Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6598776
-
Patent Number
6,598,776
-
Date Filed
Thursday, September 13, 200123 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, July 29, 200321 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
- Smith; Scott A.
- Chukwurah; Nathaniel
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 227 123
- 227 127
- 227 128
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A staple gun comprising a main body and a staple injection nozzle for injecting a staple into a target object, the staple injection nozzle including a nozzle body mounted on a staple striking body and a cover plate for removably closing an upper portion of a staple injection path of the nozzle body so as to guide the staple. The nozzle body has protrusions to receive an end portion of the cover plate and press this cover plate from upward, and an urging member is provided to urge the cover plate in a direction that the end portion of the cover plate intrudes into the protrusions.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a staple gun and in particular to a staple gun.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, there are known staple guns such as those using electric power or compressed air to inject a staple into a target object.
FIG. 8
shows a staple injection nozzle
1
for injecting a staple from a staple gun into a target object. This staple injection nozzle
1
has a nozzle body
2
protruding from the front portion of the staple gun. In this nozzle body
2
, a staple injection path
3
is formed through which the stable is injected. The staple (not depicted) has a pair of pins to be struck into a target object and a linking portion connecting these pins. The pins are set in the staple injection path
3
in such a manner that the pins are directed toward the target object. The staple set in the staple injection path
3
is pushed forward from the rear end thereof by a staple driver.
The staple injection path
3
has an upper portion closed by a cover plate
4
that can be opened, enabling to remove a staple which has been bent or a plurality of staples which are jammed.
In order to fix the cover plate
4
, protrusions
5
,
5
are provided at the top of two sides of the nozzle body
2
. Bearings
9
,
9
protrude from a rear portion of the surface of the cover plate
4
having a pin
8
for receiving a hinge portion
7
of a lock lever
6
, so that both ends of a band
10
are rotatably held at both ends of the lock lever
6
.
The cover plate
4
is supported on stepped portions
11
,
11
formed on the side walls of the staple injection path
3
. With the lock lever
6
rotated around the pin
8
to be in a raised state, the linkage portion
12
of the band
10
is set over the protrusions
5
,
5
. Then, the lock lever
6
is rotated around the pin
8
to be set in a lowered state and the band
10
is in an expanded state, so that the linkage portion
12
of the band is fixed to the stepped portions
11
,
11
.
However, such a staple gun has a problem that when a staple is injected from the staple injection nozzle
1
, a staple may be subjected to a force caused by shock of the staple driver or hardness of a target object, the force tending to open, i.e., remove the cover plate
4
from the nozzle body
2
. Moreover, when a staple is jammed in the staple injection path
3
, the cover plate
4
is subjected to a force to open the cover plate
4
and a large load F is applied from the cover plate
4
directly to the linkage portion
12
of the band
10
. This causes plastic deformation of the linkage portion
12
, thereby lowering the force to push the cover plate
4
. Thus, the cover plate
4
begins to rattle, changing a staple injection orbit, which in turn easily causes a staple jam.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a staple gun capable of suppressing rattle of a cover plate.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is an enlarged view of a staple injection nozzle of a staple gun according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2
is a plan view of the staple injection nozzle of FIG.
1
.
FIG. 3
is a side view showing engagement of main protrusions with cover protrusions in the staple injection nozzle of FIG.
1
.
FIG. 4
is a cross sectional view showing the staple injection nozzle of
FIG. 1
with a cover plate in an opened state.
FIG. 5
is a cross sectional view showing the staple injection nozzle of
FIG. 1
in a state prior to fixing the cover plate.
FIG. 6
is a cross sectional view of the cover plate of
FIG. 6
set on the staple injection path and fixed to the staple injection path.
FIG. 7
shows an overall configuration of a staple gun having the staple injection nozzle of
FIG. 1
to FIG.
7
.
FIG. 8
is a partial enlarged view of a conventional staple injection nozzle.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
Description will now be directed to a staple gun according to an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings.
FIG. 7
shows a staple gun
20
. The staple gun
20
includes: a staple gun main body
15
; a handle
21
arranged below the staple gun main body
15
; a trigger
22
arranged at left of the handle
21
; and a staple injection nozzle
25
protruding forward from the left end of the staple gun main body
15
. The staple gun main body
15
has a cylinder block
24
and a cylinder head
23
.
A coupler
26
is arranged below the handle
21
of the staple gun
20
. The coupler
26
is connected to a coupler (not depicted) of a compressed air supply hose (not depicted). Compressed air supplied from the coupler
26
is introduced to the cylinder head
23
through the interior of the handle
21
when the trigger
22
is pulled. Thus, the compressed air is supplied to the cylinder block
24
. The cylinder block
24
has a built-in piston (not depicted). A staple driver is fixed to this piston. The staple driver extends from the cylinder block
24
to the staple injection nozzle and moves reciprocally in a staple injection path
43
(
FIG. 1
,
FIG. 4
to
FIG. 6
) in the staple injection nozzle
25
in accordance with the reciprocal movement of the piston. Inside the staple injection path
43
, a staple inlet
43
a
(
FIG. 4
to
FIG. 6
) is formed for supplying U-shaped staples one by one from the staple guide
27
(FIG.
7
).
The staple injection nozzle
25
has a nozzle body
28
attached to the staple gun main body
15
and a cover plate
29
attached to the upper portion of the nozzle body
28
. On the nozzle body
28
, a staple injection path
43
is formed The cover plate
29
defines the upper portion of the staple injection path
43
, so as to guide a staple to be injected, to a target object. At both sides of this cover plate
29
, indentations
29
A,
29
A are formed. Bearings
35
,
35
are arranged to protrude upward from both sides of rear portion of the cover plate
29
.
At both sides of the nozzle body
28
, protrusions
30
,
30
are formed to be inserted into the indentations
29
A,
29
A of the cover plate
29
, thereby fixing the cover plate
29
. Each of the protrusions
30
is formed in a reversed L shape having a top portion
30
a
extending leftward in the figure. Below the top portions
30
a
, a taper surface
31
is formed in such a manner that the its height is gradually lowered toward the back (rightward in FIG.
3
). The taper surface
31
is brought into abutment with a slanting surface (end portion)
33
of the left end
32
of the indentation
29
A of the cover plate
29
, so that the cover plate
29
is fixed to the nozzle body
28
.
As shown in
FIG. 4
to
FIG. 6
, at the back portion of the nozzle body
28
, a plate member
45
is fixed by a bolt
44
so as to define the rear top portion of the staple injection path
43
. This plate member
45
has hooks
39
,
39
and stoppers
42
,
42
at its both sides.
Moreover, the staple injection nozzle
25
has fixing means
34
for fixing the cover plate
29
to the nozzle body
28
.
The fixing means
34
includes: a lock lever
37
whose rear portion is supported by a shaft
36
provided between the bearings
35
,
35
of the cover plate
29
; and a spring (urging member) for urging the lock lever
37
backward (rightward in FIG.
2
and FIG.
3
). The spring
38
is constituted by a C-shaped needle when viewed in a plan view.
At both sides of the rear portion of the lock lever
37
, bearing portions
41
,
41
are provided to protrude downward. In the bearing portions
41
,
41
, a shaft
36
of bearings
35
,
35
of the cover plate
29
is movably arranged. Moreover, both ends
38
A,
38
A of the spring
38
are rotatably held in the bearing portions
41
,
41
, i.e., at a position left (in FIG.
3
and
FIG. 6
) to the shaft
36
in such a manner that the lock lever
37
is rotated around the both ends
38
A
38
A.
As shown in FIG.
3
and
FIG. 6
, the spring
38
has intermittent portions
38
,
38
B curved to protrude upward so as to have an elastic force and a rear portion
38
C, which is rotatably held on hook portions
39
,
39
of the plate member
45
. Moreover, the spring
38
is regulated by stoppers
42
,
42
of the plate member
45
in its leftward/rightward movement (upward/downward in FIG.
2
).
The hook portions
39
,
39
have an open rear portion. When the cover plate
29
is opened in a normal condition, the hook portions
39
,
39
rotatably hold the rear portion
38
C of the spring
38
. When the fixing means
34
is disassembled for repair, the rear portion
38
C can be removed from the hook portions
39
,
39
.
When fixing this cover plate
29
onto the nozzle body
28
, as shown in
FIG. 5
, the rear portion
38
C of the spring
38
is held on the hook portions
39
,
39
while the cover plate
29
is set on the staple injection path
43
as shown in FIG.
4
. Here, the lock lever is in its raised state, the cover plate
29
is at a position forward from the position shown in
FIG. 3
, and the slanting surface
33
of the cover plate
29
is apart from the taper surface
31
of the protrusion
30
of the nozzle body
28
.
As the lock lever
37
is tilted forward from this standing state, the lock lever is rotated counterclockwise (in
FIG. 4
) around the end portions
38
A,
38
A of the spring
38
. This rotation of the lock lever
37
slides the cover plate
29
backward (rightward in FIG.
4
). When the lock lever
37
is tilted as shown in
FIG. 6
, the slanting surface
33
of the cover plate
29
is brought into abutment with the taper surface
31
of the protrusion
30
of the nozzle body
28
.
The cover plate
29
is urged backward by the urging force of the intermittent portion
38
B of the spring
38
, which in turn pushes the left end
32
of the indentation
29
A of the cover plate
29
under the top portion
30
a
of the protrusion
30
. That is, the cover plate
29
is pushed by the protrusion
30
from upward and firmly fixed to the nozzle body
28
. This engagement is assured by a clearance in the order of 0.5 to 1 mm between the rear portion of the cover plate
29
and the front end
40
of the plate member
45
.
When a staple is injected in a state with the cover plate
29
feed to the nozzle body
28
, shock of the staple driver and a hardness of a target object or staple jam generates a force to push the cover plate
29
upward, i.e., to open the cover plate
29
, the force is applied to the taper surface
31
of the top portion
30
a
of the protrusion
30
. However, since the top portion
30
a
of the protrusion
30
protrudes forward, it is possible to prevent opening of the cover plate
29
.
Thus, the force pushing the cover plate
29
upward is applied only to the taper surface
31
of the protrusion
30
and not to the spring
38
. Accordingly, there is no danger of expansion of the intermittent portions
38
B,
38
B of the spring
38
and it is possible to keep urging the cover plate
29
backward. Accordingly, it is possible to assure a force to press down the cover plate
29
and firmly fix the cover plate
29
to the nozzle body
28
. Thus, it is possible to surely prevent rattling of the cover plate
29
which would derange the staple injection orbit, easily causing a staple jam.
Claims
- 1. A staple gun having a main body and a staple injection nozzle for injecting a staple into a target object, the staple injection nozzle having a nozzle body mounted on a staple striking body and a cover plate for removably closing an upper portion of a staple injection path of the nozzle body so as to guide the staple, comprising:protrusions provided on an intermediate position between opposite edge portions of said nozzle body; projections of the cover plate, which are positioned in front of said protrusions and which are projected from opposite sides of said cover plate toward side directions; means for urging the cover plate to cause a slanting surface of the cover plate to engage with the protrusions; and a lock lever supported via a shaft on the cover plate in such a manner that the lock lever can rotate upwardly and downwardly around the shaft, said means for urging having two end portions rotatably mounted at a position in front of the shaft on the lock lever and a rear portion rotatably held on a hook portion provided on a rear portion of the nozzle body for causing the cover plate to rotate about the hook portion, and an intermittent portion having an elastic force so as to urge the cover plate backward, projections on upper portions of the protrusions in the nozzle body, which forwardly project, said cover plate being fixed to the nozzle body by engaging rear edge portions of the projections of the cover plate with lower surfaces of the projections on the upper portions of the protrusions under a biased force of the means for urging when the cover plate is placed on the nozzle body, the upper portion of the staple injection path of the nozzle body is closed and the lock lever is downwardly rotated, the engagement of the rear edge portions of the projections of the cover plate and the projections on the upper portions of the protrusions in the nozzle body being disengaged when the lock lever is upwardly rotated, said cover plate being rotated about the rear portion of the means for urging together with rotation of the lock lever to open the cover plate.
- 2. The staple gun according to claim 1, wherein the lower surfaces of the projections on the upper portions of the protrusions in the nozzle body have slanting surfaces lowering gradually in accordance with proceeding rearwardly of the nozzle body.
- 3. The staple gun according to claim 1, wherein said projections of the cover plate have slanting surfaces lowering gradually in accordance with proceeding rearwardly of the cover plate.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
2000-280002 |
Sep 2000 |
JP |
|
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
363492 |
Jul 1999 |
TW |