1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stapler, and more particularly to a stapler having an anvil-limiting device to provide a limiting effect to the movement of an anvil and to improve the leg-flattening effect of the stapler.
2. Description of Related Art
To improve a stapling effect, a conventional stapler has a leg-flattening device to force flat legs of a staple flat, such that a person and document can be prevented from being injured or broken by the legs of the staple. The leg-flattening device has a fixed anvil element to flatten the legs of the staple, and the anvil element of the conventional stapler is secured on a supporting base of the conventional stapler. However, there is a gap between the conventional fixed anvil element and the staple, and the gap easily causes low quality of leg-flattening effect.
Another type of conventional leg-flattening device has a slidable anvil element to solve the problem caused by the fixed anvil element. However, the conventional stapler cannot provide a supporting effect to the slidable anvil element, the slidable anvil element is easily inclined so the leg-flattening effect is also poor.
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However, the non-functional segment of the anvil element 62 is not completely mounted in, but partially exposed from, the guiding channels 611. The movement of the anvil element 62 is easily influenced due to external factors. For example, the anvil element 62 may be blocked by an object at a position between the non-functional segment and a corresponding side face of the supporting base 61 to cause unstable movement of the anvil element 62. In addition, the anvil element 62 must have a sufficient width to make the sides of the anvil element 62 be held in the guiding channels 611, or the supporting base 61 must have a sufficient width to fit with that of the anvil element 62. Therefore, the sizes of the other elements of the stapler are limited accordingly, so the design range for a stapler is also limited.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention tends to provide a stapler to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.
The main objective of the invention is to provide a stapler having a leg-flattening capability to make an anvil move stably.
The stapler has a supporting base, a magazine assembly, a trigger assembly and a leg-flattening device. The supporting base has a bottom face, two side faces, multiple limiting blocks and a receiving segment. The limiting blocks are formed on and protrude from the bottom face of the supporting base and are spaced from the side faces of the supporting base. The receiving segment is defined by and between the limiting blocks. The magazine assembly is connected pivotally to the supporting base. The trigger assembly is connected pivotally to the supporting base and above the magazine assembly. The leg-flattening device is mounted on the supporting base and has an anvil element and a moving base. The anvil element has a top, two sides, two guiding legs and a clinching segment. The guiding legs are respectively formed on and protrude downward from the sides of the anvil element and are mounted in the receiving segment in the supporting base. The clinching segment is formed on the top of the anvil element. The moving base is connected pivotally to the supporting base and has a rear end, a front end, an anvil hole and two limiting arms. The rear end is pivotally connected to the supporting base. The front end is opposite to the rear end. The anvil hole is defined through the front end of the moving base, and the clinching segment of the anvil element is exposed from the moving base via the anvil hole. The limiting arms are formed respectively on and protrude downward from two sides of the moving base and are close respectively to the guiding legs of the anvil element.
With such an arrangement, the stapler in accordance with the present invention has the following advantages and improvements.
1. With the arrangement of the limiting blocks on the supporting base and the limiting arms on the moving base, the movement of the guiding legs of the anvil element can be limited to keep the guiding legs of the anvil element close to the limiting blocks and the limiting arms before or during the operation of the anvil element. Thus, the anvil element can only be limited to move upward and downward and the vacillation of the anvil element can be efficiently prevented. When the stapler is in use, the anvil element will move upward and downward in the receiving segment in the supporting base. The clinching groove in the anvil element can hold and support the released staple from the magazine assembly and guide the released staple to a desired position. Accordingly, the leg-flattening effect of the stapler can be improved.
2. Because the guiding legs of the anvil element are enclosed beneath the moving base and within the space formed between the limiting arms on the moving base, only the clinching segment is exposed from the anvil hole in the moving base. Therefore, the movement of the anvil element will not be influenced or blocked by external factors, and the movement of the anvil element is smooth. With the limitation to the movement of the anvil element, the leg-flattening effect of the stapler can be efficiently improved.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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The moving base 42 has a front end, a rear end and an anvil hole 421. The rear end of the moving base 42 is connected pivotally with the upper base 12, such that the moving base 42 will be pivoted downward relative to the supporting base 10 when the trigger assembly 30 is pressed to pivot the magazine assembly 20 downward to release the staples mounted in the magazine assembly 20. Two legs of the released staple are abut the bottom of the clinching groove 413 in the anvil element 41. The anvil hole 421 is formed through the front end of the moving base 42 opposite to the rear end that is connected pivotally with the upper base 12. The clinching segment 412 of the anvil element 41 is exposed from the top of the moving base 42 via the anvil hole 421, and the guiding legs 411 of the anvil element 41 is enclosed within and below the moving base 42. Accordingly, the clinching segment 412 is the only exposed part of the anvil element 41 that is exposed from the moving base 42 via the anvil hole 421. The moving base 42 further has two limiting arms 422 formed respectively on and protruding downward from two sides of the moving base 42. The limiting arms 422 are respectively close to the guiding legs 411 of the anvil element 41, such that the movement of the anvil element 41 relative to the supporting base 10 and the moving base 42 along the Y-axis as shown in
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Furthermore, because the guiding legs 411 of the anvil element 41 are enclosed within the space formed between the limiting arms 422 on the moving base 42, only the clinching segment 412 is exposed from the anvil hole 421 in the moving base 42. An object is kept from a position between the guiding legs 411 of the anvil element 41 and the side faces of the supporting base 10, so the movement of the anvil element 41 will not be influenced or blocked by external factors. With the limitation to the movement of the anvil element 41, the leg-flattening effect of the stapler can be efficiently improved.
Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.