Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6742431
-
Patent Number
6,742,431
-
Date Filed
Thursday, March 13, 200321 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, June 1, 200420 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 083 690
- 083 691
- 083 910
- 083 613
- 083 633
- 083 637
- 083 588
- 083 439
- 083 440
- 083 442
- 083 569
- 083 670
- 083 4661
- 083 444
- 083 36
- 083 621
- 083 69821
- 083 30
- 083 660
- 083 449
- 083 267
- 083 705
- 083 418
- 083 4117
- 083 249
- 083 453
- 434 81
- 434 82
- 033 423
- 033 627
- 033 628
- 033 630
- 030 358
- 030 278
- 030 363
- 030 364
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A punching device for edge decoration having a rotation unit which is capable of punching out a predetermined pattern repeatedly along an edge of a workpiece while accurately rotating the workpiece at a regular pitch is disclosed. This punching device includes a base (18) to which a workpiece is supplied, a jig (15) mounted on the base (18) and having a pattern hole (17) of a predetermined pattern, a punching member (13) formed in correspondence with the pattern hole (17), the punching member (13) passing through the pattern hole (17) to perforate the workpiece, a rotating unit for rotating the workpiece supplied on the base (18) so as to form a diagram in the workpiece by successive punching, and a fixing unit for fixing the workpiece to the rotating unit. A locking unit may be further provided for intermittently locking the rotation of the workpiece executed by the rotating unit. The locking unit includes a recess (19) formed on the base (18) at a rotational center of the workpiece, a rotation plate (22) rotatably received in the recess (19), and a handle (26) for rotating the rotation plate (22).
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a punching device for edge decoration, and more particularly to a punching device having a rotation unit which is capable of punching a predetermined pattern repeatedly along an edge of a sheet of material while accurately rotating the material at a regular pitch.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a punching device has a jig on which a pattern hole corresponding to a specific pattern to be punched is perforated, and a cutter having a sharp edge and passing through the pattern hole. The punching device may punch a specific area of a workpiece according to the pattern of the pattern hole.
Currently, widely used punching devices have various configurations, but they are mostly purposed to pick away the workpiece in a specific shape. Thus, the conventional punching devices are not appropriate for repeated punching along an edge of the workpiece.
Conventionally, when a sheet of material such as a card, a letter paper, a picture or various boards needs to be punched successively the same pattern on the edge thereof using a hand-operated punching device, a user should punch the workpiece with determining a punching spot by eye measurement because nothing to guide or align displacement of the workpiece is provided. Thus, such conventional manual works frequently give rise to errors, so the punched patterns are apt to be irregular.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is designed to solve such problems of the prior art, and therefore it is an object of the present invention to provide a punching device for edge decoration having a rotation unit, which is capable of rotating a workpiece accurately at a regular pitch and continuously punching the workpiece along its edge.
In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a punching device which includes a base to which a workpiece is supplied; a jig mounted on the base and having a pattern hole of a predetermined pattern; a punching member formed in correspondence with the pattern hole, the punching member passing through the pattern hole to perforate the workpiece; a rotating unit for rotating the workpiece supplied on the base so as to form a diagram in the workpiece by successive punching; and a fixing unit for fixing the workpiece to the rotating unit.
Preferably, the rotating unit includes a recess formed on the base at a rotational center of the workpiece; a rotation plate rotatably received in the recess; and a handle for rotating the rotation plate.
In this case, the fixing unit may fix the workpiece, which is positioned on the rotation plate, to the rotation plate so that the workpiece rotates together with the rotation plate.
The fixing unit may include a rubber plate formed on an upper surface of the rotation plate; and a fixing pin formed on a lower surface of the handle so as to put into the rubber plate with passing through the workpiece.
The fixing unit may also include a first magnet combined to the rotation plate; and a second magnet combined to the first magnet by magnetic attraction with the workpiece being interposed between the first and second magnets.
In another aspect of the invention, there is also provided a punching device which further includes a locking unit for intermittently locking the rotation of the workpiece executed by the rotating unit.
This punching device may further include a guide step formed on the base in order to guide an outer circumference of the workpiece positioned on the rotation plate while the workpiece rotates.
In addition, the locking unit may include locking grooves formed at a regular interval on one of the rotation plate and the recess; and a latch formed on the other one of the rotation plate and the recess so as to contact with the locking grooves selectively while the rotation plate rotates.
At this time, it is preferred that the distance between the pattern hole and the rotational center is identical to a radius of a circular-polygon having a circumference corresponding to integer times of the length of the pattern hole.
Moreover, the locking unit may include a number of locking grooves formed at a regular interval on one of the rotation plate and the recess, the number of the locking grooves being identical to the integer; and a latch formed on the other one of the rotation plate and the recess so as to contact with the locking grooves selectively while the rotation plate rotates.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other objects and aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:
FIG. 1
is a perspective view showing appearance of a punching device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2
is an exploded perspective view showing the punching device of
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 3
is a perspective view showing an example of a punching member shown in
FIG. 2
;
FIG. 4
is a side sectional view showing an example of a fixing unit configured in the punching device of the present invention;
FIG. 5
is a side sectional view showing another example of the fixing unit configured in the punching device of the present invention;
FIG. 6
is a schematic view for illustrating that the punching device punches circular-polygon patterns such as circle or polygon having different sizes depending on the distance between a rotational center of a rotation plate and a pattern hole;
FIG. 7
shows a punched pattern of a workpiece which is punched for the first time when a latch is initially locked to a locking groove according to the present invention;
FIG. 8
shows a punched pattern of the workpiece which is rotated and then punched again when the latch is locked to the next locking groove after the state of
FIG. 7
;
FIG. 9
shows a punched pattern of the workpiece which is continuously punched until the latch is locked to the last locking groove;
FIG. 10
is a diagram showing the radius of curvature of a circular workpiece and the radius of curvature of a punched pattern;
FIG. 11
shows a workpiece in which a circular-polygon pattern in a circular shape is formed by the punching device of the present invention;
FIG. 12
shows a workpiece in which a circular-polygon pattern in a polygonal shape is formed by the punching device of the present invention; and
FIG. 13
shows a workpiece in which a circular-polygon pattern in a polygonal shape having an interior angle smaller than that of
FIG. 12
is formed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail referring to the drawings.
At first,
FIG. 1
is a perspective view showing appearance of a punching device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and
FIG. 2
is an exploded perspective view showing the punching device in more detail. Referring to
FIGS. 1 and 2
, the punching device of the present invention includes a pressing lever
10
, a punching member
13
, a jig
15
, and a base
18
. In addition, the punching device of the present invention further includes a recess
19
, a rotation plate
22
, a locking unit and a fixing unit in order to rotate the workpiece at a regular pitch according to the manipulation of a handle
26
.
The pressing lever
10
is connected to the base
18
to be vertically pivotable so that the pressing lever
10
presses the punching member
13
downward when pushed down by a user.
The punching member
13
cuts away a workpiece in a desired pattern. For this purpose, a punch pin
13
a
having a shape corresponding to the pattern is formed downward on the punching member
13
. At a lower edge of the punch pin
13
a
, formed is a sharp cutting blade (not shown) for easily and clearly punching the workpiece. Preferably, the punching member
13
has a rim cutter
13
b
, as shown in
FIG. 3
, which is used to cut off unnecessary margins outside the pattern when punching.
The jig
15
supports a supplied workpiece to be punched. This jig
15
preferably includes upper and lower plates
15
a
and
15
b
, facing in parallel each other with a space into which a workpiece to be punched can be inserted.
In the lower plate
15
b
, a pattern hole corresponding to the punch pin
13
a
is perforated. In the upper plate
15
a
, a guide hole
16
is formed to guide vertical movement of the punch pin
13
a
. Alternatively, the jig
15
may be configured to have a plate (not shown) which a pattern hole is perforated and a guide (not shown) for pressing and guiding a workpiece which is supplied on an upper or lower surface of the plate.
An elastic member
14
is interposed between the punching member
13
and the jig
15
for elastically biasing the punching member
13
upward. Thus, after descending and punching a workpiece supplied to the jig
15
, the punching member
13
ascends again to initial position by means of elastic force of the elastic member
14
. More specifically, the elastic member
14
may be a spring one end of which is combined to a fixing groove
14
a
formed on the upper plate
15
a
and the other end of which is combined to the punching member
13
to provide elastic force to the punching member
13
. The elastic member
14
may adopt various kinds of springs, and they can be combined in various ways.
Preferably, the punching member
13
is stably combined to the jig
15
within a housing
11
. A through hole
11
a
is formed on an upper surface of the housing
11
so that a press pin
10
a
formed at the pressing lever
10
passes through the through hole
11
a
to press an upper surface of the punching member
13
.
More preferably, a cap member
12
may be further provided between the pressing lever
10
and the punching member
13
so as to prevent them from contacting directly each other and ensure their smooth operation. This cap member
12
contacts with the upper surface of the punching member
13
over a large area. Thus the cap member
12
may disperses pressure evenly to overall upper surface of the punching member
13
though the press pin
10
a
is in contact with the cap member
12
in a small area.
The pressing lever
10
is pivotably combined on the base
18
upon which the workpiece is supplied. In addition, a guide step
18
a
having an arc shape is formed on the base
18
in order to guide the workpiece to be supplied in a circumferential direction. Thus, in case of punching a circular workpiece, the guide step
18
a
guides an outer circumference of the rotating workpiece so as to arrange a position of the workpiece.
A recess
19
is formed on the base
18
so that the rotation plate
22
may rest therein. This recess
19
becomes a rotational center of a circular workpiece which is rotating on the base
18
, as described below, and is preferably configured with a bottom
19
a
and a side
19
b.
This recess
19
may be formed at least two different positions depending on the size of the workpiece or the size and the radius of curvature of the pattern holes (see
17
of FIG.
6
). In the example shown in the figure, two different recesses
19
corresponding to two punching patterns shown in
FIG. 6
are provided in the base
18
.
The rotation plate
22
is rotatably combined on the recess
19
. For this purpose, the rotation plate
22
preferably has a disk shape having a diameter smaller than that of the recess
19
, enabling the recess
19
to receive the rotation plate
22
. In addition, the thickness of the rotation plate
22
is preferably set so that an upper surface of the rotation plate
22
becomes even with the surface of the base
18
when combined on the recess
19
.
The shape of the rotation plate
22
is not limited to a perfect circle. In case two different recesses
19
are adjacently formed to have an overlap portion as shown in the figures, at least one of the rotation plates
22
installed in the recesses
19
is preferably configured so that an area corresponding to the overlap portion is cut off. Thus, two rotation plates
22
may be installed in the respective recesses
19
.
In addition, it is also preferred that a center hole
20
is formed at the center of the bottom
19
a
of the recess
19
and a side
22
a
is formed downward at the center of the rotation plate
22
so that the side
22
a
is inserted into the center hole
20
. In this configuration, the rotation plate
22
may rotate on the recess
19
more stably.
The locking unit is provided to the base
18
and the rotation plate
22
, or to the recess
19
and the rotation plate
22
in order to periodically lock the rotation plate
22
at a regular interval while the rotation plate
22
rotates.
Preferably, this locking unit has a plurality of locking grooves
21
formed on the bottom
19
a
of the recess
19
at a regular interval, and a latch
24
formed on the rotation plate
22
so that the latch
24
is elastically combined with the locking grooves
21
. Thus, while the rotation plate
22
rotates, the latch
24
is selectively locked to each locking groove
21
. The latch
24
can be made of synthetic resin in the form of protrusion or elastically combined to the locking grooves
21
by means of an elastic body (not shown). As an alternative, the locking grooves may be formed on the projection
19
b
at a regular interval.
Preferably, a plurality of the locking grooves
21
may be formed on one of the base
18
and the rotation plate
22
, and the latch
24
elastically contacting with the locking grooves
21
according to the rotation of the rotation plate
22
may be formed on the other one.
The fixing unit fixes a workpiece supplied on the base
18
so that the workpiece rotates together with the rotation plate
22
. For this purpose, the fixing unit preferably includes a rubber plate
23
formed on the upper surface of the rotation plate
22
and at least two fixing pins
25
which pass through the supplied workpiece (see
1
of
FIG. 4
) to fix the workpiece to the rubber plate
23
. This configuration is well shown in
FIG. 4
in which the workpiece
1
is fixed to the rotation plate
22
by the fixing unit.
At this time, the rubber plate
23
is preferably configured as a disk rubber pad which can be fixed to the center hole (see
22
b
of
FIG. 2
) of the rotation plate
22
. As an alternative, the rubber plate
23
can also be attached on the upper surface of the rotation plate
22
.
More preferably, the fixing pin
25
is formed downward on a lower surface of the handle
26
. In this case, the handle
26
may have grooves or protrusions along its circumference for convenient grip.
Alternatively, the fixing unit may be configured using a magnet as shown in FIG.
5
. In other words, the fixing unit may include a first magnet
27
formed on the rotation plate
22
and a second magnet
28
combined with the first magnet
27
by magnetic attraction so as to fix a workpiece
1
to the rotation plate
22
, being interposed between the first and second magnets
27
and
28
.
Here, the handle
26
for rotating the rotation plate
22
may be combined to the upper portion of the second magnet
28
. In addition, the handle
26
may transfer a driving force to the rotation plate
22
through a gear train (not shown) mounted on the base
18
.
According to the present invention, the distance between the pattern hole
17
and the rotational center of the rotation plate
22
should be set so that the punched workpiece may configure a ‘circular-polygon’. The term ‘circular-polygon’ used in the description and the appended claims is defined as a diagram formed by successive punching of a pattern in the edge of the circular workpiece while rotating the circular workpiece integer times. A circle, equilateral polygons and flower-like diagrams may be included in the circular-polygon.
According to the present invention, in case a pattern is successively punched along its circumferential edge while rotating a circular workpiece intermittently, the length of the circumference of a circular-polygon should be integer times as long as that of the pattern hole
17
so that the punched diagram may configure the circular-polygon. At the same time, a radius of the circular-polygon satisfying such a condition should be identical to the distance between the pattern hole
17
and the rotational center of the rotation plate
22
. In other words, it should be understood that the size of the punched circular-polygon is determined by the distance between the pattern hole
17
and the rotational center of the rotation plate
22
.
FIG. 6
shows various circular-polygon having different sizes depending on the distance between the pattern hole
17
and the rotational center of the rotation plate
22
. Referring to
FIG. 6
, in case the rotational center of the rotation plate
22
is in position A, a circular-polygon having a radius corresponding to the distance d
1
between the rotational center A and the pattern hole
17
is obtained by successively punching five times. On the while, in case the rotational center of the rotation plate
22
is in position B, a relatively larger circular-polygon having a radius corresponding to the distance d
2
between the rotational center B and the pattern hole
17
is obtained by successively punching eight times. In the figures, a dotted line shows a virtual perforated pattern formed when the workpiece is punched with being rotated on the axis of the rotational center of the rotation plate
22
.
As mentioned above, since the distance between the pattern hole
17
and the rotational center of the rotation plate
22
is set so that the length of the circumference of the circular-polygon is integer times as long as that of the pattern hole, a perfect circular-polygon can be made by punching the workpiece as much as the number of times corresponding to the integer with rotating the rotation plate
22
and the workpiece
1
at a predetermined pitch. At this time, the locking grooves
21
of which the number is equal to the integer are formed in the recess
19
at a regular interval. For example, five locking grooves
21
may be formed on the recess
19
at a regular interval for the rotational center of position A in
FIG. 6
, while eight locking grooves
21
for position B. In this state, a user may obtain the above-mentioned circular-polygon by punching the workpiece with rotating the handle
26
intermittently by a pitch corresponding to the distance between locking grooves
21
.
Now, an operation of the punching device constructed as above according to the present invention is described in more detail.
At first, a circular workpiece is preferably supplied between the upper and lower plates
15
a
and
15
b
of the jig
15
, and then fixed on the rotation plate
22
by using the fixing unit. According to the example of the present embodiment, the handle
26
is combined downward to the rotation plate
22
so that the fixing pins
25
perforate the workpiece into the rubber plate
23
.
After that, a user turns the handle
26
to rotate the rotation plate
22
and then pushes down the pressing lever
10
at a point that the latch
24
is initially locked to one of the locking grooves
21
. Then, a pattern corresponding to the pattern hole is perforated in the workpiece as shown in FIG.
7
.
Subsequently, the user rotates the rotation plate
22
as much as a predetermined pitch so that the latch
24
is locked to the next locking groove
21
. Then, the user pushes down the pressing lever
10
, so another pattern is perforated next to the previously perforated pattern, as shown in FIG.
8
. At this time, since the rim cutter
13
b
is preferably configured to the punching member
13
as mentioned above, a margin
1
a
of the workpiece can be removed from the pattern during the punching process.
The user punches the workpiece successively with rotating the handle until the latch
24
is locked to the last locking groove
21
, and then the margin
1
a
is completely separated off and the circular-polygon pattern is obtained along the rim of the workpiece
1
, as shown in FIG.
9
.
The shape of the circular-polygon varies depending on the length or shape of the pattern hole as well as the circumference of the circular-polygon.
For example, if the center C
1
of the radius of curvature R
1
of the workpiece
1
is coincident with the center C
2
of the radius of curvature R
2
of the pattern hole having a predetermined arc in
FIG. 10
, the shape of the perforated circular-polygon will be a circle as shown in FIG.
11
.
On the other hand, if the centers are not coincident, the circular-polygon will have a flower shape since there is formed an angle between the patterns having a predetermined arc.
Or alternatively, if the pattern has a straight shape, an equilateral polygon having an interior angle θ is obtained as a circular-polygon as shown in FIG.
12
. In addition, if the distance between the pattern hole and the rotational center is shorter, the circular-polygon becomes an equilateral polygon having a smaller interior angle as shown in FIG.
13
.
The present invention has been described in detail. First of all, terms and words used in the specification and the claims should be interpreted not in a limited normal or dictionary meaning, but to include meanings and concepts conforming with technical aspects of the present invention, based on the face that inventors may appropriately define a concept of a term to describe his/her own invention in a best way. Therefore, the configurations described in the specification and drawn in the figures are just most preferred embodiments of the present invention, not to show all of the technical aspects of the present invention. So, it should be understood that there might be various equalities and modifications to be replaced with them.
Applicability to the Industry
The punching device according to the present invention is configured to conduct a punching process with rotating a workpiece by use of a rotation unit, so it may obtain regular and successive perforated patterns along a rim of the workpiece.
Thus, the punching device of the present invention enables to obtain various pattern arrangements such as circle, equilateral polygon or flower shape by punching a specific pattern successively in a workpiece. Therefore, the present invention gives an effect of punching an exquisite pattern along an edge of a workpiece such as card, letter paper, photograph or other boards, which need edge decoration.
Claims
- 1. A punching device comprising:a base on which a workpiece is supplied; a jig mounted on the base and having a pattern hole of a predetermined pattern; a punching member formed in correspondence with the pattern hole, the punching member passing through the pattern hole to perforate the workpiece; means for rotating the workpiece supplied on the base so as to form a diagram in the workpiece by successive punching, the rotating means having a recess formed on the base at a rotational center of the workpiece; a rotation plate rotatably received in the recess; a handle for rotating the rotation plate; and means for fixing the workpiece to the rotating means.
- 2. A punching device according to claim 1,wherein the fixing means fixes the workpiece, which is positioned on the rotation plate, to the rotation plate so that the workpiece rotates together with the rotation plate.
- 3. A punching device according to claim 2, wherein the fixing means includes:a rubber plate formed on an upper surface of the rotation plate; and a fixing pin formed on a lower surface of the handle so as to perforate the workpiece into the rubber plate.
- 4. A punching device according to claim 2, wherein the fixing means includes:a first magnet combined to the rotation plate; and a second magnet combined to the first magnet by magnetic attraction with the workpiece being interposed between the first and second magnets.
- 5. A punching device according to claim 1, further comprising a guide step formed on the base in order to guide an outer circumference of the workpiece positioned on the rotation plate while the workpiece rotates.
- 6. A punching device according to claim 1, further comprising means for intermittently locking the rotation of the workpiece executed by the rotating means.
- 7. A punching device according to claim 6, wherein the locking means includes:locking grooves formed at a regular interval on one of the rotation plate and the recess; and a latch formed on the other one of the rotation plate and the recess so as to connect with the locking grooves selectively while the rotation plate rotates.
- 8. A punching device according to claim 6,wherein the distance between the pattern hole and the rotational center is equal to a radius of a circular-polygon having a circumference of which the length is integer times as long as that of the pattern hole.
- 9. A punching device according to claim 8, wherein the locking means includes:locking grooves formed at a regular interval on one of the rotation plate and the recess, the number of the locking grooves being identical to the integer; and a latch formed on the other one of the rotation plate and the recess so as to contact with the locking grooves selectively while the rotation plate rotates.
US Referenced Citations (8)