main body 1 may be displaced with respect to the base B by rotating the cam 22 to change a distance between the driving shaft 21 and the cam follower 24.
According to this structure, the cam is provided on the driving shaft, and the cam follower is provided to the base. Then, the stapler main body is displaced with respect to the base by rotating the cam to engage with the cam follower. As a result, the sheets can be clamped without fail, and the stapling action can be done satisfactorily.
In the above structure, the driver D drives the U-shape staple S toward the sheets P in a first direction, the U-shape staple S includes a crown portion C extending in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction and leg portions L extending in the first direction from both ends of the crown portion C, and the stapler main body 1 may be supported swingably with respect to the base B around a rotating shaft 15 disposed on an opposite side to the table 4 in a third direction which is perpendicular to both the first direction and the second direction.
According to this structure, the displacement is caused by the portion, which is located on the opposite side to the table and rotatably supported by the base, of the stapler main body. Therefore, the position of the rotating shaft is provided in the substantially same height position as the table, and respective positions of the clinching portion and the driver unit are seldom displaced even when the stapler main body is turned/displaced. As a result, the stapling action can be done without fail.
In the above structure, the stapler main body 1 may be supported to displace with respect to the base B in a manner of a parallel translation in a direction in which the driver D drives the staple S toward the sheets P.
According to this structure, the displacement is caused by translating the stapler main body with respect to the base. Therefore, respective positions of the clinching portion and the driver unit are seldom displaced even when the stapler main body is displaced. As a result, the stapling action can be done without fail.
In the above structure, a projection portion 27 may be formed on a cam 30 arranged on a driving shaft 21 provided on said one of the driver unit 2 and the clincher unit 3 on which the table 4 is provided. A cam follower 28 that is engagable with the projection portion 27 may be provided to the base B. The cam follower 28 may be engaged with the projection portion 27 in a standby state to restrict a displacement of the stapler main body 1.
According to this structure, when the stapling action is ended, the projection portion of the cam engages with the cam follower, and the stapler main body is brought into the standby state. At this time, the stapler main body cannot be displaced, and is brought into the stable state. Since the cam is turned together with the driving shaft in the stapling action and thus the cam follower is released from the projection portion, the stapler main body is brought into a displaceable state. When the stapling action is ended, the projection portion of the cam engages with the cam follower again. Thus, the displacement of the stapler main body toward the upper side is restricted, and the stapler main body is brought into the stable state. Since the stapling action in one cycle is performed every turn of the driving shaft, the stapler main body can be stabilized by engaging the projection portion of the cam with the cam follower at the timing at which the stapler main body returns to its standby state after the stapling action is ended.
Other aspects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims.
A head portion 5 constructed such that a cartridge (not shown) including connected straight staples can be detachably attached to this portion is provided to the stapler main body 1. The head portion 5 forms the straight staple sent out from the cartridge, and then drives out this shaped stapler. The driver unit 2 for driving both a forming plate (not shown) for forming the straight staple into U-shape and a driver for driving out the U-shape staple is provided to the head portion 5. The straight staples in the cartridge are fed sequentially to the driver unit 2.
As shown in
The table 4 serves as a table that supports portions to be stapled of the sheets from a bottom side of the sheets, and is provided around a staple driving portion 6 provided on an upper surface of the head portion 5.
A movable clincher for clinching the leg portions of the staple driven by the driver and its driving mechanism are provided in the clincher unit 3. The movable clincher is provided on a clinching portion 8 that is provided on an end of a drive link 7 which is swingably to the stapler main body 1.
As shown in
In the above configuration, the sheets are fed through a space between the driver unit 2 and the clincher unit 3 and is put on the table 4. Then, when a power is turned ON, the drive link 7 is swung downward to come close to the table 4, and then sheets P are clamped between the table 4 and the drive link 7. Then, the staple is driven out from the driver unit 2, and then the staple is pierced through the sheets P to protrude upward. Then, the staple is clinched along a surface of the sheets P by the movable clincher of the clinching portion 8, and thus the stapling action is ended. After the stapling action is ended, the drive link 7 is moved to return to an upper standby position again.
As shown in
A reference numeral 16 denotes a guide plate that is used to feed the sheets P onto the table 4 of the electric stapler A and then staple them together. A part of the guide plate 16 is omitted herein from the illustration. This guide plate 16 is normally provided to a paper eject port of the paper processing equipment (the copying machine or the printer, or the like), and the copied or printed sheets of paper are stacked on the guide plate 16 via the sorter. A paper loading portion (loading surface) 17 is formed on the guide plate 16, and an opening portion 18 used to staple the sheets P is formed on the top end side by notching the paper loading portion 17. Top ends of the opening portion 18 on both sides are folded back by an almost right angle, and a top end wall 20 acts as a receiving plane that the edge of the sheets P hits.
The folded portion of the guide plate 16 is arranged between the driver unit 2 of the stapler main body 1 and the clincher unit 3. The paper loading portion 17 of the guide plate 16 is arranged in a position that is higher than the table 4 by one step. Therefore, the opening portion 18 of the guide plate 16 faces to the table 4 on different levels, and also the electric stapler A can slide in the right/left direction with respect to the fixed guide plate 16. As a result, the sheets P can be stapled in different positions mutually by one electric stapler A.
As shown in
As described above, the sheets P are clamped surely between the driver unit 2 and the clincher unit 3. Therefore, the stapling action can be performed smoothly and surely.
Also, the position of the rotating shaft 15 is provided in the substantially same height position as the table 4. Therefore, respective positions of the clinching portion 8 and the driver unit are seldom displaced even when the stapler main body 1 is turned/displaced, and thus the stapling action can be performed without fail.
Also, since the structure used to turn/displace the stapler main body is simple and achieved by utilizing the stapling action, another motor and another mechanism are not newly needed. As a result, a cost can be suppressed low, and also a size reduction of the overall stapler is not spoiled.
Further, any displacement of the stapler main body 1 may be employed if such displacement can move vertically the stapler main body by utilizing the stapling action. The displacing mode is not always limited to the displacement that is caused by utilizing the clamping action. For example, according to a second exemplary embodiment, as shown in
More particularly, a driving shaft 21 provided to the stapling side of the driver unit 2 is coupled to an output shaft of an electric motor in operation. An operation mode of the driving shaft 21 is set such that one cycle required until the stapler main body 1 returns to the standby state again after the stapling action is finished from the standby state is executed by one turn. For example, a circular cam 22 is provided to the driving shaft 21, and an end portion of the drive link 7 of the clincher unit 3 is engaged with a cam groove (not shown) formed on the inner side of the cam. The stapling steps in one cycle are constructed such that, while the drive link 7 is caused by the cam groove during one turn of the cam 22 to swing downward from the upper standby position and then return to the upper standby position, the clincher unit 3 is shifted downward from the standby state, then the stapling action is performed, and then the clincher unit 3 is returned to the standby state. Also, the driver unit 2 is constructed such that this driving portion is displaced from the standby position to the staple driving position and then the standby position during one turn of the driving shaft 21. For this purpose, a chord portion may be formed notching a part of an outer peripheral surface of the circular cam 22, a chord/circular arc portion 23 having a circular arc may be formed in the center of the chord portion, and a cam follower 24 may be provided in the position corresponding to the cam 22 on the bottom plate 10 of the base B.
In the above configuration, in the standby state, as shown in
In this case, instead of the cam 22 that is provided to the clincher unit 3 or the driver unit 2 to drive the clincher or the driver, another cam may be provided to the driving shaft 21.
The displacement of the stapler main body 1 is not limited to the displacement that is given by the turning. For example, in a third exemplary embodiment, as shown in
According to the above configuration, as shown in
In this case, in order to cause the stapler main body 1 to displace easily, a plate spring, a coil spring, or the like may be provided between the base B and the stapler main body 1 or a guide may be provided such that the stapler main body 1 can move vertically to the base B.
Meanwhile, in a situation that the stapler main body 1 can be displaced with respect to the base B, the stapler main body 1 may move inadvertently when the staple cartridge is exchanged or the stapler main body 1 is inclined. Therefore, it is preferable that, when the stapler main body 1 stays in the standby state, this main body should be kept in a stable state. For this purpose, according to a forth exemplary embodiment of the invention, a mechanism including a circular cam 30 (a second cam 30) and a cam follower 28 (a second cam follower 28) may be added to the structure of any one of the first to third exemplary embodiments. As shown in
According to the above configuration, when the clamping is released after the stapling action is ended, the projection portion 27 of the cam 30 is engaged with the bottom of the cam follower 28, and the stapler main body 1 is brought into the standby state. At this time, the stapler main body 1 cannot be displaced and is set in a stable state. In the stapling action, as shown in
Further, in the structure of any one of first to fourth exemplary embodiments, the staple main body may be constructed such that the clincher unit and the driver unit are arranged oppositely in the vertical direction.
A electric stapler; B base; P sheets; 1 stapler main body; 2 driver unit; 3 clincher unit; 4 table; 5 head portion; 16 guide plate; 18 opening portion
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-207154 | Sep 2009 | JP | national |
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|---|---|---|---|
| 4720033 | Olesen | Jan 1988 | A |
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| 5799935 | Yamanushi et al. | Sep 1998 | A |
| 5806750 | Yamanushi et al. | Sep 1998 | A |
| 5823415 | Udagawa et al. | Oct 1998 | A |
| 6565075 | Ishizaki | May 2003 | B2 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1 136 208 | Sep 2001 | EP |
| 1 733 856 | Dec 2006 | EP |
| 49-44316 | Apr 1974 | JP |
| 49-443160 | Apr 1974 | JP |
| 7-215565 | Aug 1995 | JP |
| 9-048556 | Feb 1997 | JP |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20110057015 A1 | Mar 2011 | US |
