Staple cartridge and staple leg chip processing apparatus

A stapler 1 is provided with a cutter unit 12 for cutting a leading end portion of a staple leg projected to a back face side of sheets. A staple cartridge 20 containing a number of staples is formed with a chip containing portion 23 for containing a chip of the staple leg. The chip of the staple leg cut by the cutter unit 12 is guided into the chip containing portion 23 of the staple cartridge 20 by a chute 22 formed on the cutter unit 12. The chip of the staple leg is collected in the staple cartridge 20.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a stapler including a cutter unit for cutting a leading end portion of a staple leg struck out by a strike mechanism and penetrated through sheets to be bound in accordance with a thickness of the sheets to be bound (sheets), particularly relates to a staple cartridge and a processing apparatus of a staple leg chip for preventing a chip of the staple leg cut by the cutter unit from being scattered in the stapler.

BACKGROUND ART

In a stapler which is built into a printer or a copier or a finisher or the like for binding a plurality of sheets of paper after printed or copied or the like, there is a stapler which cuts a leading end portion of a staple leg penetrated through the sheets by a cutter unit. Thereby, thin sheets through thick sheets are capable of being bound by a stable shape by making a length of the staple leg projected from the sheets constant. The cutter unit is constituted by a fixed cutter and a movable cutter movable relative to the fixed cutter. The leading end portion of the staple leg advancing between the two cutters by penetrating the sheets is cut such that the length of the staple leg portion penetrating from the sheets becomes substantially constant.

According to the stapler which cuts the leading end portion of the staple leg by the cutter unit, by scattering the chip of the staple leg cut by the cutter unit, there is a concern of posing a problem of bringing about an operational failure by being caught in an operating mechanism of a drive gear or a link or the like in the stapler or a printer or a copier or a finisher or the like, or dropping the chip onto a circuit board for control to shortcircuit the circuit to destruct. Therefore, a stapler of JP-Y-03-025931 is provided with a chip processing apparatus for gathering a chip of a staple leg cut by a cutter unit to a predetermined portion. According to the chip processing apparatus of JP-Y-03-025931, a chip discharging portion of the cutter unit is inclinedly arranged with a containing vessel for containing the chip, and the chip of the staple leg cut by the cutter unit is gathered into the containing vessel. An opening portion formed at a lower end of the containing vessel is provided with a lid member normally closing the opening portion. The chip stored in the containing vessel is discharged to outside by opening the lid member as necessary.

In a stapler which is built into a printer or a copier or a finisher or the like and arranged along a path of carrying sheets in the apparatus and binds printed or copied sheets, a number of times of binding staples is large so that the staple leg is cut at each time of binding. Therefore, a large amount of chips are generated. The staple leg chip processing apparatus of JP-Y-03-025931 is formed with the containing vessel at the chip discharging portion of the cutter unit, and therefore, a space of installing the containing vessel having a large volume capable of containing a large amount of cut chips is needed in the printer or the copier or the like including the stapler. Moreover, the chip gathered in the containing vessel is discharged by opening the lid member formed at the lower end portion of the containing vessel. Therefore, there is restriction in installing the containing vessel, and a degree of freedom of designing the printer or the copier or the like or the finisher is restricted.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

One or more embodiments of the invention provide a chip processing apparatus of a staple leg with no need of forming a volume of a containing portion for storing a chip of a staple leg cut by a cutter unit to be large and preventing the chip from being scattered in a stapler or an apparatus including the stapler.

According to one or more embodiments of the invention, a staple cartridge mounted attachably and detachably to and from a stapler for striking out a staple to sheets, cutting a leading end portion of a staple leg projected to a back face side of the sheets by a cutter unit, then bending the staple leg penetrated through the sheets by a clincher mechanism portion along a back face of the sheets is provided with a containing portion for containing a number of the staples to be supplied to the strike mechanism portion, and a chip containing portion for containing a chip of the staple leg cut by the cutter unit.

According to one or more embodiments of the invention, in a stapler configured so that a staple cartridge containing a number of staples is attachably and detachably mounted thereto, and provided with a strike mechanism portion for striking out the staple drawn out from the staple cartridge and supplied to a striking portion to sheets, a clincher mechanism portion operably supported to be proximate to and remote from the strike mechanism portion for bending the staple leg penetrated through the sheets along a back face of the sheets, and a cutter unit formed in the clincher mechanism portion for cutting a leading end portion of the staple leg projected to the back face side of the sheets, a staple leg chip processing apparatus is provided with: a chip containing portion formed at the staple cartridge for containing the chip of the staple leg cut by the cutter unit, and a chute formed at the cutter unit for guiding the chip of the staple cut by the cutter unit into the chip containing portion. The chip of the staple leg is collected in the staple cartridge.

Further, according to one or more embodiments of the invention, the chute for guiding the chip of the staple leg into the chip containing portion is formed in a shape of a cylinder formed with an opening portion directed in a lower direction, the opening portion of the chute is formed with an opening and closing lid normally closing the opening portion, the chip is deposited in the chute, and when the clincher mechanism portion is operated in a direction of the staple strike mechanism portion, a lower end portion of the chute is made to advance into the chip containing portion of the staple cartridge, the opening portion is opened by operating the clincher mechanism portion to be proximate to the staple strike mechanism portion, and the chip deposited in the chute is discharged into the chip containing portion of the staple cartridge.

According to a staple cartridge of one or more embodiments of the invention, a staple cartridge containing a number of staples and mounted attachably and detachably to and from a stapler which cuts a leading end portion of a staple leg by a cutter unit is formed with a chip containing portion for containing a chip of the staple leg cut by the cutter unit. Therefore, by collecting the chip of the staple leg cut by the cutter unit in the chip containing portion of the staple cartridge, at each time of replacing the staple cartridge for replenishing the staple, the chip stored in the chip containing portion can be discharged to outside of the stapler. As a result, it is not necessary to form a chip containing portion having a large capacity in the stapler or a printer or a copier or a finisher or the like including the stapler.

Moreover, according to a staple leg chip processing apparatus of one or more embodiments of the invention, a staple cartridge is formed with a chip containing portion for containing a chip of a staple leg cut by the cutter unit, the chip of the staple leg cut by the cutter unit is guided into the chip containing portion of the staple cartridge by a chute formed at the cutter unit, and the chip of the staple leg is collected in the staple cartridge. Therefore, at each time of replacing the staple cartridge for replenishing the staple, the chip stored in the chip containing portion can be discharged to outside of the stapler. As a result, a volume of the chip containing portion formed at the staple cartridge may be set in accordance with an amount of staple members contained in the staple cartridge, it is not necessary to form a containing portion having a large capacity in the stapler or a printer or a copier or a finisher or the like including the stapler. Further, it is not necessary to newly form a mechanism for discharging the chip at a printer or a copier or a finisher or the like.

Further, according to one or more embodiments of the invention, the chute for guiding the chip of the staple leg into the chip containing portion is formed in a shape of a cylinder formed with an opening portion directed in a lower direction. The opening portion of the chute is formed with an opening and closing lid normally closing the opening portion. The chip is deposited in the chute. When the clincher mechanism portion is operated in a direction of the staple strike mechanism portion, a lower end portion of the chute advances into the chip containing portion of the staple cartridge. The opening portion is opened by operating the clincher mechanism portion to be proximate to the staple strike mechanism portion, and the chip deposited in the chute is discharged into the chip containing portion of the staple cartridge. Therefore, the chip cut by the cutter unit formed on a side of the pivotably operated clincher can firmly be discharged into the chip containing portion formed at the staple cartridge mounted to a side of the strike mechanism portion. As a result, the chip is not scattered to in the stapler or in a printer or a copier or a finisher or the like including the stapler, and an operational failure by the chip can be prevented from being brought about. Further, when the staple cartridge is replaced, the chute for guiding the chip into the chip containing portion is arranged by being separated from the staple cartridge, and therefore, an operation of attaching and detaching the staple cartridge can easily be carried out.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS AND SIGNS

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the invention will be explained in reference to the drawings as follows.

FIG. 1andFIG. 2show a stapler1embodying a chip processing apparatus of a staple leg. The stapler1of the embodiment is a built-in type stapler for binding a plurality of sheets of paper after printed or copied or the like in a printer or a copier or a finisher or the like. In a machine frame2forming an outer shell of the stapler1, an electric motor3is contained. A drive cam4driven to rotate by the electric motor3is arranged on a side face of the machine frame2. A lower portion of the machine frame2is formed with a strike mechanism portion5driven by the drive cam4for striking out a staple formed in a U-shape to sheets. Further, an upper face of the machine frame2is formed with a table6for mounting sheets. The staple is struck from a lower face side of the table6to sheets to be bound (sheets) arranged on the table6by the strike mechanism portion5.

An upper portion of the machine frame2is formed with a clincher mechanism portion7for bending a staple leg struck by the strike mechanism portion5and penetrated to a side of an upper face of the sheets arranged on the table6along the upper face of the sheets. According to the clincher mechanism portion7, a rear end portion thereof is supported by a front end portion of a clincher frame8axially attached pivotably to the machine frame2by way of a pivoting shaft8a. After arranging the sheets on the table6, the clincher frame8is operated to pivot to pinch the sheets between an upper face of the table6and the clincher mechanism portion7. As shown byFIG. 3, the clincher mechanism portion7is provided with a pair of movable clinchers9for engaging with staple legs penetrated through the sheets and projected to the upper face side of the sheets for bending the staple legs along the upper face of the sheets at a support plate10mounted to a front end portion of the clincher frame8respectively pivotably by pivoting shafts11.

Further, the clincher mechanism portion7is formed with a cutter unit12for cutting a leading end portion of the staple leg such that a length of a portion of the staple leg penetrated through the sheets and projected from the sheets is made to be a constant length. As shown byFIG. 4andFIG. 5, the cutter unit12is constituted by a fixed cutter13in a plate-shape formed with a cut edge14arranged between the pair of staple legs projected to the upper face side of the sheets by penetrating the sheets at a leading end portion thereof, and a pair of movable cutters16pivotably supported centering on pivoting shafts15in a state of being brought into close contact with an upper face of the fixed cutter13. Front ends of the pair of movable cutters16are formed with cut edges17opposed to the cut edge14of the fixed cutter13. By pivoting the movable cutters16centering on the pivoting shafts15, the leading end portions of the staple legs arranged between the respective cut edges14,17are cut between the two cut edges14,17to make the length of the staple legs projected to the upper face of the sheets constant.

The fixed cutter13in the plate-shape forming the cutter unit12is slidably supported by an upper face of the support base18formed on a rear side of the support plate10supporting the movable clincher9. When the movable clincher9is pivoted to a standby position as shown byFIG. 3, portions of the respective cut edges14,17of the fixed cutter13and the movable cutters16are arranged at front positions opposed to the staple struck out from the strike mechanism3as shown byFIG. 4. At the positions, the staple legs advancing to between the cut edges14,17by penetrating the sheets are cut by pivoting the movable cutters16relative to the fixed cutter13. Further, after cutting the staple legs S1, as shown byFIG. 5, the cutter unit12is slid to move to the rear side on the support base18to escape from a region of operating the movable clinchers9. Thereby, the movable clinchers9bind the staple by bending the staple legs along a back face of the sheets without interfering with the cutter unit12.

According to the stapler1, staple members aligning a number of staple members in a straight shape to be connected by a flexible tape and wound in a spiral shape are charged to a staple cartridge20. The staple cartridge20charged with the staple members is mounted to the stapler1, the staple members drawn from the staple cartridge20are successively supplied to the striking portion, formed into the staples into a U-shape immediately before the striking portion and struck out to the sheets by the strike mechanism portion5. The staple cartridge20is attachable and detachable to and from the stapler1. After using up the staple members in the staple cartridge20charged to the stapler1, the staple cartridge20is replaced to a new one of the staple cartridge20to replenish the staple members to the stapler1.

Further, as shown byFIG. 6, the stapler1is formed with a chip processing apparatus for preventing a chip produced in cutting the staple leg by the cutter unit12from being scattered in the stapler1. The chip processing apparatus is constituted by a discharging portion21formed at the cutter unit12for discharging the chip cut by the cutter unit12to a side of a lower face of the cutter unit12, a chute22for guiding the chip discharged to the side of the lower face of the cutter unit12by way of the discharging portion21to direct in a lower direction, and a chip containing portion23formed at the staple cartridge20to contain the chip guided to the lower side by the chute22. Further, numeral19designates a cover member arranged to cover upper portions of the respective cut edges14,17of the fixed cutter13and the movable cutters16, and the chip is prevented from being scattered in the stapler1by guiding the cut chip to the discharging portion21by the cover member19.

The discharging portion21for discharging the chip of the staple leg to the side of the lower face of the cutter unit12is constituted by an opening24formed at the fixed cutter13in the plate-shape by being penetrated from the upper face side to the lower face side of the fixed cutter13, and an opening25formed at the support base18slidably supporting the fixed cutter13by being penetrated from an upper face side to a lower face side of the support base18. An edge on a front side of the opening24formed at the fixed cutter13is formed with an inclined face24a. The chip cut by operating the movable cutters16is guided to the opening24by the inclined face24a. By sliding to operate the cutter unit12arranged at the front position shown inFIG. 3andFIG. 4for cutting the staple leg to a rear side shown inFIG. 5andFIG. 6after cutting the staple leg, the opening24of the fixed cutter13and the opening25of the support base18are matched, and the chip cut by the pivoting the movable cutters16is discharged to the lower face side of the cutter unit12by way of the two openings24,25constituting the discharging portion21.

The chute22for guiding the chip discharged to the lower face of the cutter unit12from the discharging portion21to the chip containing portion23is constituted by a first chute26mounted to a back face of the support base18to cover the lower face side of the opening25formed at the support base18, and a second chute27formed at a lower end of the first chute26in a shape of a cylinder pivotably supported by a pivoting support shaft28. A lower end of the second chute27formed in the shape of the cylinder is formed with an opening portion27aopened to direct in a lower direction. The opening portion27ais provided with a lid member29normally urged to pivot to close the opening portion27a. The chip discharged to the lower face side of the cutter unit12by way of the discharging portion21and guided to the first chute26is temporarily stored in the second chute27.

As shown byFIG. 6, the staple cartridge20is formed with a containing portion20afor containing the staple members wound in the spiral shape, and a staple guide portion20bfor guiding the staple member drawn from the containing portion20ato the striking portion. The cut chip containing portion23is formed on an upper face of the staple guide portion20b. The chip containing portion23is arranged at a position opposed to the lower end of the second chute27of the chute22formed at the lower face of the cutter unit12in a state of mounting the staple cartridge20to the stapler1. Further, the chip containing portion23is formed with an opening30for making a lower end portion of the second chute27formed in the shape of the cylinder advance into the chip containing portion23.

In a state of finishing the staple binding operation, as shown byFIG. 1, the clincher frame8is arranged at an upper position at which the clincher mechanism portion7supported by the clincher frame8is separated from the strike mechanism portion5by pivoting the clincher frame8in the clockwise direction centering on the pivoting support shaft8a, under the state, as shown byFIG. 6, the lower end of the second chute27of the chute22formed on the lower face side of the cutter unit12is arranged at a position remote from the chip containing portion23formed at the staple cartridge20to an upper side. Further, the lid member29formed at the lower end of the second chute27closes the opening portion27aof the second chute27, and the chip of the staple leg cut by the staple binding operation at a preceding time is stored in the second chute27. The lid member29is supported pivotably by the second chute27.

When the clincher mechanism portion7is arranged to be proximate to the strike mechanism portion5by being pivoted in the counterclockwise direction centering on the pivoting support shaft8a, as shown byFIG. 7, the cutter unit12is pivoted in the lower direction along with the clincher mechanism portion7, and the lower end of the second chute27of the chute22formed on the lower face side of the cutter unit12advances into the chip containing portion23from the opening30of the chip containing portion23formed at the staple cartridge20. By pivoting the chute22in the lower direction along with the clincher mechanism portion7in this way, an end portion29aof the lid member29formed at the lower end portion of the second chute27is pivoted by being engaged with the engaging portion31formed at the machine frame2to open the opening portion27aat the lower end of the second chute27, and the chip stored in the second chute27is discharged to the chip containing portion23.

Although the staple cartridge20formed with the chip containing portion23according to the embodiment is formed with the containing portion20aformed in the shape of the cylinder to contain the staples formed in a roll-shape by winding the staple members connected by the flexible connecting member in the spiral shape, in a stapler using connected staple members in a sheet-shape adhered to connect with staple members in a straight shape in a shape of a flat sheet by a predetermined number of pieces thereof, the invention can be embodied by forming a chip containing portion at a staple cartridge forming a containing portion in a shape of a square cylinder laminating to contain a number of the connected staple members in the sheet-shape.

Although an explanation has been given of the invention in details and in reference to the specific embodiment, it is apparent for the skilled person that the invention can variously be changed or modified without deviating from the spirit and the range of the invention.

The application is based on Japanese Patent Application (Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-363688) flied on Dec. 15, 2004, and a content thereof is incorporated herein by reference.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

According to the chip processing apparatus of the staple leg of the embodiment, the chip containing portion23is formed at the staple cartridge20replaced after using the staple members, and the chip of the staple leg produced by operating the cutter unit12is collected into the chip containing portion23. By replacing the staple cartridge20in order to replenish the staple, the chip stored in the chip containing portion23can be discharged from the stapler1or an apparatus including the stapler1. Therefore, a volume of the chip containing portion23forming the staple cartridge20may be set in accordance with an amount of the staple members contained in the staple cartridge20, it is not necessary to form the chip containing portion having a large capacity in the stapler1or a printer or a copier or a finisher or the like including the stapler1, further, it is not necessary to form a mechanism for discharging the chip at a printer or a copier or a finisher or the like.

Further, the lower end of the second chute27formed in the shape of the cylinder of the chute22is formed with the opening portion27a, the lid member29for closing the opening portion27aof the second chute27is formed, the lower end portion of the second chute27advances into the chip containing portion23by operating the clincher mechanism portion7, the chip stored in the second chute27is discharged to the chip containing portion23by opening the lid member29. Therefore, the chip is not scattered in the stapler1or a printer or a copier or a finisher or the like, and an operational failure by the chip can be prevented from being brought about.