The present disclosure is generally related to an apparatus having cutter elements for destroying documents such as paper sheets. In particular, the apparatus comprises an advancement mechanism for advancing at least one sheet from a stack of paper in a tray into the cutter elements for shredding.
A common type of shredder has a shredder mechanism contained within a housing that is mounted atop a container. The shredder mechanism typically includes a series of cutter elements that shred articles such as paper that are fed therein and discharge the shredded articles downwardly into the container. An example of such a shredder may be found, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 7,040,559.
Prior art shredders have a predetermined amount of capacity or amount of paper that can be shredded in one pass between the cutter elements. Typically, the sheets of paper are fed into the shredder mechanism manually. Thus, when an operator needs to shred, he or she can only shred a number of sheets of paper by manually inserting one or more sheets one pass at a time. Examples of such shredders are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,192,467, 4,231,530, 4,232,860, 4,821,967, 4,986,481, 5,188,301, 5,261,614, 5,362,002, 5,662,280, 5,772,129, 5,884,855, and 6,390,397 B1, 7,422,171 B2, 7,500,627 B2 and 7,658,342 B2, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
With manual feed shredders, the user would have to spend time feeding smaller portions of the stack manually, thus taking away from productivity time. Other shredders are designed for automatic feeding. The shredder will include a bin in which a state of documents can be placed. A feeding mechanism can then feed the documents from the stack into the shredding mechanism.
This type of shredder is desirable in an office setting for productivity reasons, as the user can leave the stack in the bin and leave the shredder to do its work. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,815,669, 5,009,410, 7,500,627 B2, 7,828,235 B2, 8,123,152 B2, and 8,167,223 B2 and U.S. Patent Application Publication 2009/0008871 A1 and foreign Publications WO 2008/095693 A1 and WO 2009/035178 A1, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety, describe shredders with such feed mechanisms. A shredding device that can effectively separate paper within a stack without causing damage to the cutters or stopping the machine is desirable.
One aspect of the disclosure provides a shredder having: a housing; a shredder mechanism received in the housing and including a motor and cutter elements, the motor rotating the cutter elements in an interleaving relationship for shredding paper sheets fed therein, the cutter elements configured for rotation about parallel and horizontal axes; a tray for holding a stack of articles to be fed into the cutter elements; a stack separation mechanism positioned adjacent to the tray and having a rotatable body, the stack separation mechanism configured for rotation about a rotational axis relative to the stack, at least part of the rotatable body being configured for insertion into at least part of the stack to separate at least an edge of at least one article therefrom and for advancing the at least one separated article towards the cutter elements. A drive system is constructed to drive the rotatable body for said separating and advancing of the at least one separated article from the stack and towards the cutter elements. An arm is positioned adjacent to a front end of the tray to hold unseparated articles of the stack in the tray such that the at least one separated article is guided into the cutter elements by the stack separation mechanism.
Another aspect of the disclosure provides a method for advancing paper sheets into cutter elements for shredding. The method includes:
providing a tray for holding a stack of articles;
providing a stack separation mechanism to separate one or more articles from the stack;
rotating cutter elements in an interleaving relationship about parallel and horizontal axes for shredding articles fed therein;
rotating the stack separation mechanism for insertion into the stack to separate one or more articles for advancing towards the cutter elements, and
driving the paper stack separation mechanism in an advancing direction to advance the one or more separated articles towards the cutter elements.
Other features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.
The present disclosure is generally related to an apparatus having cutter elements for destroying articles such as paper sheets, a paper stack separation mechanism for penetrating and separating at least one sheet to be shredded from a stack of paper on a tray, and a paper feed mechanism for advancing the at least one sheet separated by the paper stack separation mechanism into the cutter elements for shredding.
It should be noted that while this disclosure references separating sheet(s) of paper from a stack, the embodiments of the shredders described herein are also configured to separate, advance, and shred sheets of any size and/or other articles, such as, but not limited to, disks such as CDs or DVDs, credit cards, cardboard, etc. The shredder is designed to automatically separate a smaller portions from the stack (in which portions may contain sheet(s), paper stapled together, junk mails, CDs, credit cards, and a combination thereof) and feed them into the shredding mechanism. The stack can include numerous types, sizes, construction, and shapes of articles for shredding (e.g., white paper, letter size, A4, envelopes, etc.) and is not intended to be limited only to shredding paper sheets of any standard or non-standard size.
Generally speaking, the shredder 10 may have any suitable construction or configuration and the illustrated embodiment is not intended to be limiting in any way.
In an embodiment, the shredder 10 comprises a shredder mechanism 20 (sometimes referred to as a cutting block) in the housing 12. Alternatively, in another embodiment, the shredder mechanism 20 is provided in the container 16. In yet another embodiment, the shredder mechanism 20 extends into the housing 12 and into the container 16. The shredder mechanism 20 may be positioned adjacent to or below a source of paper (e.g., from a tray 14).
The shredder 10 also includes a drive system 13 with at least one motor, such as an electrically powered motor, and a plurality of cutter elements 21. The cutter elements 21 are mounted on a pair of parallel first and second mounting shafts 23 and 25, each configured to rotate about parallel axes A1 and A2. The parallel mounting shafts 23 and 25 can extend longitudinally in a horizontal direction, for example. The motor operates using electrical power to rotatably drive first and second rotatable shafts 23 and 25 of the shredder mechanism 20 and their corresponding cutter elements 21 through a conventional transmission so that the cutter elements 21 shred or destroy articles fed therein. The shredder mechanism may also include a sub-frame for mounting the shafts, motor, and transmission. The drive system 13 may have any number of motors and may include one or more transmissions. Also, the plurality of cutter elements 21 are mounted on the first and second rotatable shafts 23 and 25 in any suitable manner and are rotated in an interleaving relationship for shredding paper sheets fed therein. The operation and construction of such a shredder mechanism 20 is well known and need not be discussed herein in detail.
A throat 24 (e.g., see
The housing 12 of shredder 10 is designed to sit atop a container 16, as noted above. The housing 12 works in cooperation with a cartridge or tray 14. Tray 14 comprises a feed bed 15 and is designed to hold a plurality or stack 22 of paper sheets that are to be shredded. The tray 14 is mounted such that the paper may be fed from bed 15 of the tray 14 and into the cutter elements 21 of the shredder mechanism 20. For example, the tray 14 and shredder mechanism 20 may be mounted horizontally such that the paper is fed into the shredder mechanism 20 and destroyed. In one embodiment, the tray 14 comprises angled or inclined portion in its bed 15. In another embodiment, the tray is provided at an angle relative to shredder housing 12, such as via a sloped chassis. The tray 14 can have a bottom portion with an edge 48 adjacent to a paper stack separation mechanism, for example, configured to assist in directing at least one separated paper sheet in a direction towards the cutter elements 21 (see, e.g., features e.g., features described with reference to
In another embodiment, the tray 14 may comprise a sectioned or partitioned bin, providing limited access to an upper bin, for example, while documents in lower bin are fed to the shredder mechanism 20.
In an embodiment, the housing 12 and/or tray 14 is provided with a lid 18. The lid 18 can be provided with one or more hinges 19 such that the lid 18 may be pivoted between open and closed positions, e.g., using a motor-driven transmission device (not shown), or by manual force, to allow user access to a tray 14 or feed bed 15, such as for filling the tray 14 with the paper to be shredded. Pivoting the lid 18 allows a user access to the inside of tray 14, such as for filling the tray 14 with paper to be shredded. In an embodiment, the tray 14 comprises a handle (not shown) to assist in lifting the lid 18. Any type or form of handle for assisting in lifting the lid 18 may be used and should not be limiting.
In an embodiment, the lid 18 may comprise a safety switch and/or sensor(s). The safety switch and/or sensor(s) may be used to detect if the lid is pivoted to an open position. In an embodiment, when the lid 18 is lifted to an open position, parts of the shredder 10 are deactivated (e.g., such that paper may be inserted onto the tray without cause of injury). For example, the safety switch may be coupled to the shredder mechanism 20, drive system 13, and/or advancement (or feed) mechanism (described below) to prevent operation of the cutter elements 21 when the lid 18 is in the open position. The parts can be activated when the lid 18 is in the closed position to begin operation of the cutter elements 21 and an advancement (or feed) mechanism. The lid 18 may also comprise a locking mechanism that prevents a user from opening the lid or accessing the tray, which may not be desirable while the shredder is in use. In an embodiment, lid 18 may comprise an opening (not shown) for allowing insertion of paper sheets into the tray 14.
A control panel A can also optionally be provided on the housing 12 or other part of the shredder 10 for use therewith. As generally known by one of ordinary skill in the art, the control panel A can include a screen and/or a plurality of buttons. The screen may be an LCD screen, for example, to show available menus or options to a user. Lights, LEDs, or other known devices (not shown) may also be provided on control panel A. Generally, the use of a control panel is known in the art and therefore not described in detail herein.
A power switch (e.g., on control panel A) may also be provided on the shredder 10. The power switch can include a manually engageable portion connected to a switch module (not shown). Movement of the manually engageable portion of switch moves the switch module between states. The switch module is communicated to a controller (not shown) which may include a circuit board. Typically, a power supply (not shown) is connected to the controller by a standard power cord with a plug on its end that plugs into a standard AC outlet. The controller is likewise communicated to the motor of the shredder mechanism 20. When the power switch is moved to an on position, the controller can send an electrical signal to the drive of the motor so that it rotates the cutting elements 21 of the shredder mechanism 20 in a shredding direction, thus enabling paper sheets to be fed therein. The power switch may also be moved to an off position, which causes the controller to stop operation of the motor. Further, the power switch may also have an idle or ready position, which communicates with the control panel A. The switch module contains appropriate contacts for signaling the position of the switch's manually engageable portion. Generally, the construction and operation of the power switch and controller for controlling the motor are well known and any construction for these may be used. Also, the switch need not have distinct positions corresponding to on/off/idle, and these conditions may be states selected in the controller by the operation of the switch.
In an embodiment, at least one sensor is provided in tray 14 for sensing the presence of paper sheets or a stack 22. The sensor(s) may be used to communicate with the controller that sheets are ready to be shredded or destroyed, or to communicate with the feed driver system. The presence of sheets may also start a timer. For example, a time delay may be activated such that a feed mechanism 23 begins to move or rotate after a set period of time (e.g., 30 minutes, 1 hour). The sensor(s) may be of any type, e.g., optical, electrical, mechanical, etc. and should not be limiting. Additionally, audio sensors may be used with tray 14. For example, a sensor(s) may be able to pick-up audio signals or sounds when paper is shredding or as paper is separated.
The shredder 10 also comprises a mechanism opposed to or adjacent the tray surface for advancing at least a sheet from a stack of paper in a tray towards the cutter elements for shredding. That is, shredder 10 is designed with a paper stack separation and advancement mechanism for automatically separating and advancing one or more sheets to a shredder mechanism 20 without requiring a user to manually feed individual or a preset quantity of sheets into the cutting elements 21.
The paper stack separation and advancement mechanism 32 is configured for rotation about a rotational axis B-B that is substantially perpendicular to the axes A1 and A2 of the cutter elements 21. The mechanism 32 is mounted within the shredder housing 12 or, alternatively, within the shredder mechanism 20. The drive system 13 may be constructed to drive the paper stack separation and advancement mechanism 32 in an advancing direction (e.g., clockwise) to advance the at least one separated paper sheet from the stack and towards the cutter elements 21 of the shredder mechanism 20, for example.
As shown in Figures, the mechanism 32 includes at least one helical mechanism 34 configured for rotation about the rotational axis B-B. Each helical mechanism 34 can have spaces 36 (shown in detail in
The radially extending structure 40 is configured to extend into the stack 22. Each turn of the radially extending structure 40 projects from a surface of shaft 38 in a substantially perpendicular direction in relation to its rotational axis B-B (i.e., in a radial direction), as shown in
In accordance with another embodiment, the radially extending structure 40 may be formed from a plurality of structures that extend from the shaft 38 between its first (top) end and its second (bottom) end. In on embodiment, the plurality of structures extends from the shaft 38 in a helical manner. For example, a plurality of fingers or fins may be spaced radially and helically around the shaft to form a spiral configuration around the shaft. In yet another embodiment, two or more radially extending structures, each comprising multiple turns, may be provided on the shaft 38.
The terms “radial” or “perpendicular” when used with respect to the radially extending structure 40 are not to be taken as requiring a perfect or true radial or perpendicular direction. Instead, having a perpendicular or radial extent or vector sufficient to project the structure from the shaft for performing their function is within the meanings of these terms. Likewise, the structure 40 need not be straight and may have curved or other shapes.
The spaces 36 are provided between each turns of the at least one radially extending structure 40, which are shown in greater detail in
In the illustrated embodiment shown in
The varying and/or increase in the width of the spaces in a direction towards the cutter elements 21 of the shredder mechanism 20 aids in separating and fanning out the separated sheet(s) 30 from the stack 22 in the tray 14. Accordingly, this enables a systematic and/or timed release of the separated sheet(s) 30 for easier feeding and/or grabbing (e.g., by rollers of a paper feed mechanism, described below) for feeding into the cutter elements 21. Moreover, the radially extending structure 40 can assist in bending and directing the separated sheet(s) 30 towards the cutter elements 21 (e.g., see
In operation, the paper stack separation and advancement mechanism 32 shown in
To assist in the advancement of the separated sheet(s), as shown in
To further aid in feeding separated paper 30 to the shredder mechanism 20, a paper feed mechanism 42 may be provided in shredder 10. As shown in
The inclined edge 48 of tray 14 may be a singular structure that extends the width of the tray 14, or multiple structures spaced relative to the rollers 46 of paper feed mechanism 42 along a front end of the tray 14. For example, as shown in
The materials used to form helical mechanism 34 including radially extending structure 40 and shaft 38 are not limited and any number or combination of materials may be used. In an embodiment, the radially extending structure 40 is formed from a substantially flexible or resilient material. In another embodiment, the radially extending structure is formed from a substantially rigid material. Rollers 46 may be formed from a substantially flexible or resilient material, such as rubber.
The rate at which the at least one radially extending structure 40 is rotated using shaft 38 should not be limiting. The rate may be set, predetermined, or variable. It is envisioned that, in an embodiment, the rate at which the shaft 38 of helical mechanism 34 is rotating may be adjusted during shredding. For example, it is envisioned that the rate of rotation may be based on the articles or materials being shredded, such as paper versus discs. In another embodiment, the rate which the shaft 38 of helical mechanism 34 is rotated may be adjusted based on a detected thickness of article(s).
The rotation of helical mechanism 34 about axis B-B may be activated in any number of ways. In some embodiments, the rotation may be activated manually. For example, a switch may be provided which triggers a motor to start rotation of the helical mechanism 34. In some embodiments, the rotation of the helical mechanism 34 may be activated automatically. In this case, “automatically” activating rotation refers turning or rotating the shaft 38 of the helical mechanism 34 at the time or detection of a predetermined event or occurrence. For example, the rotation may be associated with the activation of the shredder mechanism 20. The helical mechanism 34 may also be activated to rotate concurrently with the cutter elements 21 (e.g., such as when the motor is used or activated to rotate the shredder mechanism 20). In some embodiments, the rotation of the helical mechanism 34 is associated with a power switch for turning on the shredder 10.
Similarly, the rate at which the rollers 46 are rotated using shafts 44 should not be limiting. The rate may be set, predetermined, or variable. It is envisioned that, in an embodiment, the rate at which the shafts 44 is rotating may be adjusted during shredding. For example, it is envisioned that the rate of rotation may be based on the articles or materials being shredded, such as paper versus discs. In another embodiment, the rate which the shafts 44 of paper feed mechanism 42 are rotated may be adjusted based on a detected thickness of article(s).
The rotation of the paper feed mechanism 42 about axes C1-C1 and C2-C2 may be activated in any number of ways. In some embodiments, the rotation may be activated manually. For example, a switch may be provided which triggers a motor to start rotation of the feed mechanism 42. In some embodiments, the rotation of the paper feed mechanism 42 may be activated automatically. In this case, “automatically” activating rotation refers turning or rotating the shafts 44 of the feed mechanism 42 at the time or detection of a predetermined event or occurrence. For example, the rotation may be associated with the activation of the shredder mechanism 20. The paper feed mechanism 42 may also be activated to rotate concurrently with the cutter elements 21 (e.g., such as when the motor is used or activated to rotate the shredder mechanism 20). In some embodiments, the rotation of the feed mechanism 42 is associated with a power switch for turning on the shredder 10.
In some embodiments, the rotation of the helical mechanism 34 and/or feed mechanism 42 may be associated with one or more sensing devices of the shredder 10, such as sensors within the tray 14 used to determine if the tray is full. The sensor(s) may be provided on the bottom portion or side of the tray 14 or in the bed 15.
The at least one coil 52 includes two or more loops in series having spaces 36 therebetween that are configured for receipt of at least one separated paper sheet from the stack 22. As defined by this disclosure, the at least one coil 52 includes a continuous series of loops or turns (e.g., two or more) with alternate spaces therebetween that are positioned and wound concentrically with respect to a central axis. The loops of each coil 52 act in a similar manner to the previously described radially extending structure(s) in that they are configured to assist in separating and advancing paper from the tray 14 and towards cutter elements 21. The separated paper can be moved from a back end of the tray to the front end of the tray (adjacent the throat 24), for example. A front end 54 of the at least one coil 52 is configured to release separated paper approximately every 360 degrees as the coil 52 is rotated about its axis. The spaces 36 (shown in detail in
The loops and spaces of the coil aid in separating and fanning out the separated sheet(s) 30 from the stack 22 in the tray 14. The size of the loops and/or spacing therebetween enables a systematic and/or timed release of the separated sheet(s) 30 into the cutter elements 21.
Although not shown, the coil(s) may be connected to a shaft configured for rotation about the rotational axis D-D and driven by a motor (e.g., a motor rotating the cutter elements 21 of the cutting assembly).
In operation, the paper stack separation and advancement mechanism 32 shown in
To assist in the advancement of the separated sheet(s), as shown in
A paper feed mechanism 42, such as described above, can but need not be provided with the shredder configured to use the paper stack separation and advancement mechanism 32 of
The materials used to form helical mechanism 34 are not limited and any number or combination of materials may be used. The rate at which the at least one coil 52 is rotated should not be limiting. The rate may be set, predetermined, or variable. It is envisioned that, in an embodiment, the rate at which the coil is rotating may be adjusted during shredding. For example, it is envisioned that the rate of rotation may be based on the articles or materials being shredded, such as paper versus discs. In another embodiment, the rate which the coil(s) of helical mechanism 34 is rotated may be adjusted based on a detected thickness of article(s).
The rotation of helical mechanism 34 about axis D-D may be activated in any number of ways. In some embodiments, the rotation may be activated manually. In some embodiments, the rotation of the helical mechanism 34 may be activated automatically. In this case, “automatically” activating rotation refers turning or rotating the coil(s) of the helical mechanism 34 at the time or detection of a predetermined event or occurrence. For example, the rotation may be associated with the activation of the shredder mechanism 20. The helical mechanism 34 may also be activated to rotate concurrently with the cutter elements 21 (e.g., such as when the motor is used or activated to rotate the shredder mechanism 20). In some embodiments, the rotation of the helical mechanism 34 is associated with a power switch for turning on the shredder 10.
In some embodiments, the rotation of the helical mechanism 34 may be associated with one or more sensing devices of the shredder 10. The sensor(s) may be provided on the bottom portion or side of the tray 14.
As shown in
As shown in Figures, the paper stack separation and advancement mechanism 32 (see
As shown in
In the illustrated embodiment, as viewed in
As shown in
For example,
As previously described, the inclined edge 48 of tray 14 may be a singular structure that extends the width of the tray 14, or multiple structures spaced relative to the body 58 of helical mechanism 56 adjacent a front end of the tray 14.
In one embodiment, a space can also be provided between the top portion of the helical structure 62 and the guide edge 70 on lower portion 68, as shown in greater detail in
Also, as previously noted, it should be noted that the tray 14 can be provided at an angle, as shown in
The rotation of helical mechanism 56 about axis E-E may be activated in any number of ways. In some embodiments, the rotation may be activated manually. In some embodiments, the rotation of the helical mechanism 56 may be activated automatically. In this case, “automatically” activating rotation refers turning or rotating body 58 of the helical mechanism 56 at the time or detection of a predetermined event or occurrence. For example, the rotation may be associated with the activation of the shredder mechanism 20. The helical mechanism 56 may also be activated to rotate concurrently with the cutter elements 21 (e.g., such as when the motor is used or activated to rotate the shredder mechanism 20). In some embodiments, the rotation of the helical mechanism 56 is associated with a power switch for turning on the shredder 10. In some embodiments, the body 58 is driven by the motor rotating the cutter elements 21 of the cutting assembly, i.e., by rotating shaft 64. In some embodiments, the body 58 and its shaft 64 are rotated by a separate motor (not shown). Generally, known links, gears, drive axles, and other devices may be used to connect the shaft 64 to the motor. For example, referring to
In some embodiments, the rotation of the helical mechanism 56 is associated with a power switch for turning on the shredder 10. In some embodiments, the rotation of the helical mechanism 56 may be associated with one or more sensing devices of the shredder 10, such as sensors within the tray 14 used to determine if the tray is full. The sensor(s) may be provided on the bottom portion or side of the tray 14 or in the bed 15.
The materials used to form helical mechanism 56 including body 58, structure 62, and blade 66 are not limited and any number or combination of materials may be used. In an embodiment, the blade is formed from a spring steel material. In another embodiment, the blade is formed from a substantially rigid material. The thickness of the blade can vary, e.g., the edge configured to pick the paper can be thinner or sharper as compared to the end connected to the body. The body and structure can be formed from a molded plastic material, for example.
The rate at which the body 58 is rotated should not be limiting. The rate may be set, predetermined, or variable. It is envisioned that, in an embodiment, the rate at which the helical mechanism 56 is rotating may be adjusted during shredding. For example, it is envisioned that the rate of rotation may be based on the articles or materials being shredded, such as paper versus discs. In another embodiment, the rate which the body 58 of helical mechanism 56 is rotated may be adjusted based on a detected thickness of article(s).
As noted., the shredder 10 may also comprise one or more staple picking support mechanisms for stripping paper sheets from staples. Some examples are shown in
Each stripper device 72 is used to strip paper sheets that are stapled together in the stack 22 from a staple (e.g., in a back left corner or a back right corner) as the paper sheets are fed to the cutter elements 21 of the shredder mechanism 20. The teeth extend into the path of which stapled sheets or documents are drawn, and apply pressure to a stapled area so that the separated sheet(s) from the stapled set can be ripped from the staple.
Papers in the paper stack 22 can be stapled together by a staple at one or two corners of the paper sheets. The stapled stack 22 can be inserted into the housing such that the staple is in the rear end of the tray 14, near or adjacent the strippers 72 in the corners. Once the shredder is activated, the helical mechanism 56 is rotated (e.g., in the view of
Each stripper device 72 can be used (along with helical mechanism 56) to separate any number of sheets. In one embodiment, each stripper device 72 is configured to separate five (5) or more sheets.
The orientation of the sheets when using stripper devices 72 may be such that stapled documents/sheets are placed in the tray 14 with the direction of the staples being adjacent either or both of the back corners of the tray 14 (i.e., at an opposite end of the tray 14 as compared to the throat 24). Despite the orientation of the staples, the devices 72 described can provide resistance to at least the staples in the back corners as sheet(s) are fed into the cutter elements 21.
c describe another embodiment of a staple picking support mechanism having stripper devices 74 provided adjacent to a front end of the tray 14. Each stripper device 74 is provided in the form of a hook that is configured to rotate and extend into (e.g., see
As shown in
The drive system 13 of the cutter elements 21 can also be constructed to move each hook 74 in an alternating manner between its retracted and extended positions as the helical mechanism 56 of the paper stack separation mechanism rotates to penetrate the stack to pick or separate paper for feeding to the cutter elements. In one embodiment, as the body 58 is driven by the motor, e.g., by rotating shaft 64, the hooks 74 are moved between their retracted and extended positions.
As shown in detail in
Rotation of the shaft 64 can drive a cam 86, shown in detail in
The motion of one of the hooks 74 can be individually adjusted to have a mechanical delay based on the position of the blade 66 on the helical mechanism 56. That is, the position of the blade 66 as shown in the drawings, e.g., such that its pointed separation edge is facing the right as shown in
At an initial start of the shredding cycle, the hooks 74 of the stripper device are in a retracted position away from the throat 24, as shown in
As the separated sheet(s) is guided into the cutter elements 21 of the shredder mechanism 20 by the rotation of the helical mechanism 56, the hooks 74 are rotated and moved into their fully extended position via movement of the arms 78 around the cam 86, as shown in
Then, the hooks 74 prepare to rotate backward in an opposite direction about axis F-F towards their retracted position. As the helical mechanism 56 of the paper stack separation and advancement mechanism 32 is being fully rotated (e.g. 360 degrees), and the blade 66 is moved around via the shaft 64, the hooks 74 are pivoted in an opposite direction about axis F-F back to their retraced positions, as the arms 78 continue moving about cam 86. For example, as shown in
In accordance with an embodiment, the lid 18 used with shredder 10 has a pressure plate 28 attached thereto.
Referring back to
The separation and advancement mechanisms for “automatically” feeding one or more sheets as described in the herein disclosed embodiments for use in a shredder 10 ideally allow a user to drop off a stack of paper sheets or documents without having the need to manually feed individual or a present quantity of sheets into the shredder 10. For example, a user would add a stack of documents to the tray 14 and be able to walk away. The shredder 10 may then either automatically engage in shredding the documents in the tray 14 (e.g., upon closure of the lid 18, activation of a switch, or via sensors), or set a preset timer so as to delay the time the shredder 10 is activated for the shredding process to begin. A user may also activate the shredding process by pushing a button.
One advantage of the described separation and advancement mechanisms in shredder 10 is the decreased amount of time a user must spend shredding documents, thus efficiency of operations can be improved. For example, the productivity of a user would be improved since the user is able to perform other tasks while the shredder 10 is activated. Another advantage is that the shredder 10 is designed to handle paper or documents of different sizes, textures, shapes, and thicknesses, including letter, legal, and A4 size paper, as well as envelopes and stapled sheets, for example. The documents may also be in any order.
Uncertainty with regard to other feed systems is also reduced and/or eliminated. For example, in known systems, an amount of paper sheets being fed is uncertain, so it is easier to overload the cutter elements and cause problems such as paper jams. With the herein disclosed devices, such problems are reduced; before the paper is fed, the paper stack separation and advancement mechanism rotationally inserts itself into the stack so that a smaller part of paper is separated from the other part of the stack. This separated part of paper is fed into the shredding mechanism. It also lets paper advance freely into the cutter elements. Any overload problem with regards to an amount of fed paper sheets is reduced and/or resolved.
Optionally, the shredder 10 may be utilized in a system having a centrally located shredder unit for a multitude of users. For example, the shredder 10 allows for each individual to save what they need to shred at a later time in their own individual tray. An individual can fill his or her own tray until shredding is needed. Each individual may then insert the tray into the shredder 1. In an embodiment, each individual tray may comprise a locking mechanism, such that documents may be secured within the tray, as well as to the work area of the individual, for additional security of the documents to be shredded.
The shredder 10 may also be utilized in a system wherein users use a mobile cart device to pick up items to be shred, for example. The cart device may be used to pick up individual trays or allow users to securely add documents that need to be shredded to a locked tray. Thus, other users or services may be used to shred documents without having access to such documents.
While the principles of the disclosure have been made clear in the illustrative embodiments set forth above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made to the structure, arrangement, proportion, elements, materials, and components used in the practice of the disclosure. For example, it should be understood that, although not shown, it is within the scope of this disclosure to combine parts of the embodiments shown in
It will thus be seen that the objects of this disclosure have been fully and effectively accomplished. It will be realized, however, that the foregoing preferred specific embodiments have been shown and described for the purpose of illustrating the functional and structural principles of this disclosure and are subject to change without departure from such principles. Therefore, this disclosure includes all modifications encompassed within the spirit and scope of the following claims.
This non-provisional application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/265,078 filed Sep. 14, 2016, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/227,555 filed Aug. 3, 2016, which is a divisional of U.S. Pat. No. 9,409,182, issued Aug. 9, 2016, the contents of which are incorporated herein in their entireties.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 13842917 | Mar 2013 | US |
Child | 15227555 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 15265078 | Sep 2016 | US |
Child | 16533867 | US | |
Parent | 15227555 | Aug 2016 | US |
Child | 15265078 | US |