1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to shredders for destroying articles, such as documents, compact discs, etc.
2. Description of Related Art
Shredders are well known devices for destroying articles, such as paper, documents, compact discs (“CDs”), expired credit cards, etc. Typically, users purchase shredders to destroy sensitive information bearing articles, such as credit card statements with account information, documents containing company trade secrets, etc.
A common type of shredder has a shredder mechanism contained within a housing that is removably mounted atop a container. The shredder mechanism typically has a series of cutter elements that shred articles fed therein and discharge the shredded articles downwardly into the container.
A common frustration of users of shredders is to feed too many papers into the feed throat, only to have the shredder jam after it has started to shred the papers. The present invention endeavors to provide a shredder with a mechanism that prevents too many sheets of paper from being fed into the throat. In particular, the present invention uses a thickness detector and a blocking mechanism configured to block the throat responsive to sensing insertion into the throat of articles having a thickness above a predetermined thickness threshold.
One aspect provides a shredder including a housing having a throat for receiving at least one article to be shredded and a shredder mechanism received in the housing. The shredder also includes an electrically powered motor and cutter elements. The shredder mechanism enables the at least one article to be shredded to be fed into the cutter elements and the motor is operable to drive the cutter elements so that the cutter elements shred the at least one article fed therein. A thickness detector comprises a contact member extending into the throat and a blocking member. The shredder also includes an actuator for moving the blocking member between a retracted position and an extended position. The actuator and the thickness detector are coupled to enable the actuator to move the blocking member from the retracted position to the extended position responsive to the movement of the contact member by insertion into the throat of the at least one article above a predetermined maximum thickness threshold. The blocking member is configured such that in the extended position the blocking member prevents further insertion of the at least one article into the throat, and in the retracted position the blocking member permits further insertion thereof into the throat.
Another aspect provides a shredder having a housing having a throat for receiving at least one article to be shredded and a shredder mechanism received in the housing. The shredder mechanism includes an electrically powered motor and cutter elements and enables the at least one article to be shredded to be fed into the cutter elements. The motor is operable to drive the cutter elements so that the cutter elements shred the at least one article fed therein. The shredder also includes a cam mechanism provided in the throat and the cam mechanism is biased to a disengaged position and movable to an engaged position responsive to insertion into the throat of the at least one article above a predetermined maximum thickness threshold by engagement of the at least one article. The cam mechanism is configured such that in the engaged position the cam mechanism engages the at least one article to prevent further insertion thereof into the throat, and in the disengaged position the cam mechanism is disengaged from the at least one article to permit further insertion thereof into the throat. The cam mechanism comprises a relief mechanism operative to prevent the cam mechanism from being moved further into the throat when in the engaged position.
Another aspect provides a method for operating a shredder that includes a housing having a throat for receiving at least one article to be shredded, a thickness detector comprising a contact member extending into the throat, and a blocking member moveable between a retracted position and an extended position. A shredder mechanism is received in the housing and includes an electrically powered motor and cutter elements. The shredder mechanism enables the at least one article to be shredded to be fed into the cutter elements and the motor is operable to drive the cutter elements in a shredding direction so that the cutter elements shred the articles fed therein. The method includes actuating the blocking member by an actuator coupled to the thickness detector to move the blocking member from the retracted position to the extended position responsive to the movement of the contact member by insertion into the throat of the at least one article above a predetermined maximum thickness threshold. The method further includes blocking the throat by the blocking member, in the extended position, to prevent further insertion of the at least one article into the throat.
Other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.
a-4b are detailed views of a cam mechanism in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;
a-5b are detailed views of the operation of the cam mechanism shown in
a-6c are detailed views of the operation of the cam mechanism shown in
a-7b are detailed views of a cam mechanism in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention;
a-8b are detailed views of the operation of the cam mechanism shown in
a-9c are detailed views of the operation of the cam mechanism shown in
a is a detailed view of a cam mechanism in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention;
b is a detailed view of a cam mechanism in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention;
a-12b are detailed views of a cam mechanism in accordance with a fifth embodiment of the present invention;
a-13b are detailed views of a cam mechanism in accordance with a sixth embodiment of the present invention;
a-23b are detailed views of the blocking member of the shredder in accordance with the embodiment shown in
a-24b illustrate the operation of the blocking member of the shredder in accordance with the embodiment shown in
The following embodiments are described with reference to the drawings and are not to be limiting in their scope in any manner.
The shredder housing 12 comprises at least one input opening 14 on an upper side 24 (or upper wall or top side or top wall) of the housing 12 for receiving materials to be shredded. The input opening 14 extends in a lateral direction, and is also often referred to as a throat. The input opening or throat 14 may extend generally parallel to and above a shredder mechanism 20 (described below). The input opening or throat 14 may be relatively narrow, so as to prevent overly thick items, such as large stacks of documents, from being fed into therein. However, the throat 14 may have any configuration. The throat 14 may have a first side 38 (see
Shredder housing 12 also comprises an output opening 16 on a lower side 26 (or bottom side or bottom wall or underside or bin side), such as shown in
Generally speaking, the shredder 10 may have any suitable construction or configuration and the illustrated embodiments provided herein are not intended to be limiting in any way. In addition, the term “shredder” or “shredder apparatus,” used interchangeably throughout this specification, are not intended to be limited to devices that literally “shred” documents and articles, but instead intended to cover any device that destroys documents and articles in a manner that leaves such documents and articles illegible and/or useless.
As noted, the shredder 10 also comprises a shredder mechanism 20 (shown generally in
The shredder 10 may include a thickness detector 250 provided near the throat 14. In one embodiment, the thickness detector 250 includes a lever or movable member 251 and a switch 262, as shown in
Alternatively or additionally, the shredder 10 may include a cam mechanism 23 (see
Shredder housing 12 may be configured to be seated above or upon the container 18. As shown in
In an embodiment, the container 18 may be positioned in a frame beneath the shredder housing 12. For example, the frame may be used to support the shredder housing 12 as well as comprise a container receiving space so that the container 18 may be removed therefrom. For example, in an embodiment, a container 18 may be provided to slide like a drawer with respect to a frame, be hingedly mounted to a frame, or comprise a step or pedal device to assist in pulling or removing it therefrom. Container 18 may comprise an opening, handle, or recess 17 to facilitate a user's ability to grasp the bin (or grasp an area approximate to recess 17), and thus provide an area for the user to easily grasp to separate the container 18 from the shredder housing 12, thereby providing access to shredded materials. The container 18 may be substantially or entirely removed from being in an operative condition with shredder housing 12 in order to empty shredded materials such as chips or strips (i.e., waste or trash) located therein. In an embodiment, the container or bin 18 may comprise one or more access openings (not shown) to allow for the deposit of articles therein.
Generally the terms “container,” “waste bin,” and “bin” are defined as devices for receiving shredded materials discharged from the output opening 16 of the shredder mechanism 20, and such terms are used interchangeably throughout this specification. However, such terms should not be limiting. Container 18 may have any suitable construction or configuration.
Typically, the power supply to the shredder 10 will be a standard power cord 44 with a plug 48 on its end that plugs into a standard AC outlet. Also, a control panel may be provided for use with the shredder 10. Generally, the use of a control panel is known in the art. As shown in
The term “controller” may be used to refer to any device that controls operation of a component of the shredder 10. For example, a controller may be a device or microcontroller having a central processing unit (CPU) and input/output devices that are used to monitor parameters from devices that are operatively coupled to the controller. The input/output devices also permit the CPU to communicate and control the devices (e.g., such as a sensor or the motor 35) that are operatively coupled to the controller. As is generally known in the art, the controller may optionally include any number of storage media such as memory or storage for monitoring or controlling the sensors coupled to the controller. In some embodiments, a controller may be a conventional circuit with no processor, and may comprise one or more binary switches or a relays. The controller may optionally comprise a processor. In some embodiments, the controller may be circuitry configured to activate or operate components of the shredder 10 in accordance with logic, rules, and/or software.
The controller 23 (see
The switch module contains appropriate contacts for signaling the position of the switch's manually engageable portion. As an option, the switch 100 may also have a reverse position that signals the controller 23 to operate the motor 35 in a reverse manner. This would be done by using a reversible motor and applying a current that is of reverse polarity relative to the on position. The capability to operate the motor 35 in a reversing manner is desirable to move the cutter elements 21 in a reversing direction for clearing jams, for example. To provide each of the noted positions, the switch 100 may be a sliding switch, a rotary switch, or a rocker switch. Also, the switch 100 may be of the push switch type that is simply depressed to cycle the controller 23 through a plurality of conditions.
Generally, the construction and operation of the switch 100 and controller 23 for controlling the motor are well known and any construction for these may be used. For example, a touch screen switch, membrane switch, or toggle switches are other examples of switches that may be used. Also, the switch need not have distinct positions corresponding to on/off/idle/reverse, and these conditions may be states selected in the controller 23 by the operation of the switch. Any of the conditions could also be signaled by lights, on a display screen, or otherwise.
In some embodiments, the shredder 10 may have activation sensors that are activated when the sensors detect articles that are inserted into the throat 14. When the switch is in its on (or idle) position, the controller 23 may be configured to operate the motor 35 to drive the cutter elements 21 of the shredder mechanism 20 in the shredding direction when the sensors detect the presence or insertion of the articles to be shredded. Having the sensors activate the shredder 10 is desirable because it allows the user to ready the shredder 10 by moving the switch to its on position, but the controller will not operate the shredder mechanism 20 to commence shredding until the sensors detect the presence or insertion of one or more articles in the throat 14. Once the articles have passed into the shredder mechanism 20 beyond the sensors, the controller 23 will then stop the movement or rotation of the cutter elements 21 of shredding mechanism 20, as that corresponds to the articles having been fully fed and shredded. Typically, a slight delay in time, such as 3-5 seconds, is used before stopping the shredder mechanism 20 to ensure that the articles have been completely shredded by the cutter elements 21 and discharged from the shredder mechanism 20. The use of such sensors to activate the shredder mechanism 20 is beneficial because it allows the user to perform multiple shredding tasks without having the shredder mechanism 20 operating, making noise, between tasks. It also reduces wear on the shredder mechanism 20, as it will only operate when substrates are fed therein, and will not continually operate. In some embodiments, the thickness detector 250 may operate as an activation sensor. In such embodiments, the thickness detector 250 may be able to detect insertion of articles below the predetermined threshold.
The use of cam mechanisms 23 or thickness detectors 250 and blocking members 256 to prevent further insertion into the throat 14 of articles above a predetermined thickness threshold may also help reduce wear on the shredder mechanism 20, as jamming of the shredder increases the strain on the shredder mechanism 20. The aforementioned predetermined thicknesses may be determined as follows. First, because the actual maximum thickness that the shredder mechanism 20 may handle will depend on the material that makes up the item to be shredded, the maximum thickness may correspond to the thickness of the toughest article expected to be inserted into the shredder, such as a compact disc, which is made from polycarbonate. If it is known that the shredder mechanism 20 may only be able to handle one compact disc at a time, the predetermined maximum thickness may be set to the standard thickness of a compact disc (i.e., 1.2 mm). It is estimated that such a thickness would also correspond to about 12 sheets of 20 lb. paper. Second, a margin for error may also be factored in. For example, the predetermined maximum thickness may be set to a higher thickness, such as to 1.5 mm, which would allow for approximately an additional 3 sheets of paper to be safely inserted into the shredder 10 (but not an additional compact disc). Of course, these examples are not intended to be limiting in any way.
For shredders that include separate throats for receiving sheets of paper and compact discs and/or credit cards, a cam mechanism 23 or thickness detector 250 and blocking member 256 may be provided in each of the throats and configured for different predetermined maximum thicknesses. For example, the same shredder mechanism 20 may be able to handle one compact disc and 18 sheets of 20 lb. paper. Accordingly, the predetermined maximum thickness associated with the thickness detector 250 associated with the throat 14 that is specifically designed to receive compact discs may be set to about 1.5 mm (0.3 mm above the standard thickness of a compact disc), while the predetermined maximum thickness associated with the cam mechanism 23 or thickness detector 250 associated with the throat 14 that is specifically designed to receive sheets of paper may be set to about 1.8 mm. In some embodiments, the predetermined thickness threshold may also be adjusted based upon an input, such as for example, a selector switch for inputting the material as described in U.S. patent Ser. No. 11/444,491, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. In some embodiments, the predetermined thickness threshold may also be based on motor feedback as described in U.S. patent Ser. No. 11/867,260, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Of course, these examples are not intended to be limiting in any way and are only given to illustrate features of embodiments of the invention.
a shows the cam mechanism 23 in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the cam mechanism 23 includes a cam member 32 and a spring 34, wherein the spring 34 is operatively connected to the cam member 32 and to a portion of the shredder 10. In this embodiment, the second side 40 of the throat 14 and the cam member 32 are spaced apart to define a gap 42 through which articles may pass when the cam mechanism 23 is in the disengaged position. The gap 42 may be smaller than the thickness of the throat 14. As shown, the cam member 32 is configured to rotate around a pivot point 36 that may be provided near the outer circumference of the cam member 32 and in proximity to the first side 38 of the throat 14. That is, the pivot point 36 is eccentric to the cam wheel 34. As such, the cam member 32 is constructed and arranged to rotate closer in proximity towards the second side 40 of the throat 14 when the cam member 32 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction around the pivot point 36. The cam member 32 may be attached to a portion of the shredder at the pivot point 36 using an attachment mechanism, such as a pin, fastener, or other attachment mechanisms known in the art. It is contemplated that in other embodiments, the location of the pivot point 36 may vary.
In some embodiments, the cam mechanism 23 is movable between the disengaged position (as shown in
In other words, the cam member 32 binds the articles against the second side 40 of the throat 14 in the engaged position. Because of the frictional engagement, further force attempting to insert the articles will cause further movement of the cam member 32 in the engaging direction, thus increasing the binding effect.
The term disengaged is used herein in the functional sense, meaning that the cam member 32 is in the position where it is not actively interfering with the insertion of the article(s). It is possible for there to be incidental contact between the articles and the cam member 32 in the disengaged position, as paper rarely travels perfectly straight, but the engagement is not frictionally sufficient to cause movement of the cam member 32 to the engaged position. Likewise, the term engaged is used herein similarly in the functional sense to mean that the cam member 32 is engaged with the articles by the friction therebetween to prevent their further insertion. Mere incidental contact between the cam member 32 and the article(s) does not establish the engaged position. These terms could also be referred to as frictionally disengaged and frictionally engaged in that sense.
a shows the cam mechanism 23 in the disengaged position before articles having a thickness equal to or below the predetermined thickness threshold are inserted into the throat 14. In this embodiment, the articles must be inserted past the gap 42 to be further inserted into the throat 14. If the thickness of the articles is less than or equal to the predetermined thickness threshold, the articles may be inserted past the gap 42 to be further inserted into the throat 14 without actuating the cam mechanism 23 to the engaged position. It is contemplated that articles having a thickness less than or equal to the predetermined thickness threshold may contact the cam member 32 as the articles are inserted further into the throat 14. However, the articles might not have enough thickness, and thus might not provide enough friction against the cam member 32, to sufficiently rotate the cam member 32 so that the cam mechanism 23 may engage the articles. As the articles having a thickness equal to or below the predetermined thickness threshold are inserted further into the throat 14 and come into contact with the cutter elements 21, the articles may be shredded by the shredder mechanism 20. In embodiments having the activation sensors, the insertion of the articles into the throat 14 activates the activation sensors, which then send signals to the controller to operate the shredder mechanism 20 to drive the cutter elements 21. As shown in
a shows the cam mechanism 23 in the disengaged position before articles having thickness above the predetermined thickness threshold are inserted into the throat 14. In this embodiment, the cam mechanism 23 is in the disengaged position wherein the spring 34 is in the default, relaxed state and the cam member 32 is disposed near the first side 38 of the throat 14. As shown, the cam mechanism 23 is constructed and arranged such that when articles having thickness above the predetermined thickness threshold are inserted into the throat 14 and into the gap 42, the articles contact the cam member 32 and the second side 40 of the throat 14. As the articles are pushed in a downward direction further into the throat 14, friction between the articles and the outside surface of the cam member 32 “drags”, or pulls, the cam member 32 in a downward direction, causing the cam member 32 to rotate in a counterclockwise direction around the pivot point 36 towards the second side 40 of the throat 14. In the embodiment shown in
As shown in
a-7b, 8a-8b, and 9a-9c illustrate an alternative embodiment of the invention and the operation thereof. In the embodiment shown in
a and 8b illustrate the insertion of articles having thickness less than or equal to the predetermined thickness threshold into the throat 14. In
a-9c illustrate the insertion into the throat 14 and the removal from the throat 14 of articles having thickness above the predetermined thickness threshold. In
b illustrates the insertion of articles having thickness above the predetermined thickness threshold into the throat 14. As shown in
Referring back to
a illustrates an embodiment of the cam mechanism 23a having a slip disk 57a. Similarly,
The slip disk 57a of the embodiment shown in
In the embodiment shown in
Specifically, the outer ring 56a is fixed to the hub 58a in a releasable or clutched manner such that, if a torque above a predetermined threshold is applied to the ring 56a, it will release and rotate about the hub 58a. In the illustrated embodiment, this is achieved by the ring 56a having resilient teeth 59a on the inner surface thereof, and the hub 58a having notches 60a on the outer surface thereof When the torque meets the threshold, the resilient teeth 59a will yield, thus disengaging from the notches 60a and permitting rotation between the ring 56a and the hub 58a. The resiliency of the teeth 59a enables them to re-engage the notches 60a to re-establish the rotationally fixed relationship.
The resilient teeth 59a and notches 60a may be reversed on the ring 56a and hub 58a. Other arrangements may also be used, such as resilient intermeshing teeth on both the ring 56a and hub 58a inner and outer surfaces. Likewise, a frictional engagement between the ring 56a and hub 58a could also be used. Any releasable or clutch engagement between the ring 56a and hub 58a may be used.
The predetermined thickness threshold may be varied by varying the location of the pivot point, the radius of the cam member, and the elasticity of the spring. It is contemplated that the configurations and arrangements of the components of the cam mechanisms may be varied depending on the sizes of the throats in different embodiments and the preferred predetermined thickness thresholds.
a-12b show another embodiment of the present invention. The cam mechanism 223 shown in
Articles having thickness below or equal to the predetermined thickness threshold may be inserted into the throat 14 and past the gap 42 without moving the cam mechanism 223 to the closed position. However, when articles having thickness above the predetermined thickness threshold are inserted into the throat 14, the articles may push against the contact portion 76 of the cam mechanism 223 sufficiently to actuate the cam mechanism 223 to the closed position. As shown in
In the embodiment shown in
a-13b show another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the cam mechanism 323 includes a cam arm 84 having a contact portion 86 and a blocking portion 88. The cam mechanism 323 may be provided near a first side 38 of the throat, and a spring 96 may be operatively connected to the cam arm 84 and to a portion of the shredder 10. In this embodiment, the cam mechanism 323 is constructed and arranged to move between the open position wherein the articles are permitted to be further inserted into the throat 14 (as shown in
As shown in
As shown in
It is contemplated that in some embodiments, the shredder 10 may also include an indicator 98 (see
Q(t)=Q0e−t/RC
where Q0 is the initial charge, τ is the time constant (or elapsed time), R is the resistance value, and C is the capacitance value. The time constant τ represents the time for the system to make significant change in charge, voltage, or current whenever a capacitor 108 is charging or discharging. In this embodiment, the indicator 98 will illuminate based on the time constant τ. In one embodiment, the predetermined amount of time may be determined by the time constant of the resistor-capacitor network.
In the embodiment shown in
In this embodiment, the second side 40 of the throat 14 and the contact portion 252 of the movable member 251 are spaced apart to define a gap 42 through which articles may pass when the movable member 251 is in the retracted position. An actuating portion 271 is provided on an end of the movable member 251 opposite to the contact portion 252. The actuating portion 271 is configured to contact an extending member 260 of a switch 262, such as a lever switch, so as to actuate the switch 262 when the movable member 251 is actuated in response to the thickness of the articles inserted into the throat 14 being above the predetermined thickness threshold.
A blocking mechanism 254, which may take the form of a solenoid in this embodiment, includes a blocking member 256. The blocking mechanism 254 may be considered an actuator that actuates the blocking member 256 to move between the retracted and extended positions. The blocking member 256 is constructed and arranged to extend into the throat 14 when the blocking mechanism 254 is activated (or energized), so as to block the throat 14 to prevent further insertion of articles therein. In this embodiment, the energization of the blocking mechanism 254 is effected by the switch 262. That is, when the switch 262 is actuated, electric current is sent through the wires of the blocking mechanism 254. Because the blocking mechanism 254 in this embodiment is a solenoid, the blocking member 256 may be an inner shaft of the solenoid that may be made of iron or steel. When the blocking mechanism 254 is energized, the magnetic field within the blocking mechanism 254 applies a force to the blocking member 256 to repel it so that it would extend into the throat 14. When the magnetic field in the blocking mechanism 254 is turned off, a spring (not shown) returns the blocking member 256 back to the retracted position.
In this embodiment, the blocking member 256 has a roller 258 attached to an end that is extended into the throat 14. The roller 258 is constructed and arranged to rotate around a point 260, which may be defined by a rivet or pin used to attach the roller 258 to the blocking member 256. The roller 258 may optionally be made of plastic or rubber, or may be provided with such materials on the surface thereof. The roller 258 may be spaced from the second wall 40 so as to define a space 259 through which articles must pass to be shredded by the cutter elements 221. In one embodiment, an opening (not shown), which may be a through hole opening or the opening of a recess, may be provided on the second side 40 of the throat 14. The opening may be constructed and arranged to receive the roller 258 and the blocking member 256 when the blocking member 256 is fully extended into the throat 14 (see
The blocking member 256 may be extended with a predetermined force so that the roller 258 may enter the opening of the second side 40 of the throat 14 when no articles are between the roller 258 and the opening. The predetermined force may be calculated and determined to be of a certain amount so that the blocking member 256 can enter the opening when no articles are present between the roller 258 and the opening, but will not cause portions of the articles to be pushed into the opening when articles are present (even when only one sheet of paper is present). In some embodiments, the user may set the predetermined force. The predetermined force may optionally be calculated using logic, software, and/or rules. In addition, the switch 262, when actuated, is configured to activate the blocking mechanism 254 to extend the blocking member 256 into the throat 14. The operation of the movable member 251, the switch 262, and the blocking member 256 will be described in more detail later.
As shown in
In some situations, wrinkles on the articles may cause the thickness detector 50 to be actuated when the articles are equal to or below the predetermined thickness threshold. For example, as shown in
In this embodiment, the blocking member 356 is pivotally attached to the shredder 10 at pivot point 328 (which may be defined by a rivet, pin, or other attachment mechanism). The blocking member 356 is attached to the shredder 10 near the second side 40 of the throat 14. The blocking member 356 includes a roller 358 rotatably attached to the blocking member 356 at point 360. The blocking member 356 is driven by motor 326, which is operatively connected thereto. The motor 326 is configured to drive the blocking member 356 responsive to the insertion of articles having a thickness above the predetermined thickness threshold so that the blocking member 356 and the roller 358 extend into the throat 14 to prevent further insertion of the articles therein.
In this embodiment, the optical sensor 340 may be operatively connected to an integrated circuit 322 provided on a printed circuit board 324. The optical sensor 340 provides a signal to the integrated circuit 322, which in turn is communicated to the motor 326 to drive the blocking member 356. The integrated circuit 322 may be programmed with the predetermined thickness threshold value. In some embodiments, a user-provided predetermined thickness threshold value may be programmed. In some embodiments, the distance that the blocking member 356 and the roller 358 is extended into the throat 14 based upon the thickness of the articles detected may be programmed into the integrated circuit 322. Rules, logic, and/or software may be used to determine these values.
When articles having a thickness greater than the predetermined thickness threshold is inserted into the throat 14, the articles contact the contact portion 352 and push the contact member 320 downwards in the clockwise direction. The sensor 340 senses the movement of the contact member 320 by the movement of the rotation indicators 342 and sends a signal to the integrated circuit 322, which in turn communicates to the motor 326 to drive the blocking member 356. The motor 326 extends the blocking member 356 into the throat 14 such that the roller 358 is received in the opening (not shown) provided on the second side 40 of the throat 14. When the blocking member 356 is in this position, the blocking member 356 closes the throat 14 and prevents further insertion of articles therein. After a predetermined amount of time or after the activation sensor or the sensor 340 senses that there are no articles in the throat 14, the motor 326 may drive the blocking member 356 back to the retracted position so that the blocking member 356 and the roller 358 are no longer blocking the throat 14.
Alternatively, in some embodiments, the blocking member 356, by default, may be extended into the throat 14 to prevent the insertion of articles further into the throat 14. In such embodiments, when the thickness detector 350 detects that the thickness of the articles is below the predetermined thickness threshold, the thickness detector 350 may send signals to the integrated circuit 322, which in turn causes the motor 325 to drive the blocking member 356 and the roller 358 to the retracted position so that the throat 14 is no longer blocked. In some embodiments, the thickness detector 350 may be operatively connected to the controller 23 and may send signals to the controller 23 (see
Although the blocking member 356 has a different construction and arrangement as blocking member 56, which is described above with respect to the embodiment shown in
As also mentioned above, in some situations, primary articles (or a first set of articles) having a thickness equal to or below the predetermined thickness threshold may be inserted into the throat 14 and may contact the cutter elements 21. Secondary articles (or the second set of articles) may be inserted into the throat 14 shortly thereafter, whereupon the blocking member 356 is actuated in response to the thickness of the primary and secondary articles being above the predetermined thickness threshold. The contact portion 352 of the contact member 320 is pushed downwards in the clockwise direction, which causes the sensor 340 to sense the movement of the contact member 320 by the movement of the rotation indicators 342. In these situations, the roller 358 of the blocking member 356 is also constructed and arranged to “ride on” or rotate on the surface of the primary articles when secondary articles are inserted into the throat 14. However, because the blocking member 356 and the roller 358 are extended into the throat, the secondary articles are prevented from being further inserted therein. Thus, the primary articles are able to be shredded while the secondary articles are prevented from being further inserted into the throat 14. This prevents the shredder 10 from jamming due to too many articles being fed into the throat 14.
In other embodiments, the thickness sensor 250, 350 may include a contact member that extends into the throat 14 and is actuated in response to the article being inserted into the throat 14. The thickness sensor 250, 350 may include a strain gauge configured to measure movement of the contact member and communicate the movement to the controller 23. In another embodiment, the thickness sensor 250, 350 may include a piezoelectric sensor configured to measure movement of the contact member and communicate the movement to the controller 23. Reference may be made to U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006-0219827 A1, which is hereby incorporated by reference, for details of thickness detectors that are configured to detect the thickness of the at least one article received by the throat 14. The detectors may have any construction or configuration, and the illustrated embodiment is not limiting.
The sliding frame 410 may be slideably received in an assembly frame 412. In one embodiment, the sliding frame 410 includes grooves 416 constructed and arranged to receive sliding structures 418 of the sliding frame 410. The configuration and arrangement of the grooves 416 of the assembly frame 412 and the sliding structures 418 of the sliding frame 410 enable the sliding frame 410 to slide on the assembly frame 412. The assembly frame 412 may be fixed to the shredder in proximity to the first side 38 of the throat 14. Thus, in one embodiment, the sliding frame 410 may slide along an axis generally perpendicular to the first side 38 and second side 40 of the throat 14 (i.e., generally perpendicular to the feeding direction).
A stop structure 426 may also be provided on the sliding frame 410 and/or the assembly frame 412. The stop structure 426 may be constructed and arranged to engage with or contact the screw 414. The stop structure 426 may be pivotable and may be used to adjust the position of the cam arms 404. For example, in one embodiment, the cam arms 404 may be positioned on the sliding frame 410 and the screw 414 may be engaged with the pivotable stop structure 426 to retain the cam arms 404 in a certain position. The position of the cam arms 404 may affect the size of the gap 42 in the throat 14. Accordingly, by adjusting the screw 414, the predetermined thickness threshold (i.e., the thickness of the articles that can be inserted into the throat 14 before the cam mechanism 423 is engaged) may be varied.
A relief mechanism may be provided to prevent the cam mechanism 423 from being damaged due to over-rotation or the further movement of the cam member 421 into the throat 14 past the engaged position. As will be described in more detail below, the cam member 421 may become over-rotated or may be pulled further into the throat due to excessive resistance of the articles when the articles are engaged by the cam member 421. In some embodiments, the relief mechanism may take the form of the outer ring 56a of the slip disk 57a described above. In the embodiment shown in
As shown in
The shredder 10 may also have a centering structure, taking the form of an elongated rib structure 432 in the embodiment shown in
a-23b illustrate an operation of the cam mechanism 23 to engage articles that are above the predetermined maximum thickness so as to prevent further insertion of the articles into the throat 14.
In embodiments with the rib structure 432, the cam member 421 may retain portions of the articles against the rib structure 432 to prevent further insertion of the articles into the throat 14. In such embodiments, the gap 42 is defined by the distance between the rib structure 432 and the contact portion 430 of the cam member 421, and thus, the size of the gap 42 when the cam mechanism 423 is in this engaged position is smaller than the size of the gap 42 when the cam mechanism 423 is in the position shown in
a-24b illustrate operation of the cam mechanism 423 and the relief mechanism. In this embodiment, the relief mechanism takes the form of the springs 420. The relief mechanism may be useful when the cam member 421 is moved to the engaged position and is pulled further down into the throat 14 due to excessive resistance of the articles. For example, articles having a thickness equal to or less than the predetermined thickness threshold are able to be further inserted into the throat 14, but wrinkles or folds may accumulate on the articles, thus causing excessive resistance. In such situations, the wrinkles on the articles may exert drag on the cam member 421, thus causing the cam member 421 to be rotated in the counterclockwise direction towards the engaged position. As such, the cam member 421 may engage the articles and retain the articles between the cam member 421 and the second side 40 of the throat 14. However, if the articles have already been inserted far enough down the throat 14 to contact the cutter elements 21, the rotation of the cutter elements 21 may pull one portion of the articles in a downward direction while the other portion is engaged and retained by the cam member 421 against the second side 40 of the throat 14. Accordingly, the articles may tear or the cam member 421 may over-rotate and break. In the embodiment shown in
Referring back to
The cam mechanism 23, 223, 323, 423 and/or thickness detector 250, 2350 and blocking member 256, 2356 configurations may optionally be used in other machines or assemblies. For example, the cam mechanism 23, 223, 323, 423 and/or the thickness detector 250, 2350 and blocking member 256, 2356 configurations may be provided and used to prevent the insertion of articles that are above the predetermined thickness threshold into binding machines, laminators, hole punching machines, or other machines.
It is contemplated that in some embodiments, the shredder 10 may also include an indicator (not shown) configured to indicate the insertion into the throat 14 of articles above the predetermined maximum thickness threshold. The indicator may be an LED, an audible alarm, or other feedback mechanisms known in the art. The indicator may be activated by the activation of the blocking members 256, 2356. For example, the indicator may be activated when the blocking member 256, 2356 is in the extended position. The indicator may also be activated by the movement of the cam mechanism 23, 223, 323, 423 to the engaged position.
It is also contemplated that audible signals may be generated in response to the insertion of articles above the predetermined thickness threshold. In one embodiment, the indicator is an audible alarm. Examples of audible signals include, but are not limited to beeping, buzzing, and/or any other type of signal that will alert the user that the stack of documents or other article that is about to be shredded is above a predetermined maximum thickness and may cause the shredder mechanism 20 to jam. Reference may be made to U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006-0219827 A1, which is hereby incorporated by reference, for details of warning signals that may be given.
The foregoing illustrated embodiments have been provided to illustrate the structural and functional principles of the present invention and are not intended to be limiting. To the contrary, the present invention is intended to encompass all modifications, alterations and substitutions within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/487,220, filed Jun. 18, 2009, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and claims priority thereto.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 12487220 | Jun 2009 | US |
Child | 12817762 | US |