Simplified bookbinding device for twin-ring

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a simplified bookbinding device for binding a plurality of sheets using a twin-ring.

2. Description of the Related Art

Various bookbinding techniques are used for binding a plurality of sheets to one book. Among the bookbinding techniques which are well known are thread binding using a machine, threadless binding by gumming the back with an adhesive, wire-stitch binding with staples of a stapler, spiral binding with a spiral coil, and twin-ring binding (double-ring binding) with a wire called a twin-ring, a double-ring, or a double-loop ring.

There are various types of bookbinding techniques, as described above. However, when the bound book is opened at 360 degrees, the thread binding, the threadless binding, and the wire-stitch binding are not employed, but the spiral binding or the twin-ring binding are mainly adopted. However, the spiral binding has such a drawback that the left and right pages have slight vertical displacement when opened at 360 degrees as well as advantages that it is cheap and superior in durability because a metallic wire is used. When such vertical displacement is not desired, the twin-ring binding is employed. Although the twin-ring used as a binding device for the twin-ring binding is in general more delicate and expensive than the spiral ring, it has also an advantage of being suitable for storing long-term-use documents because of its unique configuration in which two wires are inserted through one hole. Therefore, the demand for the twin-ring binding is greatly improved.

Typically, the twin-ring is formed in such a way that an iron wire coated with nylon is formed in a unique C-shape in section with a twin-ring forming machine and is wound around a bobbin. At the time of bookbinding, the bobbin, around which the twin-ring is wound, is attached to a twin-ring binding device, and a twin-ring of necessary length is pulled out for use.

Referring now to

FIGS. 13A

to

13

C and

14

, a conventional twin-ring binding will be specifically described.

FIGS. 13A

is a perspective view of a twin-ring

1

before binding operation;

FIG. 13B

is a sectional view of the twin-ring

1

, taken on line b—b; and

FIG. 13C

is a sectional view of the twin-ring

1

after the section has been pressurized into a substantial O shape.

FIG. 14

is a perspective view of the twin-ring

1

after the binding operation.

As shown in

FIG. 13A

, the twin-ring

1

is formed by alternately connecting a large number of U-shaped or V-shaped binding pieces

2

and connecting pieces

3

, which are made of one wire. As shown in

FIG. 14

, the binding pieces

2

are each inserted through holes

8

punched in the side of sheets

9

and the connecting pieces

3

connect between the holes

8

in the sheets

9

. Before binding, the twin-ring

1

has a substantially C shape in section in which two semicircular-arch-shaped parts are connected at a bend portion

5

, as shown in FIG.

13

B. At that time, the binding pieces

2

are opened (gap) with respect to ends

4

, thus allowing the insertion of the sheets

9

. At the time of binding, the twin-ring

1

is pressurized by a predetermined force F to bring the end of each binding piece

2

and the end

4

into close to each other into a ring shape at the bend portion

5

(refer to FIG.

14

). The twin-ring

1

, at this time, is deformed (bent) such that the two semicircular-arch-shaped parts form one circle in section, as shown in FIG.

13

C.

The wire for the twin-ring

1

is selected depending on the thickness of the sheets

9

to be bound (refer to FIG.

14

). Although the wire is as small as about 1 mm in diameter, it requires a substantial pressure to deform, in section, the two wires inserted through the holes

8

in the sheets

9

from the shape shown in

FIG. 13B

to the shape shown in FIG.

13

C. Therefore, conventionally, for twin-ring binding, relatively large exclusive-use twin-ring binding devices are used which incorporate a punching operation for punching a plurality of holes in the side of the sheets. However, since such binding devices occupy too much space for installation, it is difficult for individuals to perform bookbinding with ease, thus growing a demand for a simplified binding device for easily performing twin-ring binding.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the state of the art set forth above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a simplified bookbinding device for a twin-ring, which provides a binding mechanism separate from a punching operation, downsizes the device for decreasing the space for installation, and simplifies the operation, thereby allowing individuals to easily perform bookbinding using the twin-ring.

In order to achieve the above object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a bookbinding device used when stacking a plurality of sheets each having a plurality of holes punched in advance, and binding the plurality of sheets together by inserting a twin-ring through each of the holes and deforming the twin-ring by pressure, comprising an anvil; a press section for pressurizing the twin-ring between it and the anvil; a power transmission section for sliding the press section; and an operating section for sliding the power transmission section, wherein the power transmission section is moved along the length of the twin-ring; and the press section is moved in a direction perpendicular to the length of the twin-ring.

With such a configuration, the bookbinding device can be formed small in its entirety, which is long in length along the length of the twin-ring and is short in length perpendicular to the length of the twin-ring, thus saving space for installation.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the bookbinding device further comprises an adjusting section for determining in steps the sliding start position of the power transmission section.

With such a configuration, when twin-rings of various diameters are deformed by pressure, a suitable compression amount can be determined in steps so as to prevent excess compression in each case.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the bookbinding device further comprises a retaining section for retaining the twin-ring to the substantially full length of the side of the main body.

With such a configuration, the twin-ring can quickly be inserted through the holes in the sheets by retaining the twin-ring over the substantially full length.

While the simplified bookbinding device according to the present invention is principally configured as described above, when the motion of the operating section is converted to a sliding motion of the power transmission section, the power transmission mechanism is not limited to a rack and pinion, but a link mechanism, a cam mechanism, or other gear mechanisms may be used for transmitting power to the operating section. Also, the rotating direction of the operating section is not limited to the direction along the length of the twin-ring, but may operate the binding mechanism by a small force from another direction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1

is a plan view of a bookbinding device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2

is a side view of the bookbinding device shown in

FIG. 1

;

FIG. 3

is a sectional view of the bookbinding device in

FIG. 1

, taken on line III—III;

FIG. 4

is a sectional view of the bookbinding device in

FIG. 1

, taken on line IV—IV;

FIGS. 5A and 5B

are diagrams showing a state immediately before a twin-ring is hooked in a retaining section on the side of the bookbinding device and a state immediately thereafter, respectively;

FIG. 6

is an a state before bookbinding operation in which the twin-ring inserted through each hole of sheets is inserted into an opening of a bookbinding section;

FIG. 7

is a diagram showing a state after bookbinding operation in which the twin-ring is pressure-deformed from the state shown in

FIG. 6

;

FIG. 8

is an exploded perspective view showing a state before bookbinding operation of a bookbinding mechanism in the bookbinding device shown in

FIG. 1

;

FIG. 9

is a perspective view showing a state after the bookbinding operation of the bookbinding mechanism shown in

FIG. 8

;

FIGS. 10A

to

10

C are diagrams showing the correlation between a power transmission section and a press section;

FIG. 11

is an enlarged view of essential parts of an adjusting section under the power transmission section shown in

FIG. 3

;

FIG. 12

is an enlarged perspective view of a leaf spring shown in

FIG. 11

;

FIGS. 13A

to

13

C are a diagram of a twin-ring before bookbinding operation, a sectional view of the twin-ring, taken on line b—b, and a sectional view of the twin-ring after pressurization, respectively; and

FIG. 14

is a perspective view of a twin-ring binding a plurality of sheets.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described hereinbelow with reference to the attached drawings.

Referring initially to

FIGS. 1

to

7

, a simplified bookbinding device

100

for a twin-ring according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 1

is a plan view of the bookbinding device

100

according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2

is a side view of the bookbinding device shown in

FIG. 1

;

FIG. 3

is a sectional view of the bookbinding device in

FIG. 1

, taken on line III—III; and

FIG. 4

is a sectional view of the bookbinding device in

FIG. 1

, taken on line IV—IV.

As shown in the drawings, the bookbinding device

100

includes a substantially rectangular main body, which is configured to fit a lid

10

(refer to

FIGS. 2 and 3

) on a base

20

(refer to FIG.

3

). Preferably, the bookbinding device

100

is used to bind A4-size sheets, and accordingly, the length thereof is extended longitudinally over the full length of a twin-ring suitable for binding the A4-size sheets. The longitudinal length of the bookbinding device

100

may arbitrarily be modified as appropriate to bind sheets other than the A4-size sheets.

In the case of twin-ring binding, while a twin-ring

1

used as a binding device is, in general, more precise and expensive than a spiral ring, it has a drawback that the twin-ring

1

that failed binding operation cannot normally be reused. This is because the failed twin-ring

1

is plastically deformed into an undesirable shape and it is not always economical to restore to the initial shape and perform binding operation again. Therefore, it is preferable that the twin-ring bookbinding be performed through appropriate preparatory steps so that no erroneous bookbinding operation is performed. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the lid

10

of the bookbinding device

100

includes a means for selecting a most suitable twin-ring

1

for sheets to be bound, a means for inserting the selected twin-ring

1

through sheets

9

, a means for determining a suitable compression amount for various types of twin-rings

1

, and a means for arranging the twin-ring

1

inserted through the sheets

9

to be pressurized in a proper direction. Therefore, paging disorder and so on may not occur during bookbinding operation, thus decreasing wasteful use of the twin-ring

1

.

More specifically, the lid

10

of the bookbinding device

100

includes grooves (measuring sections)

14

a

to

14

d

(refer to

FIG. 1

) for quickly measuring the number of sheets to determine the thickness of the plurality of sheets

9

for every grooves

14

a

to

14

d

and to select the twin-ring

1

suitable for bookbinding operation. This is because it is preferable to vary the diameter of the twin-ring

1

to be used in such a manner that a small twin-ring

1

is selected for a small thickness and a large twin-ring

1

is selected for a large thickness depending on the number (thickness) of the sheets to be bound. The embodiment of the present invention includes a raised portion

12

on the main body

10

, in which the plurality of grooves

14

a

to

14

d

increasing in spacing therebetween step by step is formed, as shown in FIG.

2

. By inserting the plurality of sheets

9

in piles into the grooves

14

a

to

14

d

, the thickness of the sheets

9

to be bound is classified to the most suitable groove among the grooves

14

a

to

14

d

prepared in advance. According to the classification result, a suitable twin-ring

1

for bookbinding operation can be determined.

As shown in

FIG. 1

, retaining sections (ring grips)

15

and

16

are provided on the side of the bookbinding device

100

for retaining (hooking) the twin-ring

1

to the side of the lid

10

. Preferably, the retaining sections are configured of the first retaining section

15

and the second retaining section

16

. The first retaining section

15

has a comb-like section

15

a

(refer to

FIG. 1

) corresponding to the shape of the twin-ring

1

which alternately connecting a large number of binding pieces

2

and connecting pieces

3

(refer to

FIG. 13A

to

13

C), on which the twin-ring

1

is positioned. The second retaining section

16

hooks the twin-ring

1

inserted onto the first retaining section

15

from above and retains it on the side of the lid

10

(refer to FIG.

5

B). Preferably, the twin-ring

1

is retained over the full longitudinal length.

Referring now to

FIGS. 5A and 5B

, a means for retaining the twin-ring

1

to the first and second retaining sections

15

and

16

will be specifically described.

FIGS. 5A and 5B

are partially enlarged views of the bookbinding device

100

shown in FIG.

4

.

FIG. 5A

shows a state immediately before the twin-ring

1

is retained to the retaining sections

15

and

16

, wherein the second retaining section

16

is inclined with respect to the first retaining section

15

. Therefore, in order to insert the twin-ring

1

between the first and second retaining sections

15

and

16

, the binding pieces

2

are tilted toward the second retaining section

16

(refer to reference symbol y) while the connecting pieces

3

of the twin-ring

1

are positioned to the comb-like section

15

a

(refer to

FIG. 1

) of the first retaining section

15

and the connecting pieces

3

are then pushed between the first retaining section

15

and the second retaining section

16

for insertion (refer to reference symbol x

1

).

FIG. 5B

shows a state in which the twin-ring

1

inserted between the first retaining section

15

and second retaining section

16

is brought in an upright position to form a gap between the binding piece

2

and the second retaining section

16

, between which the sheets

9

are inserted. When the twin-ring

1

is brought in the upright position, the curved connecting piece

3

(refer to

FIG. 13A

) and the end of the second retaining section

16

are engaged with each other, thereby preventing the twin-ring

1

from being further tilted frontward (in the opposite direction of the reference symbol y). Therefore, the twin-ring

1

does not come off in an upright position and the binding pieces

2

of the twin-ring

1

can quickly be inserted through holes

8

of the sheets

9

. In order to disengage the twin-ring

1

again from the lid

10

of the bookbinding device

100

, the twin-ring

1

is tilted in the direction shown by the reference symbol y in FIG.

5

A and is slid in the direction shown by the reference symbol x

2

in FIG.

5

A.

Furthermore, the lid

10

is provided with a tab (sliding section)

17

(refer to

FIG. 3

) for pressurizing the twin-ring

1

of selected type by a suitable force. Since the twin-ring

1

varies in size in correspondence with the thickness of the sheets

9

to be bound, as described above, the above pressuring means is provided to determine a suitable compression amount so as to prevent excess compression for each twin-ring

1

of various sizes. Such operation can easily be performed by sliding the tab

17

provided on the main body

10

, which will be specifically described later.

In order to pressure-deform the twin-ring

1

, as shown in

FIG. 6

, it is necessary to arrange the binding pieces

2

and the connecting pieces

3

to face an anvil

21

, to bring the connecting pieces

3

of the twin-ring

1

into contact with the side of the anvil

21

, and to pressurize the binding pieces

2

side. Accordingly, in the embodiment of the present invention, the lid

10

is provided with a portion (not shown) for calling attention so that the twin-ring

1

is pressurized in a proper direction. For example, an instruction indicating a proper direction is provided at an easy-to-view position near an opening

11

at the upper part of the main body along with the drawing of the twin-ring

1

.

Through the above steps, the preliminary steps of twin-ring bookbinding are completed using the bookbinding device

100

according to the embodiment of the invention. As shown in

FIG. 6

, the twin-ring

1

inserted through the sheets

9

is inserted through the opening

11

provided in the main body of the bookbinding device

100

and is positioned in a groove

29

. The binding pieces

2

and the connecting pieces

3

of the twin-ring

1

are brought into contact with the unmoving anvil (contact portion)

21

provided in the groove

29

and the binding pieces

2

is arranged on a press section

50

side for pressure contact. As shown in

FIG. 7

, the press section

50

is slid using a bookbinding mechanism

90

(refer to

FIGS. 8 and 9

) to pressurize the twin-ring

1

with a press face

51

provided on the side of the press section

50

, thereby deforming the section of the twin-ring

1

from a shape shown in

FIG. 6

or

FIG. 13B

to a shape shown in

FIG. 7

or FIG.

13

C.

Referring now to

FIGS. 8

to

11

, the bookbinding mechanism

90

provided in the bookbinding device

100

for sliding the press section

50

will be described with reference to

FIGS. 1

to

7

.

FIG. 8

is an exploded perspective view of the bookbinding mechanism

90

in the bookbinding device

100

with the lid

10

-moved upward from the bookbinding device

100

.

FIG. 9

is a perspective view showing a state after the bookbinding operation, of the bookbinding mechanism

90

shown in FIG.

8

.

FIGS. 10A

to

10

C are diagrams showing the correlation between a power transmission section

40

and the press section (pressure contact section)

50

(refer to FIG.

4

), which will be specifically discussed later.

As shown in

FIG. 8

, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the bookbinding mechanism

90

is composed of at least an operating section

30

(refer to FIGS.

1

and

2

), the power transmission section (first slide section)

40

, and the press section (second slide section)

50

. The operating section

30

is manually rotated in a predetermined direction to simultaneously convert the rotational motion to sliding motions of the two slide sections

40

and

50

in the main body. The press section (second slide section)

50

is slid in a substantially vertical direction relative to the length of the twin-ring

1

to perform the bookbinding operation (refer to FIGS.

6

and

7

). The power transmission section (first slide section)

40

transmits power between the operating section

30

and the press section (second slide section)

50

so as to slide the press section (second slide section)

50

in a suitable direction. Preferably, the power transmission section (first slide section)

40

is configured to slide along the length of the twin-ring

1

of the bookbinding device

100

, wherein the bookbinding device

100

is formed compact such that it is long along the length of the twin-ring

1

and is short in length perpendicular to the length of the twin-ring

1

.

The operating section

30

, the power transmission section

40

, and the press section

50

will be described in sequence.

As shown in

FIG. 2

, the operating section

30

includes an arm

38

extending along the length thereof, a handle

35

provided at one end of the arm

38

, and a pedestal (support base)

32

(refer to

FIG. 3

) journaling the other end of the arm

38

. Although the handle

35

may be formed in any shape, it is preferable to have a suitable shape to be handled by hand. In order to facilitate the grip operation for the handle

35

, the handle

35

is arranged slightly above the arm

38

, as shown by reference numeral

39

in

FIG. 3

, and a recess

19

(refer to

FIG. 8

) is formed in the upper part of the lid

10

to provide a spacing S (refer to

FIG. 3

) for grip operation between the handle

35

and the recess

19

.

In the illustrated embodiment, the pedestal

32

is secured to the base

20

for journaling a rotating shaft O shown in FIG.

3

. The arm

38

has a hole at the base, through which the rotating shaft O is inserted, and has a spacer

33

, shown in

FIG. 8

, and an elastic member (spring)

34

, shown in

FIG. 4

, interposed between it and the side of the pedestal

32

, and is thus configured rotatable around the rotating shaft O. Furthermore, the embodiment of the present invention has a first power-transmission section

31

, which is preferably a gear wheel (pinion), at the base of the arm

38

(refer to FIG.

3

). The teeth of the gear wheel

31

, however, are not necessarily formed over the full length but are sufficient to be formed only in an area necessary for operation, as shown in FIG.

3

. The teeth of the gear wheel

31

are used not only for power transmission but also for determining the compression amount of the twin-ring

1

.

The arm

38

is extended longitudinally to apply leverage between the handle

35

and the rotating shaft O provided at the pedestal

32

, thereby rotating the gear wheel

31

at the base of the arm

38

by a lower force. However, it is preferable to form the arm

38

not exceeding the length of the bookbinding device

100

for making the bookbinding device

100

more compact.

As shown in

FIGS. 3 and 8

, the power transmission section

40

provided in the main body of the bookbinding device

100

includes a second power-transmission section

41

at the upper part thereof for transmitting power acing in a pair with the first power-transmission section

31

. The first power-transmission section

31

and the second power-transmission section

41

transmit power therebetween to convert the motion of the operating section

30

to a sliding motion of the power transmission section (first slide section)

40

. Preferably, the second power-transmission section

41

is a rack

41

coming into engagement with the gear wheel

31

at the base of the arm

38

. However, in the embodiment shown in

FIG. 3

, the power transmission section

40

is in a backward position, so that the rack

41

does not come in engagement with the gear wheel

31

. Also, in the illustrated embodiment, the power transmission section

40

has the separate rack

41

attached thereon using screws

49

and washers. Preferably, the gear wheel

31

provided at the base of the arm

38

and the rack

41

provided at the power transmission section

40

are configured to be brought into engagement with each other using spur gears having the same module, the same pressure angle, and the same torsion angle. Therefore, the power transmission section

40

integrated with the rack

41

is slid in such a way that the operating section

30

is rotated around the rotating shaft O to rotate the gear wheel

31

at the base of the arm

38

, thereby starting the sliding motion of the rack

41

in engagement with the gear wheel

31

.

The assembly of the first power-transmission section

31

and the second power-transmission section

41

, however, is not limited to the aforesaid rack and pinion, but may be configured using a link mechanism including a slider, a cam mechanism, or another gear mechanism.

As stated above, in the twin-ring bookbinding, it is preferable to vary the pressure required for the pressure deformation for every twin-rings

1

of different diameters. More specifically, while, when thin sheets are bound, a small twin-ring

1

is used, it is preferable to increase the sliding distance of the power transmission section

40

for determining the moving distance of the press section

50

. On the other hand, while, when thick sheets are bound, larger twin-ring

1

is used, it is preferable to decrease the sliding distance of the power transmission section

40

.

Accordingly, the embodiment of the present invention includes an adjusting section

60

, as shown in

FIG. 11

, to engage a protrusion (convex portion)

62

with either of a plurality of grooves (concave portions)

63

, thereby determining a sliding start position (or a sliding distance) of the power transmission section

40

in steps to determine an engaging position (engaging amount) between the aforesaid gear wheel

31

and the rack

41

in steps.

FIG. 11

is an enlarged view of essential parts of the adjusting section shown in FIG.

3

.

More specifically, the adjusting section (positioning section)

60

is configured such that the bookbinding device

100

includes a leaf spring

61

(refer to

FIG. 12

) at the bottom thereof, on which the protrusion (convex portion)

62

is formed (bent), and the protrusion

62

is fitted into either of the plurality of grooves (concave portions)

63

under the power transmission section

40

. Also, a groove (slot)

18

(refer to

FIG. 8

) is provided in the lid

10

to determine the position of the adjusting section

60

in steps. Furthermore, a tab (sliding section)

17

is slidably provided along the groove

18

and an end

17

a

of the tab

17

is brought into engagement with the inner face

47

(not shown) of an engaging section

46

integrated with the power transmission section

40

. Also, a gauge (not shown) is provided adjacent to the groove

18

for positioning the tab

17

in steps so as to correspond to at least the number of the types of the twin-ring

1

distinguished by the grooves

14

a

to

14

d.

Accordingly, by operating the tab

17

in steps, the power transmission section

40

moved along with the tab

17

brings, at the bottom, any one of the plurality of grooves

63

into engagement with the protrusion

62

of the leaf spring

61

, thus determining the sliding start position of the power transmission section

40

so as not to be disengaged easily. However, the leaf spring

61

has flexibility, is attached to the base

20

at both ends

64

, shown in

FIG. 12

(refer to FIG.

11

), and has the protrusion

62

at the center of the main body. The leaf spring

61

is configured, when a force stronger than a predetermined force is applied to the protrusion

62

, to disengage the protrusion

62

from the groove

63

. Thus, when the sliding start position of the power transmission section

40

is determined in steps by operating the tab

17

, as described above, the engaging distance of the gear wheel

31

to be engaged with the rack

41

is determined in conjunction therewith, thereby determining the compression amount of the twin-ring

1

.

The power transmission section

40

is slid from a predetermined sliding position using the adjusting section

60

, as described above. According to the embodiment of the present invention, as stated above, the sliding direction of the power transmission section

40

is changed once to pressure-deform the twin-ring

1

accommodated in the groove

29

with the separate press section

50

.

In other words, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the entire bookbinding device

100

is configured more compact and the arm

38

is extended along the length of the bookbinding device

100

to slide the power transmission section

40

by a lower force using the principal of leverage. In this case, since the pitch surface of the rack

41

is extended along the length of the bookbinding device

100

, the power transmission section

40

integrated with the rack

41

is moved along the length of the bookbinding device

100

. However, for the twin-ring bookbinding, it is necessary to pressurize the twin-ring

1

extending along the length of the bookbinding device

100

in a perpendicular direction thereto. The embodiment of the present invention includes inclined planes (flat cams)

42

a

,

42

b

, and

42

c

(refer to

FIGS. 8

,

9

, and

10

A to

10

B) on the side of the power transmission section

40

moving along with the rack

41

, and inclined planes (flat cams)

52

a

,

52

b

, and

52

c

(refer to

FIGS. 8

,

9

, and

10

A to

10

C) on the side of the press section

50

working in a pair with the power transmission section

40

, wherein the inclined planes

42

a

to

42

c

and

52

a

to

52

c

are brought into engagement with each other to move the press section

50

in a substantially perpendicular direction to the length of the twin-ring

1

.

In other words, as shown in

FIGS. 10A

to

10

C, the preferred embodiment of the present invention includes three combinations of the inclined planes

42

a

to

42

c

and

52

a

to

52

c

on the sides of the power transmission section

40

and the press section

50

, respectively, from which power is transmitted to change the sliding direction of the power transmission section

40

and the sliding direction of the press section

50

. Thus, the twin-ring

1

is pressurized substantially uniformly in full length between the anvil

21

and a press plane

51

at the rim of the press section

50

(refer to FIG.

7

). However, the combinations of the inclined planes

42

a

to

42

c

and

52

a

to

52

c

are not limited to the three combinations, but may be configured of other combinations. In addition, the rack

41

and the engaging section

46

are omitted in

FIGS. 10A

to

10

C.

In this case, preferably, as shown in

FIGS. 10A and 10B

, the power transmission section

40

slidable with respect to the base

20

of the bookbinding device

100

and the press section

50

are provided with slots (grooves)

44

a

and

44

b

, and

54

a

to

54

c

, respectively, in which rod members

43

a

and

43

b

, and

53

a

to

53

c

are secured to the base

20

of the bookbinding device

100

, respectively, thereby sliding the power transmission section

40

while not being disengaged from the base

20

, and the moving paths of the power transmission section

40

and the press section

50

are determined. Here, the lengths of the slots

44

a

and

44

b

and

54

a

to

54

c

correspond to the sliding directions of the power transmission section

40

and the press section

50

, respectively.

Also, as shown in

FIGS. 10A

to

10

C and

FIG. 4

, any one of the pair of inclined planes

42

a

to

42

c

and

52

a

to

52

c

is provided with a slot (groove)

58

and the other is provided with an interlocking section

48

having a claw (retaining section)

48

a

fitted into the slot

58

to thereby move the press section

50

in conjunction with the power transmission section

40

when the press section

50

is returned to the initial position (in the opposite direction to the arrow C

1

) and to ensure the prevention of the deviation between the pair of sliding inclined planes

42

a

to

42

c

and

52

a

to

52

c

. Here,

FIG. 10C

is a sectional view of the part, taken along the line c—c in

FIG. 10A

, and the slot

58

is formed along the inclination of the inclined plane

52

b

corresponding thereto. Also the combination of the interlocking section

48

and the groove

58

, shown in

FIG. 10C

, is not necessarily limited to one set. The groove

58

and the corresponding claw

48

a

are not always formed at the upper parts of the power transmission section

40

and the press section

50

, respectively, but may be formed on the sides or on the bottom (not shown) of the power transmission section

40

and the press section

50

. Furthermore, the interlocking section

48

for connecting the power transmission section

40

and the press section

50

together may be configured using a link mechanism or the like (not shown).

As shown in

FIGS. 10A and 10B

, guides

59

extending in the same direction as the sliding direction of the press section

50

may be formed on both sides of the press section

50

sliding in a direction perpendicular to the length of the twin-ring

1

for determining the sliding direction of the press section

50

from both sides. However, when the press section

50

and the guides

59

are in contact with each other, it is preferable to make the friction at each contact surface minimum.

The bookbinding mechanism

90

according to the embodiment of the present invention is configured as described above, wherein when the operating section

30

is rotated clockwise (A

1

), as shown in

FIG. 9

, the power transmission section

40

integrated with the rack

41

is slid longitudinally (B

1

) along the length of the bookbinding device

100

. At the same time, the press section

50

is slid in a direction (C

1

) substantially perpendicular to the length of the twin-ring

1

so as to be pushed out of the inclined planes

52

a

to

52

c

fitted to the inclined planes

42

a

to

42

c

by the inclined planes

42

a

to

42

c

of the power transmission section

40

. Therefore, the press section

50

is slid to narrow the width of the groove

29

, as shown by reference symbol d

1

in

FIG. 6

or

8

and reference symbol d

2

in

FIG. 7

or

9

, to pressurize the twin-ring

1

between the press plane (iron plate)

51

at the rim of the press section

50

and the anvil

21

on the side of the groove

29

, thereby deforming the section of the twin-ring

1

from a substantial C shape (refer to

FIG. 6

or

13

B) to a substantial O shape (refer to

FIG. 7

or

13

C) and binding the sheets

9

together, as shown in FIG.

14

.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the side of the base

20

is made of a metal plate (iron plate) of about 2 mm in thickness and the side is used as an anvil

21

(refer to FIG.

4

). The reason why the base

20

is increased in thickness as described above is that when the twin-ring

1

is pressurized, a substantial force is applied to the anvil

21

backing the full length of the base

20

. The base

20

and the anvil

21

may be formed of different members. Also, while the main body of the press section

50

is preferably formed of a relatively lightweight member such as plastic, it is preferable that the press plane

51

for directly pressurizing the twin-ring

1

be formed of a separate metallic member (iron plate). Additionally, the base

20

may also have a bottom

70

(refer to

FIG. 4

) thereunder to ensure the mounting of the lid

10

to the base

20

.

The bookbinding device

100

according to the present invention is configured as describe above for twin-ring bookbinding. When the bookbinding operation is repeated after the completion of the bookbinding operation, the operating section

30

is rotated in the opposite direction from A

1

, thereby sliding the power transmission section

40

and the press section

50

in the opposite directions from B

1

and C

1

, respectively, to move the bookbinding mechanism

90

to the start position again. Accordingly, the bookbinding operation of the bookbinding mechanism

90

can easily be performed continuously by the rotation of the operating section

30

.

As seen from the above description, the present invention has advantages as follows: According to the first aspect of the present invention, the bookbinding device can be formed compact in its entirety, which is long in length along the length of the twin-ring and is short in length perpendicular to the length of the twin-ring, thus saving space for installation.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when twin-rings of various diameters are pressure-deformed, a suitable compression amount can be determined in steps so as to prevent excess compression in each case.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the twin-ring can quickly be inserted through the holes in the sheets by retaining the twin-ring to the substantially full length.

Number	Name	Date	Kind
4874279	Pfaffle	Oct 1989	A
6059505	Wang	May 2000	A
6062792	Garrity	May 2000	A
6074151	Pas	Jun 2000	A

Simplified bookbinding device for twin-ring

Information

Patent Number

Date Filed

Date Issued

Inventors

Original Assignees

Examiners

Agents

CPC

US Classifications

Field of Search

US

International Classifications

Abstract

Description

Claims

Priority Claims (1)

US Referenced Citations (4)