Paper scrap pushing structure of paper shredder

A paper scrap pushing structure of a paper shredder, having a paper pushing unit, with a spindle having a longitudinal axis, a spindle flap coupled along the longitudinal axis to the spindle; and a paddle pushing segment, coupled to the spindle flap. The spindle is arranged under a paper outlet of the paper shredder and is in linkage with a paper shredder cutter shaft through a synchronous transmission device. When the rotating shaft rotates, the rotating shaft drives the paddle pushing segment to move in the circumferential direction along with the spindle flap, removing paper scraps at the top of a paper scrap pile in a shredded paper waste bin.

BACKGROUND OF THE EMBODIMENTS

1. Technical Field

The embodiments relates to the technical field of paper scrap processing of paper shredders, in particular to a paper scrap pushing structure of a paper shredder.

2. Description of Related Art

Paper shredders are machines used for processing paper scraps and can cut waste paper into strip-shaped or granular paper scraps; however, the strip-shaped or granular paper scraps can be locally stacked in shredded paper waste bins without being processed, subsequent paper scraps cannot fall down smoothly due to piled paper scraps, and consequentially the paper scraps overflows out of the shredded paper waste bin soon, affecting the overall operating function of the paper shredder.

Previously, swinging mechanisms were used for making paper scraps fall into shredded paper waste bins in a swinging mode. For example, a swinging paper shifting mechanism at a paper falling port of a paper shredder is disclosed by the embodiments patent with the Chinese patent application No. CN200720000902. Here, the swinging paper shifting mechanism includes a motor and a cutter assembly provided with a transmission gear and arranged in a case. A waste paper waste bin used for collecting paper scraps is arranged below the cutter assembly. The mechanism also includes a swinging plate arranged near the paper falling port of the case and connected with a transmission shaft through a connecting rod. A driven gear is arranged at one end of the transmission shaft and receives power from the cutter assembly to rotate. The transmission shaft drives the swinging plate to reciprocate forward and backward through the connecting rod when rotating, paper scraps evenly falls down into the waste paper waste bin from a cutter shaft and are flatly piled up gradually, so that the space for containing paper scraps in the waste paper waste bin is increased. In this patent, the swinging plate can only reciprocate around the transmission shaft, and consequentially the transmission structures of the two sides of the transmission shaft are complex.

A uniform paper scrap shifting device of a paper shredder is disclosed by the embodiments patent with the Chinese patent application No. CN200920261627. In this patent, the uniform paper scrap shifting device includes a second swinging support, a swinging plate, a first swinging support, a swinging rod, a rotating shaft and an adjustable support, wherein one end of the rotating shaft is fixed to a paper shredder cutter shaft and concentrically rotates along with the cutter shaft. The adjustable support is arranged at the other end of the rotating shaft. A convex column of the adjustable support is slidably sleeved with a guide rail trough, and the other end of the swinging rod is connected with the first swinging support through a D-shaped shaft hole. The second swinging support is fixed to the paper shredder. The two ends of the swinging plate are fixed to a swinging arm of the first swinging support and a swinging arm of the second swinging support respectively. In this patent, since the swinging plate is of an integral structure, only the side of the swinging plate, away from the rotating shaft, can be used for removing paper scraps, materials are wasted, and the structure is not simple.

A paper shredder is disclosed by the embodiments patent with the Chinese patent application No. CN200920274623. The paper shredder is provided with a positioned rotating device, which is adjacent to a discharging port of a paper shredder shell. The rotating device comprises a shaft, and the shaft can rotate around an axis parallel to the axis of a cutting assembly so that the rotating device can rotate. The rotating device is provided with a plurality of finger parts which can at least partially extent in the radial direction from the shaft. The rotating device can rotate around the axis of the shaft in any direction so that any accumulated shredded paper in a waste box can be dispersed and shredded paper collected in a cutting assembly adjacent to the discharging port or nearby can be removed. In this patent, because the finger parts are elastic and are relatively scattered, the scrap removal effect is not ideal enough.

A paper scrap distribution device of a paper shredder is disclosed by the embodiments patent with the Chinese patent application No. CN201120214524. The paper scrap distribution device comprises distribution blades and a rotating shaft in linkage with a paper shredder cutter shaft. The distribution blades are arranged on the rotating shaft in the length direction. The number of the distribution blades is at least two, with the plastic or metal distribution blades are arranged at intervals. A wheel disc in linkage with the paper shredder cutter shaft is arranged at one end of the rotating shaft. Alternately, a gear in linkage with the paper shredder cutter shaft is arranged at one end of the rotating shaft. A housing can be mounted at a paper outlet of the paper shredder. The rotating shaft is rotatably arranged in the housing, and the bottom of the housing is open. In this patent, since the distribution blades are integral blades, only the parts, on the side away from the rotating shaft, of the blades can be used for removing paper scraps, materials are wasted, and the structure is not simple.

What is needed is a paper scrap pushing apparatus for a paper shredder that overcomes the above problems.

SUMMARY

For overcoming the shortcomings of the prior art, the embodiments herein provide a paper scrap pushing structure of a paper shredder. The paper scrap pushing structure of the paper shredder is clever in design, simple in structure, and practical in function. Also it has a better paper scrap distribution function and is suitable for large-scale application and commercialization.

In embodiments, a paper scrap pushing structure of a paper shredder includes a rotating shaft, a paper pushing rod and a plurality of connecting rods, wherein the rotating shaft is arranged under a paper outlet of the paper shredder and is in linkage with a paper shredder cutter shaft through a synchronous transmission device. The paper pushing rod is located on one side of the rotating shaft, arranged in the length direction of the rotating shaft in parallel, and connected with the rotating shaft through the multiple connecting rods. The distance from the paper pushing rod to the rotating shaft is generally smaller than the distance from the lowest portion of the paper shredder cutter shaft to the rotating shaft. A paper pushing unit is defined by the rotating shaft, the connecting rods and the paper pushing rod. When the rotating shaft rotates, the rotating shaft drives the paper pushing rod to move in the circumferential direction through the connecting rods so as to remove paper scraps at the top of a paper scrap pile in a shredded paper waste bin.

Furthermore, in an embodiment, included are the left connecting rod and the right connecting rod, with the left connecting rod and the right connecting rod being located at the respective ends of the paper pushing rod and the rotating shaft. In another embodiment, the left connecting rod and the right connecting rod are each of a telescopic structure, and springs are arranged at the ends, proximate to one end of the rotating shaft, of the left connecting rod and the right connecting rod.

Furthermore, in yet another embodiment, the number of the connecting rods is three, the three connecting rods are the left connecting rod, the middle connecting rod and the right connecting rod respectively. The left connecting rod, the middle connecting rod, and the right connecting rod are arranged between the paper pushing rod and the rotating shaft at generally equal intervals. In still another embodiment, the left connecting rod and the right connecting rod are each of a telescopic structure, and the middle connecting rod is of a sleeve structure. The springs are arranged at the ends, proximate to one end of the rotating shaft, of the left connecting rod and the right connecting rod. The middle connecting rod comprises an inner sleeve and an outer sleeve. The inner sleeve is perpendicularly connected with the rotating shaft, and the outer sleeve is perpendicularly connected with the paper pushing rod. In a further embodiment the inner sleeve is perpendicularly connected with the paper pushing rod, and the outer sleeve is perpendicularly connected with the rotating shaft.

In another embodiment, the paper pushing rod and the multiple connecting rods are formed integrally. In yet another embodiment, the paper pushing rod and/or the connecting rods are made of plastic or rubber or metal.

Embodiments of the paper scrap pushing structure of the paper shredder can further include two inverted U-shaped guide grooves oppositely arranged on the inner walls of side plates on the two sides of the paper shredder. Here, the paper pushing rod enters the inverted U-shaped guide grooves when rotating around the rotating shaft in the circumferential direction and is compressed to be prevented from colliding with the paper shredder cutter shaft above.

Moreover, the radial angle (radian) of each inverted U-shaped guide groove is decreased gradually, and the distance from the portion, with the smallest radian, of each inverted U-shaped guide groove to the center of the rotating shaft is slightly greater than the distance from the side, away from the rotating shaft, of the paper pushing rod to the center of the rotating shaft.

In an embodiment, the number of the paper pushing units is equal to or larger than two, and the paper pushing units are arranged in the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft at intervals.

In an embodiment, the paper pushing units are arranged in the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft at equal intervals.

In an embodiment, the synchronous transmission device includes a gear set, the two ends of the rotating shaft are connected with gear shafts arranged on the two sides of the paper shredder, and the rotating shaft is in synchronous linkage with the paper shredder cutter shaft through engaging movement of gears in the gear set.

In another embodiment, the synchronous transmission device includes a cutter shaft gears and rotating shaft gears, the cutter shaft gears are arranged at the two ends of the paper shredder cutter shaft, the rotating shaft gears are arranged at the two ends of the rotating shaft, and the cutter shaft gears are in synchronous linkage with the rotating shaft gears through a synchronous belt.

Furthermore, in some embodiments, a paper pushing unit may be non-segmented; in yet other embodiments, the paper pushing unit may be segmented. A segmented paper pushing unit may include a spindle coupled to a spindle flap. The spindle flap may be joined by hinge pins to a paddle pushing segment. The paddle pushing segment may move relative to the spindle flap, generally transversely to the longitudinal axis of the spindle. In still other embodiments, a spindle may be disposed at intervals with plural spindle flaps each connected to a respective one of plural paddle pushing segment.

Some embodiments are described in detail with reference to the related drawings. Additional embodiments, features and/or advantages will become apparent from the ensuing description or may be learned by practicing the invention. In the figures, which are not drawn to scale, like numerals refer to like features throughout the description. The following description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of describing the general principles of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

A clear and complete description and discussion of the technical scheme in the embodiments are given with the accompanying drawings as follows. Only several of the embodiments of the present invention are described, and all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the field without creative work based on the embodiments are within the protected scope of the claims.

In general, when the paper shredder is in typical use, paper scraps generated after paper is shredded, fall down and form a paper scrap pile. When the paper scrap pile exceeds a certain height, the paper pushing units located below the paper outlet of the paper shredder can push the paper scraps at the top of the paper scrap pile to create a more even distribution of paper scraps in a shredder waste bin. The rotating gears and the cutter shaft gears of the paper shredder cutter shaft drive the paper pushing units, and the paper shredder cutter shaft, to rotate synchronously through the synchronous belt or through synchronized engagement of the gear set. As a result, the paper scraps are distributed orderly and can be evenly piled in the shredded paper waste bin, and thus the space utilization rate of the paper waste bin is effectively increased.

As is shown inFIGS.1-6, the embodiments disclose a paper scrap pushing structure of a paper shredder having a rod configuration. The paper scrap pushing structure of the paper shredder includes rotating shaft1, paper pushing rod2, and plurality of connecting rods3, in which rotating shaft1is arranged under a paper outlet of the paper shredder and is in linkage with a paper shredder cutter shaft4through a synchronous transmission device9. Paper pushing rod2may be located on one side of the rotating shaft1, arranged in parallel in the length direction of the rotating shaft1, and connected with the rotating shaft1through plurality of connecting rods3. In general, the distance from paper pushing rod2to rotating shaft1is smaller than the distance from the lowest portion of paper shredder cutter shaft4to rotating shaft1. When rotating shaft1rotates, rotating shaft1drives paper pushing rod2to move in the circumferential direction through the connecting rods3, removing paper scraps at the top of a paper scrap pile disposed in a shredded paper waste bin.

In an embodiment, the number of connecting rods3is two, the two connecting rods3being left connecting rod31and right connecting rod32respectively. Left connecting rod31and right connecting rod32can be located at the ends of paper pushing rod2and rotating shaft1, respectively. To achieve the paper scrap distribution effect, the two connecting rods31,32are simple in structure and reasonable in design, and materials can be saved. In an embodiment, the left connecting rod31and the right connecting rod32can be each of a telescopic structure, with springs7being arranged at the ends proximate to an end of the rotating shaft1, and to left connecting rod31and right connecting rod32.

As is shown inFIG.3,FIG.5andFIG.6, in another embodiment, the number of the connecting rods3can be three, the three connecting rods can be left connecting rod31, middle connecting rod33and right connecting rod32, respectively. Left connecting rod31, middle connecting rod33, and right connecting rod32can be arranged between the paper pushing rod2and rotating shaft1, for example, at equal intervals. By arranging the connecting rods at equal intervals, force borne by paper pushing rod2can be evenly distributed to the connecting rods3when paper pushing rod2operates, and thus the service life can be prolonged. In the embodiment, the connecting rods3can be connected with paper pushing rod2and rotating shaft1, for example, by insertion, by riveting, or by welding. In an embodiment, left connecting rod31and right connecting rod32can be each of a telescopic structure, and the middle connecting rod33can be of a sleeve structure. Springs7can be arranged proximate to each end of rotating shaft1, and on left connecting rod31and right connecting rod32. Middle connecting rod33can include an inner sleeve41and an outer sleeve42. Inner sleeve41can be perpendicularly connected with the rotating shaft1, and outer sleeve42can be perpendicularly connected with paper pushing rod2. In another embodiment, inner sleeve41can be perpendicularly connected with paper pushing rod2, and outer sleeve42can be perpendicularly connected with rotating shaft1.

As is shown inFIG.5andFIG.6, in another embodiment, the paper scrap pushing structure further includes two inverted U-shaped guide grooves8oppositely arranged on the inner walls of side plates10on the two opposing sides of the paper shredder. The radial angle (radian) of each inverted U-shaped guide groove8can be decreased gradually, and the distance from the portion with the smallest radian of each inverted U-shaped guide groove8to the center of rotating shaft1can be slightly greater than the distance from the side away from rotating shaft1of paper pushing rod2to the center of rotating shaft1. Paper pushing rod2enters inverted U-shaped guide grooves8when rotating around rotating shaft1in the circumferential direction. Springs7of left connecting rod31and right connecting rod32, and sleeves41,42of middle connecting rod33, are gradually compressed along with the decrement of the radians of inverted U-shaped guide grooves8, so that paper pushing rod2is prevented from colliding with paper shredder cutter shaft4above. After paper pushing rod2passes through inverted U-shaped guide grooves8, springs7return to their prior state. Through the design of springs7, the distance between rotating shaft1and paper shredder cutter shaft4can be further decreased easily, the space of the shredder paper waste bin, below rotating shaft1, of the paper shredder is effectively increased accordingly, the size of the paper shredder can be further decreased on the basis that the space of the shredded paper waste bin is not changed. The cost of the paper shredder and the space occupied by the paper shredder can be reduced indirectly.

In an embodiment, paper pushing rod2and plurality of connecting rods3can be formed integrally. Through the integral design, the firmness between the paper pushing rod and the connecting rods can be improved easily, and the paper pushing rod and the connecting rods are not prone to being separated after extended use. When rotating shaft1, paper pushing rod2, and connecting rods3are made of the same materials, rotating shaft1, paper pushing rod2, and connecting rods3can also be formed integrally.

Paper pushing unit11can include rotating shaft1, paper pushing rod2, and connecting rods3. The number of paper pushing units11can be set freely and can be one or more. In embodiments, such as shown inFIG.7, the number of paper pushing units11coupled to rotating shaft1is equal to or larger than two, and paper pushing units11,77can be arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction of rotating shaft1. For achieving a better paper scrap distribution effect, paper pushing units11can be arranged in the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft at equal intervals. In certain embodiments, the number of paper pushing units11can be plural, for example, two or four or six.FIG.7illustrates a second paper pushing unit77disposed on rotating shaft1. However, it is not true that the more paper pushing units11,77there are, the better the effect is; if excessive paper pushing units are provided, the material cost can be increased, the structure can more complex, and the paper scrap distribution efficiency may be low.

In embodiments, paper pushing rod2, connecting rods3, or both, can be made of plastic, or rubber, or metal. In an economical paper pushing device of a paper shredder, paper pushing rod2and connecting rods3preferably can be made of plastic, which is low in price and proper in hardness.

Rotating shaft1can be in linkage with paper shredder cutter shaft4in multiple ways. As is shown inFIG.4, in one embodiment, synchronous transmission device9can be a gear set, the two ends of rotating shaft1can be connected with gear shafts arranged on the two sides of the paper shredder, and rotating shaft1can be in synchronous linkage with paper shredder cutter shaft4through engaging movement of gears in the gear set. In another embodiment, shown inFIG.8, synchronous transmission device9includes cutter shaft gears5and rotating shaft gears6. Cutter shaft gears5can be arranged at the two ends of paper shredder cutter shaft4, rotating shaft gears6can be arranged at the two ends of rotating shaft1, and cutter shaft gears5can be in synchronous linkage with rotating shaft gears6through synchronous belt55.

Paper pushing unit11can be provided in multiple configurations. For example, paper pushing elements may be configured in a rod configuration or may be configured in a paddle configuration, in which the paper pushing element is characterized by a broad, flat blade. In addition to the foregoing embodiments of a non-segmented paper pushing unit11ofFIGS.1-8, paper pushing unit22may be segmented.FIG.9depicts shredder body20coupled by rotating shaft spindle100to segmented paper pushing unit22, in a manner similar to the coupling of rotating shaft1to paper pushing unit11inFIGS.1-6.FIG.10Aillustrates an exploded view of one possible configuration of a segmented paper pushing unit22in which rotating shaft spindle100may be joined to spindle flap110, and which longitudinally extends in parallel with rotating shaft spindle100. In this configuration, spindle flap110can be integrally joined with rotating shaft spindle100, although such is not required and other manners of joining are possible. Spindle flap110may be configured to couple with hinged paddle pushing segment120using a hinge pin115on each side of spindle flap110. As indicated by assembled illustrationFIG.10B, when retained by hinge pins115, hinged paddle pushing segment120is generally capable of rotating around the longitudinal axis of rotating shaft spindle100. By rotating, spindle flap110and hinged paddle pushing segment120can cause the distribution of paper scraps (not shown), which may have accumulated unevenly in the paper shredder waste basket (not shown) during paper shredder operation. As with the embodiments ofFIG.7, there may be two or more segmented paper pushing units22disposed on spindle100, typically spaced equally apart on spindle100.

FIGS.11A-Cillustrate segmented paper pushing unit22with hinged paddle pushing segment120disposed in a first rotated position, in an unrotated position, and in a second rotated position, respectively as spindle100is rotated upon its longitudinal axis. During rotation of spindle100, hinged paddle pushing segment120can move relative to spindle flap110. In some embodiments, paper pushing unit22rotates around spindle100. In yet other embodiments, spindle100can oscillate, causing paper pushing unit22to operate in a back-and-forth sweeping manner.

The above embodiments are only preferred specific embodiments of the invention, the protection scope of the embodiments is not limited to the above embodiments, and changes or substitutes which can be easily obtained by those skilled in the field within the technical scope disclosed by the embodiments should all be within the protection scope of the embodiments. Therefore, the protection scope of the embodiments is subject to the protection scope defined by the claims.