The invention relates to staplers, and more particularly to powered staplers.
Powered staplers are well known and allow a user to staple sheets without any significant manual input of force to the stapler. The user simply inserts the sheets to be stapled between the magazine and the anvil, and a staple is automatically, or at the press of a button, dispensed to fasten the sheets together. Electric staplers are typically powered by an AC to DC current supply, and thus are plugged into an outlet near the user's workspace. The stapler commonly rests on the user's desktop or countertop such that the magazine and the anvil are spaced apart vertically to define a substantially horizontal sheet infeed slot. Sheets to be stapled are inserted into the slot in a substantially horizontal direction.
The invention provides a stapler assembly including a base, a stapler removably coupled to the base, and an inductive power supply system cooperating between the base and the stapler to supply power from the base to the stapler. In one embodiment, the base includes a charging unit having a first coil, and the stapler includes a second coil. Power supplied to the first coil in the base induces a current in the second coil in the stapler. The current in the second coil is operable to charge a battery unit in the stapler.
In one aspect of the invention, the stapler is movable with respect to the base between a first position, wherein the stapler has a first orientation with respect to the base, and a second position, wherein the stapler has a second orientation with respect to the base. The inductive charging system facilitates the relative movement between the stapler and the base because there need not be any physical electrical connection between the base and the stapler.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the following detailed description, claims, and drawings.
Before one embodiment of the invention is explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways. Also, it is understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including”, “having” and “comprising” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items.
The body portion 22 is configured to define an infeed slot 46 adjacent the front end 26. The infeed slot 46 defines an infeed axis 50 that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the stapler 14. The infeed slot 46 divides the front end 26 of the stapler 14 into an upper nose portion 54 and a lower nose portion 58. The nose portions 54 and 58 preferably include tapered surfaces 62 to facilitate insertion of a plurality of sheets (not shown) into the infeed slot 46 for stapling.
A magazine 66 is coupled to the upper nose portion 54 adjacent a first side of the infeed slot 46, and an anvil 70 is coupled to the lower nose portion 58 adjacent a second side of the infeed slot 46. The magazine 66 includes an opening (not shown) for dispensing a staple (not shown) through a plurality of sheets positioned in the infeed slot 46. When the legs of the staple contact the anvil 70 they are bent and crimped, thereby fastening the sheets in a manner understood by those skilled in the art.
The stapler 14 also includes a paper guide mechanism 71 slidably positioned in the infeed slot 46. The paper guide mechanism 71 includes opposing projections 72 that facilitate the user grasping the paper guide mechanism 71 and sliding the paper guide mechanism 71 back and forth in the direction of the infeed axis 50. As is understood by those skilled in the art, the paper guide mechanism 71 functions to adjustably limit the effective length of the infeed slot 46 so that the staple is dispensed at the desired location relative to the plurality of sheets being stapled.
The paper guide mechanism 71 includes a wall or spring-tab 73 (see
The stapler 14 further includes a logo portion 74 and a low staple indicator 78 in the form of a light bulb or LED on the top surface 38. In the illustrated embodiment, the low staple indicator 78 is illuminated when the supply of staples in the magazine 66 falls below a predetermined number (e.g., ten staples). Of course, the location of the logo portion 74 and the indicator 78 can vary as desired.
The magazine 66 is slidably coupled to a cartridge assembly (not shown) so that the magazine 66 can be opened via a magazine release button 82 (see
The base assembly 18 is configured to removably receive and support the stapler 14 in a plurality of predetermined positions (see
The cradle 102 is preferably a two-piece part defined by an upper half 110 and a lower half 114. In the illustrated embodiment, the cradle is a molded plastic part. The holster 106 is configured to receive the rear end 30 of the stapler 14 and is pivotally coupled to the cradle 102 to pivot about projections 118 (see
One of ordinary skill in the art would understand that the pivotable mounting of the holster 106 in the cradle 102 could be achieved in various other ways without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, other types of structures incorporating other forms of movement could also be employed. For example, ball-and-socket configurations or curvilinear tongue-and-groove configurations could be used to generate the relative movement between the holster 106 and the cradle 102. Furthermore, other materials, such as metals, could be substituted for the cradle 102 and the holster 106.
Referring to
Depending on the location of the stapler assembly 10 and the position/height of the user, stapling may be facilitated by pivoting the holster 106 an therefore the stapler 14, to a second position or orientation, wherein the infeed slot 46 is oriented differently with respect to the cradle 102. The solid line rendition in
Pivoting the stapler from the first position to the second position is done manually in the illustrated embodiment. The user grasps the stapler 14 while it is engaged in the holster 106 and then moves the stapler 14 toward the second position. With sufficient force, the somewhat resilient projections 138 disengage from their respective first position recesses 134 (the left-most recess in
In this manner, the stapler 14 and holster 106 can be quickly moved between the illustrated stapling positions between consecutive stapling jobs. Of course, the holster 106 can also be pivoted between the various positions when the stapler 14 is removed from the holster 106, however, pivoting the holster 106 using the inserted stapler 14 facilitates the task due to the mechanical lever-type advantage gained by exerting force on the front end 26 of the stapler 14, a greater distance away from the pivot point.
Any number of positions can be achieved depending on the number of recesses 134 in the cradle 102. For example,
It is to be understood that while the base assembly 18 is shown with the cradle 102 oriented to be supported by a substantially horizontal support surface (not shown), the cradle 102 could alternatively be coupled to an inclined surface or a substantially vertical support surface (such as a wall or other vertical member), wherein the base assembly 18 shown in
Furthermore, one of skill in the art would recognize that the particular structure of the illustrated detent mechanism 130 could be modified without deviating from the invention. For example, the position of the recesses 134 and the projections 138 could be reversed. In addition, the location of the detent mechanism 130 could be moved from the underside of the holster 106 (as shown in
Alternatively, the detent mechanism 130 could be replaced with other types of devices capable of substantially locking the holster 106 in a selected position with respect to the cradle 102. For example, friction locking mechanisms (e.g., set screws or spring-loaded pins) or positive locking mechanisms (e.g., bolts and wingnuts or spring-ball-loaded pushpins) could be used to allow for adjustment between desired positions.
In another alternative, the holster 106 and the cradle 102 can be assembled with a friction-fit such that the friction present between the holster 106 and the cradle 102 can be overcome by manually-applied force to set the position of the holster 106. Once the position is set, the friction force is sufficient to hold the holster 106 and the stapler 14 in the desired position. It is also understood that these alternatives could provide for more infinite adjustment of the holster 106. In other words, the number of possible position settings could be virtually infinite as opposed to the three distinct position settings shown in the illustrated embodiment.
As mentioned above, the illustrated stapler 14 is electrically powered, and therefore requires electrical power from a power supply (an AC current supply in the illustrated embodiment). In
The base assembly 18 is provided with an electrical connector 154 that is substantially similar to the electrical connector 94. In the illustrated embodiment, the electrical connector 154 is coupled to the holster 106 and extends into the stapler-receiving cavity defined by the holster 106. As the rear end 30 of the stapler 14 is inserted into the holster 106, the connector 154 is automatically and substantially simultaneously inserted into the socket 90 in the rear end 30 of the stapler 14. To electrically connect the socket 150 to the electrical connector 154 in the holster 106, a flexible conductor in the form of a wire 158 is coupled between the socket 150 and the electrical connector 154. The wire 158 is long enough and flexible enough to allow the electrical connection between the cradle 102 and the holster 106 to be maintained throughout the range of relative motion between the holster 106 and the cradle 102.
When the stapler 14 is removed from the holster 106, the electrical connector 154 automatically disengages the socket 90 in the stapler 14. To use the stapler 14 without the base assembly 18, the user unplugs the power supply cord 98 from the cradle 102 and plugs the electrical connector 94 directly into the socket 90 in the stapler 14. Alternatively, two separate power cords 98 can be used such that the base assembly 18 will always remain plugged-in. The second cord 98 can be used specifically for when the stapler 14 is disengaged from the base assembly 18.
In addition to the friction fit between the rear end 30 of the stapler 14 and the inner wall of the holster 106, the electrical connector 154 also helps to secure the stapler 14 in the holster 106. One skilled in the art would also recognize additional ways to help secure the stapler 14 in the holster 106. For example, the sidewalls of the holster 106 could be contoured to more closely follow the contours of the side surfaces 42 and could include curved portions configured to engage the side recesses 44. In one embodiment, the sidewalls of the holster 106 could include inwardly biased, resilient curved portions that engage the side recesses 44 and squeeze the stapler 14. Detent mechanisms could also be used to help secure the stapler 14 in the holster 106.
It should be understood that the illustrated electrical components and their respective locations can be modified by those skilled in the art. For example, instead of the illustrated electrical connectors, conductive contacts or other similar components can be used. In addition to providing direct electrical power in the form of AC current to the stapler 14, the base assembly 18 could also function as a charging stand for rechargeable, battery-powered (DC current) staplers. While not shown, the stapler 14 could include a rechargeable battery unit that would permit operating the stapler 14 in a cordless manner, in addition to use with the power supply cord 98. To recharge the battery, the stapler could be stored in the holster 106 such that the electricity provided via the electrical connector 154 would recharge the battery unit in the stapler.
Specifically, the stapler assembly 210 of
The base assembly 218 includes a charging unit 414 that receives electrical power from a power supply (an AC to DC power supply in the illustrated embodiment). A power cord 298 provides power to the charging unit 414 in the illustrated embodiment. The charging unit 414 includes a primary or charging coil 418 positioned within the base assembly 218 in a location closely adjacent to the pick-up coil 410 in the rear end 30 of the stapler 218. The primary coil 418 is illustrated as being a coil of wire, however the primary coil 418 could alternatively be of other suitable constructions, including those described above with respect to the pick-up coil 410.
As shown in
The primary coil 418, when energized, has current running through it, which creates magnetic flux lines. The flux lines induce a current in the pick-up coil 410. The current in the pick-up coil 410 is then used to charge the battery unit 404 in a known manner. Those skilled in the art will understand that the inductive power supply system 400 can be configured in numerous ways to achieve the desired battery charging capabilities. For example, a suitable rectifier circuit (not shown) can be used to rectify the current induced in the pick-up coil 410. Additionally, protective devices (e.g., thermal shutdown devices, fuses, etc.) can be used with the inductive power supply system 400. Furthermore, the pick-up coil 410 and primary coil 418 can be shielded to prevent induction of current into other portions of the stapler 214.
The inductive power supply system 400 is well-suited for use with the stapler assembly 210, as it eliminates the need for a physical, electrical connection (e.g., a hardwired connection) between the base assembly 218 and the stapler 214. Instead, the induction of current from the primary coil 418 in the base assembly 218 to the pick-up coil 410 in the stapler 214 occurs without any physical, electrical connection between the base assembly 218 and the stapler 214. This is particularly advantageous due to the relative movement that can occur between the stapler 214 and the base assembly 218, as described above with respect to the stapler assembly 10 of
While
Various features of the invention are set forth in the following claims.