Abstract:
The present invention is to provide a staple cartridge that can offset any discrepancies when mounting a staple cartridge, even if staples are slightly offset to check the occurrence of stapling defects. The staple cartridge  100  of the holding means  200  which is equivalent to the cartridge holder disposed as either a body separate to the stapler unit  300  or unitized thereto, actuates the staple feeds means  202 . Even if the position of the staple pulled out from the staple cartridge is offset, this action corrects the offset to correctly set the staple at the driving position thereby enabling it to check stapling defects that occur because of mis-positioning of the staple set position.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to a stapler apparatus which binds a plurality of documents printed with a copying machine, a printer, or a composite of machines thereof, etc., with staples.  
           [0002]    Such stapler apparatuses conventionally are mounted with a staple cartridge therein storing rolled sheets of rolled bands of staples that are linked to form a sheet, or stacks of sheets of staples. The staple sheets in the staple cartridge are pulled out, and are drawn sequentially to a staple driving position and then driven into media for binding.  
           [0003]    It is a precondition that the staple sheet in the aforementioned staple cartridge be pulled to a determined position at the leading edge of the cartridge when mounting to a cartridge holder that is either a body separate to the stapler apparatus or unitized thereto, to mount the staple cartridge to the stapler apparatus.  
           [0004]    However, if the staple is not completely pulled out, for example, by carelessly forgetting to check beforehand, and the staple is offset one staple width, say 0.4 to 0.5 mm, it will not be at the proper driving position, thus nothing will be driven. If the amount of offset of a staple is, for example, 0.2 mm to 0.3 mm, the staple will not be completely set at the driving position, thus resulting in the driver striking only the edge of the staple. The staple, then, will become bent partway making it impossible to be driven, and easily causing defective bindings. Thus, there is the problem of not being able to staple securely from the first staple after mounting the staple cartridge.  
           [0005]    An object of the present invention, in view of the aforementioned problem, is to provide a staple cartridge that can offset any discrepancies when mounting a staple cartridge, even if staples are slightly offset to check the occurrence of stapling defects.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    The invention according to claim 1 is a stapler apparatus comprising a staple cartridge for storing sheets of staples linked into sheets, a holding means for mounting the staple cartridge and a staple feeding means for pulling out the staple sheet in the aforementioned staple cartridge and sequentially feeding staples to a staple driving position, equipped with an actuating means for actuating the aforementioned staple feeding means through the mounting action to the staple cartridge holding means to feed the aforementioned staples, when mounting the aforementioned staple cartridge to the aforementioned holding means.  
           [0007]    According to this invention, the mounting action of the staple cartridge to the holding means, which corresponds to the cartridge holder that is either a body separate to the stapler apparatus or unitized thereto, actuates the staple feed means. Even if the position of the staple pulled out from the staple cartridge is offset, this action corrects the offset to correctly set the staple at the driving position thereby enabling it to check stapling defects that occur because of mis-positioning of the staple set position.  
           [0008]    In the invention according to claim 2, the actuating means according to claim 1 is configured so that the sheet feeding means comprises a feed pawl and rocks around a rocking pivot point and comprises an abutting protrusion to abut and to rock the rocking arm disposed on the feeding means and the aforementioned rocking arm disposed on the staple cartridge.  
           [0009]    According to the instant invention, a rocking arm is disposed on the staple feeding means that corresponds to a conventional feed pawl. An abutting protrusion is disposed to a staple cartridge to abut and rock a rocking arm without causing any new problems with regard to the specifications.  
           [0010]    In the invention according to claim 3, the actuating means of claim 2 comprises the relationship wherein x is the gap between the driving position and the leading edge of the staple, y is the amount of displacement of the rocking arm by the abutting protrusion, R 2  is the length of the rocking arm from the rocking pivot and R 1  is the length of the feed pawl from the rocking pivot, the relationships being expressed in the following manner. 
             R   1  sin( y /2  π R   2 *360°)&gt; x   
           [0011]    According to this invention, by disposing the rocking arm of the staple feeding means and the abutting protrusion on the staple cartridge so that they are in positions equivalent to that prescribed in the equation above, it is possible to securely draw staples to the driving means using the staple feeding means.  
           [0012]    Below, an embodiment of the stapler apparatus according to the present invention will be described in accordance with the figures provided. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1 A plan view comprising a sectional view of a stapler device mounted with the staple cartridge according to the embodiment of the instant invention.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2 A plan view of the disassembled units of the stapler device mounted with the staple cartridge according to the embodiment of the instant invention.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 3 A expanded operational view to illustrate the series of operations to mount the staple cartridge to the cartridge holder according to the embodiment of the instant invention.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 4 A partial conceptual explanatory view to illustrate the series of operations to mount the staple cartridge to the cartridge holder according to the embodiment of the instant invention.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 5 A timing chart of the operations of the stapler apparatus according to the embodiment of the instant invention.  
                                                       100   Staple cartridge           101   Staple sheet material           106   Leading edge stopper           107   Feed pawl advancing protrusion (Abutting protrusion)               &lt;Actuating Means&gt;           200   Cartridge holder &lt;Holding means&gt;           202   Staple feed means           202a   Feed pawl member           202a2   Feed pawl           202a4   Cartridge advancing arm (Rocking Arm)               &lt;Actuating Means&gt;           202b   Feed pawl spring           300   Stapler unit           700   Urging means (Interposing plate)                      
 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0018]    [0018]FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing a section of part of the entire stapler apparatus, mainly comprising the staple cartridge  100 , the cartridge holder  200  and the stapler unit  300 .  
         [0019]    Firstly, to describe the apparatus according to the sequence of its assembly, the stapler unit  300  comprises the unit frame  310 , the electric drive unit, not shown in the figures, the staple head unit  330 , the actuating lever  340 , the anvil unit  350 , the clincher unit  360 , the interlock lever  370 , the anvil spring  380 , the paper thickness absorbing springs  390 , the clincher spring  400  and the manual drive plate  500 .  
         [0020]    The unit frame  310  is sheet metal pressed formed into a sectional U-shape comprising sides established left and right and bottom. Internally, it holds the electric drive unit, thereabove the holding guide  301 , which is shown in FIG. 2 and the staple head unit  330  in the leading edge and properly supports other units outside of the sides.  
         [0021]    Note that the electric drive unit, which is not shown in the figures, is composed of a direct-current motor that is the stapler drive source, the gear train that decelerates the rotation of the motor to a determined rotating speed and the transmission cams that are decelerated to the determined speed to rotate. Each transmission cam drives the staple head unit  330  and by driving the anvil unit  350  and the clincher unit  360  via the actuating lever  340  and the interlock lever interlock lever  370 , it controls the series of operations of the stapler.  
         [0022]    The staple head unit  330  comprises the sheet loading table  331 , the driver  332 , the former  333 , the sheath  334  and the bending block  335 .  
         [0023]    The staple head unit  330  starts the upward direction displacement of the driver  332  pressed formed with a leaf spring material, with the driver drive cam pin which is disposed on the final stage of the electric drive unit.  
         [0024]    Displacement of the driver  332  abuts the former abutting piece  332   a  on the driver  332  against the former  333 . The driver  332  and former  333  follow a stepped surface, not shown in the figures, formed on the sheath  334  upward to a position where that abutment is released.  
         [0025]    The former  333  bends into a U-shape the staples drawn to the staple bending position of the bending block  335  and holds U-shaped staples on the sides of the former  333  thereof to drivably guide them. Note that the position where the staple is bent by the former  333  corresponds to the staple driving position below.  
         [0026]    In this state, the driver  332  released from abutting the former  333  by the protrusion, not shown in the drawings, formed on the sheath  334 , is displaced further upward leaving the former  333  in that position.  
         [0027]    By displacing upward, the staple driving unit  332   b  positioned at the leading edge of the driver  332  displaces the bending block  335  to the front from the range of movement of the driver  332  and retracts.  
         [0028]    The staple driving unit  332   b  on the driver  332  displaced further upward separates from the adhesive staples that have been bent and that are adhering to a subsequent staple by adhesive tape. Formed and separated staples are driven into the binding means.  
         [0029]    Next, the actuating lever  340  has an arm extending left and right along the side surfaces of the anvil unit  350 . While nipped in the unit frame  310 , it is supported by the interlocking pivot shaft  331  disposed on the anvil unit  350 .  
         [0030]    In addition, the paper thickness absorbing springs  390  are stretched between the anvil unit  350  and in a central location on the left and right arms of the actuating lever  340 . These springs  390  constantly urge in the counterclockwise direction around the interlocking pivot shaft  331  to touch the stopper  351  formed on the anvil unit  350 .  
         [0031]    The notch  341  comprising an edge to abut with the anvil drive lever, which is not shown in the figures, driven to displacement by the electric drive unit, is formed on the leading edge of the arm positioned on the other edge of the left and right arms. The anvil drive lever swings clockwise around the interlocking pivot shaft interlocking pivot shaft  331 , which is pressed and urged downward.  
         [0032]    The anvil unit  350 , the anvil rocking pivot  352  on one side thereof rockingly supported on the pivot shaft  312  on the unit frame  310 , is constantly rotatingly urged in the clockwise direction by the anvil spring  380  around the pivot shaft  312 .  
         [0033]    The anvil head  353  on the other side follows the rocking of the actuating lever  340  and rocks counter-clockwise resisting the urging force of the anvil spring  380  to nip and support the binding means at a position that corresponds to the thickness thereof.  
         [0034]    Note that after the anvil unit  350  nips and supports the binding means by the paper thickness absorbing springs  390 , the actuating lever  340  continues acting alone resisting the resilient force of the paper thickness absorbing springs  390 .  
         [0035]    To the anvil head  353  that nips the binding means of the anvil unit  350 , the clincher unit  360  that has the left and right paired clinchers  354  for bending the leading edges of staples that have penetrated the binding means driven from below the binding means, is disposed follow.  
         [0036]    The clincher unit  360  comprises the clincher lever  361  and is supported by the pivot shaft  312  on the unit frame  310  which is also the pivot for the anvil rocking pivot  352  on the anvil unit  350 . To the leading edge of the clincher unit  360  is mounted the clincher head  362  that rocks the clincher  354  mounted to the anvil head  353  on the anvil unit anvil unit  350  and bends staples that have been driven.  
         [0037]    The clincher head  362  absorbs the difference in pressing stroke of the clincher  354  because it is press formed using a steel plate for a spring with a thickness of 1.5 mm while the clincher lever  361  is formed using a plated steel plate of a thickness of 2.0 mm.  
         [0038]    The interlock lever  370  is slave to the rocking of the anvil unit  350  via the clincher spring  400  and rocks the clincher unit  360 . The anvil unit  350  is disposed to continue rotating with the rocking of the clincher drive lever, which is not shown in the figures, while the binding means is nipped and stopped. After the anvil unit  350  stops at the nipping position that corresponds to the thickness of the binding means, it continues rotating to bend the staples.  
         [0039]    The manual drive plate  500  resets stapling defects by manually operating the stapler when a staple is not properly driven by the binding means. A defective staple prevents the stapler apparatus from operating and thus causes a stapling problem, when driving staples. The manual drive plate is mated to the rotation shaft extending to the back side of the output shaft of the direct current motor of the electric drive unit, which is not shown, when manual operations are necessary.  
         [0040]    [0040]FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the cartridge holder  200  and staple cartridge  100  that are mounted on the stapler unit  300  in FIG. 1, pulled out.  
         [0041]    When pulling from the stapler unit  300 , first the cartridge lock lever  600  which abuts the staple cartridge  100  and urgingly supports in the mounting direction is pressed downward to release the abutting, then the staple cartridge  100  is pulled from the cartridge holder  200 .  
         [0042]    Then, the cartridge holder  200  is removed from the stapler unit  300 . Conversely, it is also possible to remove the staple cartridge  100  from the cartridge holder  200  after pulling out the cartridge holder  200  while the staple cartridge  100  is mounted to the cartridge holder  200 .  
         [0043]    Note that the reverse procedures are acceptable when mounting the staple cartridge  100  and cartridge holder  200  to the stapler unit  300 .  
         [0044]    The staple cartridge  100  is composed of a semi-transparent plastic case and comprises the storage unit  102  that stores the staple sheet material  101  into which sheets of a plurality of straight staples linked into a band are wrapped into a roll, and the pull-out guide  103  for pulling out the staple sheet material  101 .  
         [0045]    The pull-out guide  103  is mounted to the cartridge holder  200  and is equipped with the opening  104  the guide surface on the leading top side being widely cut away to abut the staple feed means  202  on the cartridge holder  200 , the back-feed stopper pawl  105  to arrest so that the staple sheet material  101  pulled out from the storage unit  102  does not return back into the storage unit  102 , and the leading edge stoppers  106  that restricts the leading edge of the staple sheet material  101  that has been pulled out and that positions the leading edge thereof at the binding position while mounted to the stapler unit  300 .  
         [0046]    Also, it comprises the feed pawl advancing protrusion  107  that protrudes into the guide surface on the top-side of the leading edge formed on the opening  104  on the pull-out guide  103  and advances the staple feed means  202  when mounting to the cartridge holder  200  to press the leading edge of staples in the staple sheet material  101  to the leading edge stoppers  106 .  
         [0047]    Furthermore, to both sides of the staple cartridge  100  are equipped the guide protrusion  108  guided when mounting to the cartridge holder  200  and the stopper pawl  109  stopped when mounting to the cartridge holder cartridge holder  200 .  
         [0048]    Though not shown in the figures, it is possible to open the bottom portion by bending the staple cartridge  100  from an appropriate position on the back-feed stopper pawl  105  and the leading edge stoppers  106  to the storage unit  102 . By opening, the back-feed stopper pawl  105  is released from stopping the staple sheet material  101  thereby making it possible to discard all remaining staples when discarding.  
         [0049]    The cartridge holder  200  is composed of the holder unit  201 , the staple feed means  202 , the magnet  203 , the guide plate  204  comprising a non-magnetic body, the opening  205 , the guide  206 , the abutting hole  207  and the supplementary table  208 .  
         [0050]    The holder unit  201  is formed of a plastic material to cover the front half of the staple cartridge  100 .  
         [0051]    The staple feed means  202  is rockingly supported on the holder unit  201  and is constantly urged to the table pull-out direction by a leaf spring, which is not shown in the figures. It is interlocked to the nipping action of the binding means by the anvil unit  350  and is charged. It comprises a feed pawl for pressing the staple sheet surface of the staple sheet material  101  with the recovery action caused by the release of the charge to advance the staple sheet material  101 .  
         [0052]    The magnet  203  and the guide plate  204  faces the staple to be driven at the binding position when mounted to the stapler unit  300  and the magnetic attraction of the magnet pulls mis-driven staples to discharge them outside from the stapler unit  300 .  
         [0053]    The opening  205  is the opening for setting the leading edge of the stoppers  106  on the staple cartridge  100  and the leading edge staple to protrude and set at the binding position  
         [0054]    The guide  206  is for guiding the guide protrusion  108  on the staple cartridge  100  and is composed of a cut-out groove and a bottom surface.  
         [0055]    The abutting hole  207  abuts the stopper pawl  108  on the staple cartridge  100  and it is one of the supplementary stopping means on the staple cartridge  100  until the staple cartridge  100  is locked by the cartridge lock lever  600 .  
         [0056]    The supplementary table  208  acts as the loading table where the binding means is loaded along with the table  331  on the staple head unit  330 , as shown in FIG. 1, when mounted to the stapler unit  300 .  
         [0057]    [0057]FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 illustrate the mechanism for advancing the staple sheet material  101 . When mounting the staple cartridge  100  to the cartridge holder  200 , even if the leading edge of the staple on the staple sheet material  101  stored in the staple cartridge  100  is not properly touching the leading edge stoppers  106  and is off by the dimension x, the action of the apparatus advances the dimension x that is off to securely touch the leading edge of the staple on the staple sheet material  101  to the leading edge stoppers  106 .  
         [0058]    So, the following positional relationship exists for the feed pawl advancement protrusion  107  on the staple cartridge  100  and the staple feed means  202  on the cartridge holder  200 .  
         [0059]    First, the staple feed means  202  is composed of the feed pawl member  202   a  and the feed pawl spring  202   b  comprising a leaf spring to constantly urge the feed pawl member  202   a  in the direction of the staple feed.  
         [0060]    The feed pawl member  202   a  is rotatingly supported on the cartridge holder  200  by one side of the shaft  202   a   1 . To the other side is mounted the feed pawl  202   a   2  abutting the staple sheet material  101  to advance staples.  
         [0061]    The feed pawl member  202   a  is rocked and becomes charged in the counterclockwise direction by the abutting arm  302   a   3  that protrudes into the range of shaft movement on the feed pawl charge means  355  which is disposed on the anvil head  353  of the anvil unit  350  when mounted to the stapler unit  303  and comprises the cartridge advancing arm  202   a   4  that advances the staple sheet material  101  by rocking to recover in the clockwise direction by the feed pawl spring  202   b  with the passing of the feed pawl advancing protrusion  107 .  
         [0062]    As shown in FIG. 4, the dimension of the gap between the leading staple on staple sheet material  100  and the leading edge stoppers  106  on the staple cartridge  100  is x, the dimension for the rocking of the abutting part on the cartridge advancing arm  202   a   4  by the feed pawl advancing protrusion  107  on the staple cartridge  100  is y, the distance of the center of the shaft  202   a   1  to the staple abutting part on the feed pawl  202   a   2  is R 1  and the length of the center of the shaft  202   a   1  to the cartridge advancing arm  202   a   4  that abuts the feed pawl advancing protrusion  107  is R 2 , the relationships of the dimensions thereof being set in advance to be: 
           R   1  sin( y /2  π R   2 *360°)&gt;x 
         [0063]    The width of the staple to use in this embodiment is 0.424 mm. R 1  is 17 mm, R 2  is 12 mm and y is 1.2 mm. 
           R   1  sin( y/ 2 π R   2 *360°)≅17 sin 5.7≅1.7 mm 
         [0064]    It is possible to correct the difference (1.7−x) with the value of x at this point.  
         [0065]    [0065]FIG. 4 shows the essential state to illustrate the operation of the staple advancing feed when mounting the staple cartridge  100  to the cartridge holder  200 , as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3.  
         [0066]    [0066]FIG. 4( a ) shows the staple cartridge  100  being inserted into the guide  206  on the cartridge holder  200  shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0067]    [0067]FIG. 4( b ) the feed pawl member  202   a  being rocked in the counterclockwise direction and thus charged by the feed pawl  202   a   2  resisting the force of the feed pawl spring  202   b , shown in FIG. 3, to be displaced sliding over the top surface of the staple sheet material  101  by the downward pressing of the cartridge advancing arm  202   a   4  of the feed pawl member  202   a  on the feed pawl advancing protrusion  107  of the staple cartridge  100 .  
         [0068]    [0068]FIG. 4( c ) shows the leading staple on the staple sheet material  100  being pressed into the leading edge stoppers  106 , the staple cartridge  100  being further pressed inward in the state shown in FIG. 3. When completely mounted to the cartridge holder  200 , the cartridge advancing arm  202   a   4  on the feed pawl member  202   a  passes the feed pawl advancing protrusion  107  and is urged by the feed pawl spring  202   b  shown in FIG. 3 in the clockwise direction around the shaft  202   a   1 .  
         [0069]    [0069]FIG. 5 is a timing chart to illustrate the operation of each of the driver, former, anvil and clincher units&#39; processes. The horizontal axis indicates the angle of rotation of the drive cam that drives each unit and the vertical axis shows the amount of displacement of the levers for each unit. The following generally describes the series of actions according to FIG. 1.  
         [0070]    Initially, along with the setting to the stapling position of the binding means a staple execution instruction signal is output to the stapler apparatus from an outside source.  
         [0071]    The instruction signal starts the rotation of the direct current motor in the electric drive unit, which is not shown in the drawings, first pushing the actuating lever  340  in the downward direction by the anvil drive cam, which is not shown in the drawings, resisting the anvil spring  380 .  
         [0072]    Following the displacement of the actuating lever  340 , the anvil unit  350  moves downward to start the nipping of the binding means.  
         [0073]    Note that, interlocked to the nipping of the anvil unit  350 , the clincher unit  360  interlocked by the interlock lever  370  and the clincher spring  400  follows the anvil unit  350 .  
         [0074]    To describe the operation of the clincher unit  360 , it starts moving from its home position A 0 , and the rocking stops at a nipped position according to the thickness (the number of sheets) of the binding means set at the binding position, between the position A 1  where, for example, 100 pages of the binding means are nipped to the position A 2  where 0 pages of the binding means are nipped.  
         [0075]    After nipping the binding means with the clincher unit  360 , only the actuating lever  340  continues displacement resisting the paper thickness absorbing springs  390 . The clincher unit  360  can be displaced to the position equivalent to the position A 3  by applying an over-stroke to the position A 2  to enable the secure nipping even if there are 0 pages of the binding means, in consideration of variations in parts and their assembly, to complete the nipping operation of the binding means using the clincher unit  360 .  
         [0076]    Before operating to the position A 3  to complete the nipping operation of the binding means using the clincher unit  360 , the driver  332  is displaced upward by the driver drive cam, which is not shown in the drawings, the displacement pressing upward following the former  333 .  
         [0077]    The driver  332  begins moving from the position D 1  when the clincher unit  360  is beyond the position A 1 , at position D 2 , the former  333  presses the staple drawing to the driving position and starts forming the staple into a U-shape. In the continuing stroke, by pushing both leading edges of bent staples formed into that shape against the sides of the bending block  335  to guide it, both leading edges of the staple are secured front, back left and right by the non-magnetic materials of the guide plate  204  walls composed of the former  333 , the bending block  335  and the cartridge holder  200 .  
         [0078]    Then, the leading edges that touch the staple formed by the driver  332  are pressed into the oblique surfaces of the bending block  335 . With the bending block  335  retracted from the range of movement of the leading edge of the driver  332 , the leading edge of the driver  332  touches the formed staple at the position D 3 . The leading edges of the formed staple pressed by the driver  332  delayed from the position A 3  nipping the binding means of the anvil unit  350  reach the position D 4  that touches the sheet surface of the binding means and the driver  332  starts driving the formed staple into the binding means.  
         [0079]    After the driver  332  starts driving the staple, at the same time that the abutting portion that was abutting the former  333  on the driver  332  is released from abutting, by the level protrusion on the sheath  334  at the slightly delayed position D 5 , the former  333  is released from abutting with the driver  332  at the position D 6  just prior to the leading edge of the former  333  touching the surface of the sheets of the binding means and the former  333  stops and the former guides the bend staple driven by the driver  332 .  
         [0080]    Continuing, the formed staple is driven by the driver  332 , and after the formed staple crown touches the surface of the sheets of the binding means at the position D 7 , the driver  332  is further driven by the driver drive cam at the position D 8 . However, because the driver  332  cannot press the formed staples in, the driver  332  comprising a leaf spring itself is elastically deformed for the amount of the over-stroke to absorb the difference of the mounting position to securely drive the formed staple.  
         [0081]    Then, directly after the position D 8  where the formed staple is driven by the driver  332 , the clincher unit  360  rocks downward by the clincher unit  602  from position C 1  immediately after the position D 8  by the clincher drive cam, which is not shown in the drawing, pressing the clincher  354  to complete the clinching operation at the position C 2  by bending the leading edges of the staples that have penetrated the binding means.  
         [0082]    After the clinching operation is completed, first, the recover operation is started for the driver  332  at the position D 11 . The former  333  part way is re-interlocked and returned to the position D 0  which is equivalent to the initial position passing through the positions of D 12  and D 13 .  
         [0083]    The anvil unit  350  recovery operation is started slightly delayed to the recovery operation of the driver  332  and is returned to the position A 7  which is equivalent to the initial position passing through the position A 6 .  
         [0084]    Finally, the anvil unit  360  recovery operation is started slightly delayed to the recovery operation of the driver  350  and is returned to the position C 4  which is equivalent to the initial position to complete the series of the staple operation.