Paper shredder

A paper shredder includes a shred container having an open end formed with two opposite pivot seats, and a shredder cover provided with two pivot members at two opposite sides thereof. The pivot members are mounted on the pivot seats of the shred container such that the shredder cover is turnable about the axes of the pivot members.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a paper shredder, specifically to a paper shredder having a shred container and a shredder cover that is disposed on the shred container and that is turnable relative to the shred container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Some papers, which contain high important information and secrets, need to be eliminated so as not to leak out the information and secrets. A paper shredder is generally used to shred a sheet of paper into tiny pieces so that information written thereon cannot be traced or recognized at all.

Referring toFIG. 1, a conventional paper shredder2is shown to include a shred container6and a shredder cover4. The shred container6defines a receiving space therein. The shredder cover4is mounted on a top end of the shred container6, includes a shredder8, and defines a paper entrance12at an upper side of the shredder8, and a paper exit at a lower side of the shredder8. The paper exit of the shredder cover4is in spatial communication with the receiving space in the shred container6such that the tiny shreds of the paper fed through the shredder8are collected in the shred container6.

Some of the disadvantages resulting from the use of aforesaid conventional paper shredder are as follows:

(i) The shredder cover4easily disengages and falls off the shred container6because the shredder cover4itself is relatively heavy and by virtue of the unbalance weight of the shredder8, thereby spilling the waste to an ambient surrounding of the shred container6.

(ii) In order to avoid falling of the shredder cover4from the shred container6, a known hook-and-loop fastening device can be mounted on the connecting ends of the shredder cover4and the shred container6for coupling the same. Whenever the user wishes to remove waste from the shred container6, he needs to conduct several pressing steps so as to remove the hooks from the loops. This is inconvenient to the user.

(iii) The hooks, generally made from plastic material, are subjected to deform due to long term use and thus hinder in smooth removal from the loops.

(iv) Screws and bolts can be employed to couple the shredder cover4and the shred container6. Detachment of screws one after another is laborious and time-consuming.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a paper shredder having a shredder cover mounted turnably on a shred container. The paper shredder can eliminate the aforesaid disadvantages that result from the use of the conventional paper shredder.

A paper shredder of the present invention includes: a shredder cover including a shredder for shredding paper, the shredder cover having an upper face formed with a paper entrance and a lower face formed with a paper exit, the shredder cover further having two opposite sides interconnecting the upper and lower faces and two pivot members provided respectively on the opposite sides; and a shred container disposed below the shredder cover to receive shreds from the shredder, the shred container having an open end which includes two opposite edges respectively provided with pivot seats, the pivot members being mounted respectively on the pivot seats so that the shredder cover is mounted on the shred container. The shredder cover is turnable about the axes of the pivot members.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Before the present invention is described in greater detail with reference to the following preferred embodiments, it should be noted that same reference numerals have been used to denote similar elements throughout the specification.

Referring toFIGS. 2(A) and 2(B), the first preferred embodiment of a paper shredder30according to the present invention is shown to include a shredder cover32and a shred container34,

As illustrated, the shredder cover32includes a shredder36for shredding a piece of paper38, and has an upper face321formed with a paper entrance40and a lower face322formed with a paper exit42. The shredder cover32further has two opposite sides320interconnecting the upper and lower faces (321,322), and two pivot members44provided respectively on the opposite sides320.

The shred container34is disposed below the shredder cover32to receive shreds from the shredder36, and has a top open end341, which includes two opposite edges respectively provided with pivot seats48.

The pivot members44of the shredder cover32are mounted respectively on the pivot seats48of the shred container34so that the shredder cover32is mounted on the shred container34and the shredder cover32is turnable about the axes of the pivot members44.

A handle46is disposed at one side of the pivot members44which are symmetrically opposite to each other. The handle46is used as the point of force application for turning and opening the shredder cover32such that the shredder cover32can be rotated about the axes of the pivot members44between an open position, in which the shredder cover32is turned to an angular position (seeFIG. 4(A)) so as to expose the open end341of the shred container34to permit access to the shred container34, and a closed position, in which the shredder cover32covers the open end341of the shred container34(seeFIG. 3(A)).

Preferably, an on/off switch64is disposed on the shredder cover32at the other side of the pivot members44, is opposite to the handle46, and is electrically connected to the shredder36for activating and de-activating the shredder36.

In this preferred embodiment, each of the pivot seats48is in the form of a curved wall that is indented downwardly from the top open end341of the shred container34and that has two opposite edges. Each of the pivot members44is generally cylindrical in cross-section. The shredder cover32further includes a pair of rotation limiting members62, each of which projects radially and outwardly from a circumferential portion of a respective one of the pivot members44, and each of which abuts against one of two opposite edges of a respective one of the pivot seats48so as to restrict angular rotation of the shredder cover32relative to the shred container34when the shredder cover32is turned to the open position (seeFIG. 4(A)).

A ground propping member50projects transversely from a bottom end of the shred container34, and is disposed opposite to the handle46such that the ground propping member50can abut against an adjacent ground surface supporting the shred container34(not shown) due to inclination of the shred container34with respect to the adjacent ground surface during removal of the shredder cover32from the shred container34by gripping the handle46.

Referring toFIGS. 3(A) and 4(A), the second preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a pair of curved blocks58(see FIG.4(B)), each of which is fixed on one of the opposite sides320of the shredder cover32and each of which cooperates with a respective one of the pivot members44to define a clearance60therebetween. The shred container34further includes a pair of stop members56of sector-shaped configuration (see FIGS.3(A) and4(C)), each of which is integrally formed with a respective one of the pivot seats48, and projects transversely and inwardly into the shred container34. When the shredder cover32is disposed at the closed position, the stop members56respectively extend into the clearances60of the shredder cover32so as to prevent untimely and undesired removal of the shredder cover32from the shred container34. When the shredder cover32is turned to the open position (see FIG.4A)), the curved blocks58of the shredder cover32are respectively disposed at an elevation above the stop members56of the shred container34so as to permit removal of the shredder cover32from the shred container34.

Referring toFIGS. 3(B) and 3(C), a modified shredder cover32can be used in the second preferred embodiment, and includes a mounting shaft54and a protective shield52. The mounting shaft54is fixed on the lower face322of the shredder cover32adjacent to the paper exit42. The protective shield52is pivoted on the shredder cover32via the mounting shaft54in such a manner that the protective shield52covers and conceals the shredder36there underneath so as to prevent a user from contacting, thereby injuring the user when the shredder cover32is turned to the open position (seeFIG. 4(A)). When the shredder cover32is disposed at the closed position, the protective shield52dangles into the shred container34by virtue of weight gravity [seeFIG. 3(B)].

The benefits of this invention are:

(1) No hook-and-loop device is employed in the preferred embodiment. There is no problem of deformation of the pivot members44and the pivot seats48.

(2) Assembly and disassembly of the shredder cover32onto and from the shred container34is easy to perform.

(3) Removal of waste from the shred container is easy due to easy detachment of the shredder cover32from the shred container34.

As is understood by a person skilled in the art, the foregoing preferred embodiment of the present invention is an illustration of the present invention rather than limiting thereon. It is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, the scope of which should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structure.