Patent ID: 8500356
Filing Date: 2013-08-06
Classification: B42F

Abstract:
1. A binding device comprising: a plurality of binding rod portions that include first binding rods and second binding rods, the first and second binding rods being movable between being opened and closed, the first and second binding rods forming pairs of first and second binding rods that each includes one of the first binding rod opposing a respective one of the second binding rods, the first and second binding rods forming a substantially annular binding rod when the first and second binding rods are closed, the first and second binding rods respectively including first binding rod latching portions and second binding rod latching portions to latch and engage the first and second binding rods together by latching tips of the first binding rod latching portions with tips of the second binding rod latching portions when the first and second binding rods are closed; a first coupling portion and a second coupling portion for coupling the first and second binding rods; an axis portion serving as a rotation center of the first and second binding rods during opening or closing of the first and second binding rods, the axis portion including a shaft portion and receiving portions, the receiving portions holding the shaft portion therein and coupling the first and second coupling portions together, the shaft portion extending along a coupling longitudinal direction of the first and second coupling portions, wherein the receiving portions have first receiving portions and second receiving portions provided in the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion respectively; a first housing portion formed between the first receiving portions; and a second housing portion formed between the second receiving portions, wherein the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion are separated from each other along a direction that is not parallel to a longitudinal axis of the axis portion, the axis portion being at a center point between the first and second coupling portions, the pairs of the first and second binding rods are provided at the first and second coupling portions at intervals in the coupling longitudinal direction, the first and second binding rods projecting from the first and second coupling portions so that each pair of the first and second binding rods forms a circle when the first and second binding rods are closed, the tips of the first and second binding rod latching portions being at free ends of the first and second binding rods on a side opposite to base portions of the first and second binding rods that are provided continuously at the first and second coupling portions, the first and second binding rod latching portions each have disengagement preventing portions that extend in a direction crossing turning directions of the first and second binding rods so that when the first and second binding rods are closed, the first and second binding rod latching portions do not disengage from each other in the turning directions of the first and second binding rods and the direction crossing the turning directions, the first binding rod is displaced from and opposes the second binding rod in the coupling longitudinal direction, and is formed so that the first binding rod latching portions are disengageable from the second binding rod latching portions when the first and second binding rods are moved to be opened by disengaging the tips from each other, the first receiving portions and the second receiving portions are aligned along the longitudinal axis of the axis portion so as to house the second receiving portions in the first housing portions and the first receiving portions in the second housing portions when the first and second binding rods are closed, and the first receiving portions and the second receiving portions are aligned so that spaces are formed between adjacent ones of the first and second receiving portions for disengagement of the first and second binding rod latching portions by allowing for relative movement between the first binding rod and the second binding rod in the coupling longitudinal direction in the spaces between the adjacent ones of the first and second receiving portions, the first and second receiving portions are formed so as to turn with respect to the shaft portion as a center and relatively move the first and second binding rods along the longitudinal axis of the axis portion when the first and second binding rods are opened or closed.