Stapler cartridge and stapler apparatus comprising the same

A staple cartridge that sequentially draws out rolled staple band material from the staple storage portion includes regulating device that touches the stacked surface of the rolled staple band to regulate the widening and unraveling of the stacked surface. The regulating device is capable of regulating the widening of the stacked surface of the staple band material in the roll diameter direction even during vibration of the cartridge. This minimizes the phenomenon of the staple band material biting to or catching on the staple cartridge.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a stapler apparatus that drives staples installed in a staple cartridge into a binding media (sheet bundle). In particular, it relates to a staple cartridge that can securely draw out staples for driving into a binding media.

Generally, this kind of stapler apparatus comprises a storage portion for storing bands of staples that link staples into a sheet and rolled is equipped with a staple cartridge for drawing out the staple band sequentially from this storage unit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The staple band moves back into the storage portion of the staple cartridge by the vibrations that occur when moving to the staple driving position on the stapler apparatus or when driving staples into the binding media and the stack of rolled staple band material is undone by the rebounding from the shock with the inner wall of the staple cartridge. The stack spreads by being undone which results in the outer edge of the staple material roll to adhere to the inner wall of the staple cartridge. This causes friction between the inner wall of the staple cartridge and the outer edge of the staple band material making it stronger than the strength to draw the staple band from the staple cartridge causing the problem of not being able to pull the staple band out and the phenomenon of biting of the staple band material.

In view of the aforementioned issues, an object of the invention is to provide a staple cartridge in which it is difficult for the wound staple band material to unwind by the vibration applied to the staple band material wound into a roll shape and a stapler apparatus equipped with the same.

A staple cartridge comprises a storage portion for storing bands of staples that link staples into a sheet and rolled and sequentially draws the staple band from this storage unit, and is equipped with a regulating means that touches the stacked surface of the aforementioned staple band that is rolled and stacked for regulating the spreading out of the stacked surface.

The staple cartridge according to this invention uses a regulating means that touches the stacked surface of the staple band to regulate the movement of the rolled staple band that tends to move when receiving vibrations and spread out in the roll diameter direction. For example, even if the rolled outer surface of the staple band material touches in the inner wall of the staple storage portion, it can hold down the frictional force that occurs between the inner wall of the staple storage portion and the roller outer surface of the staple band material to within a range where it is not larger than the draw-out force of the staple band material from the staple storage portion to check the phenomenon of biting to the staple cartridge by the staple band material subsequently drawn out.

In the staple cartridge according to one aspect of the invention, the staple cartridge regulating means is equipped on the inner wall of the staple storage portion that face the stacked surfaces of the staple band.

The staple cartridge according to this invention equips the regulating means on the staple side surface to enable superior assembly and to hold down biting to the staple cartridge of the staple band being sequentially drawn out.

In the staple cartridge according to another aspect of the invention, the staple cartridge regulating means is composed of a regulating plate that faces the stacked surfaces of the staple band existing between the staple storage portion inner wall.

The staple cartridge according to this invention enables selecting for adjustment of the thickness of the regulating plate or the number of regulating plates. Different coefficients of friction can be selected according to the variations that can exist in the gap between the staple band stacked surfaces and the staple storage portion inner wall due to the state of the staple band and can be adjusted to hold down gouging of the staple cartridge of the staple band that is sequentially drawn out.

In the staple cartridge according to another aspect of the invention, the staple cartridge regulating means rotates following the staple band being drawn out.

The regulating means disposed on the staple cartridge according to this invention rotates following the staple band being drawn out so there is a substantial decrease in the load when drawing out to enable easy draw out, holding down the phenomenon of biting.

In another aspect, the invention includes a stapler apparatus equipped with a staple cartridge comprising a storage portion for storing bands of staples that link staples into a sheet and rolled. The stapler sequentially draws the staple band from this storage unit, and is equipped with a regulating means that touches the stacked surface of the aforementioned staple band that is rolled and stacked for regulating the spreading out of the stacked surface.

The staple cartridge used in the stapler apparatus according to this invention receives the vibrations from the system when installing the stapler apparatus, the vibrations caused by the stapler apparatus driving the staples or the vibrations applied when stored before installing to the stapler apparatus, and holds down the unraveling of the rolled staple band and the gouging to the staple cartridge of the staple band being sequentially drawn out. This is accomplished by the staple band stacked surfaces being supported by the regulating means.

Below, an embodiment of the stapler apparatus according to the present invention will be described in accordance with the figures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE REFERENCE NUMERALS

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1is an external perspective view showing a section of part of the entire stapler apparatus, mainly comprising the staple cartridge100, the cartridge holder200and the stapler unit300.

Firstly, to describe the apparatus according to the sequence of its assembly, the stapler unit300comprises the unit frame310, the electric drive unit, not shown in the figures, the staple head unit330, the actuating lever340, the anvil unit350, the clincher unit360, the interlock lever370, the anvil spring380, the paper thickness absorbing spring390, the clincher spring400and the manual drive plate500.

The unit frame310is sheet metal pressed formed into a sectional U-shape comprising sides established left, right and a bottom. It internally holds the electric drive unit, thereabove the holder guide301, which is shown in FIG.2and the staple head unit330in the leading edge and properly supports other units on the outside side walls thereof.

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 and rotate. Each transmission drives the staple head unit330and the anvil unit350via the actuating lever340and the interlock lever370and by driving the clincher unit360it controls the series of operations of the stapler.

The staple head unit330comprises the sheet loading table331, the driver332, the former333, the sheath334and the bending block335.

Furthermore, the staple head unit330starts the upward direction displacement of the driver332pressed formed with a leaf spring material by the driver drive cam pin disposed on the last level of the electric drive unit.

Displacement of the driver332abuts the former abutting piece332aon the driver332against the former333. The driver332and former333follow a stepped surface, not shown in the figures, formed on the sheath334upward to a position where that abutment is released.

The former333bends into a U-shape staples drawn to the staple bending position of the bending block bending block335and holds to guide U-shaped staples on the sides of the former333thereof to enable driving. Note that the position where the staple is bent by the former333corresponds to the staple driving position below.

In this state, the driver332released from abutting the former333by the protrusion, not shown in the figures, formed at the sheath334is displaced further upward leaving the former333in that position.

By displacing upward, the staple driving unit332bpositioned at the leading edge of the driver332displaces the bending block335to the front from the region of movement of the driver332and retracts.

The staple driving unit332bof the driver332displaced further upward separates from the adhesive staples that have been bent and are adhering to the next staple by adhesive tape. Formed and separated staples are driven by the binding media.

Next, the actuating lever340has arms extending left and right along the side surfaces of the anvil unit350. While nipping in the unit frame310, they are supported by the interlocking pivot shaft331disposed on the anvil unit350sides.

In addition, the paper thickness absorbing springs390are stretched between the anvil unit350in a central location on the left and right arms of the actuating lever340. These springs390constantly urge in the counterclockwise direction around the interlocking pivot shaft331to contact with the stopper351formed on the anvil unit350.

The notch341comprising 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 it clockwise around the interlocking pivot shaft331which is pressed and urged downward.

The anvil unit350, the anvil rocking pivot352on one side thereof rockingly supported on the pivot shaft312on the unit frame310, is constantly rotatingly urged in the clockwise direction by the anvil spring380around the pivot shaft312.

The anvil head353on the other side follows the rocking of the actuating lever340and rocks counter-clockwise resisting the urging force of the anvil spring380to nip and support the binding media at a position that corresponds to the thickness thereof.

Note that after the anvil unit350nips and supports the binding media by the paper thickness absorbing springs390, the actuating lever340continues acting alone in resistance to the resilient force of the paper thickness absorbing springs390because the anvil unit350is locked in that nipping position.

To the anvil head353that nips the binding media on the anvil unit350, the clincher unit360that has the left and right paired clinchers354for bending the leading edges of staples that have penetrated the binding media driven from below the binding media, is disposed to follow.

The clincher unit360comprises the clincher lever361and is supported by the pivot shaft312on the unit frame310which is also the pivot for the anvil rocking pivot352on the anvil unit350. To the leading edge of the clincher unit360is mounted the clincher head362that bends staples that have been driven and rocks the clincher354mounted to the anvil head353on the anvil unit350.

The clincher head362is press formed using a steel plate for a spring with a thickness of 1.5 mm while the clincher lever361is formed using a plated steel plate of a thickness of 2.0 mm, to absorb the difference in pressing stroke of the clincher354.

Next, the interlock lever370follows the rocking of the anvil unit350via the clincher spring400to rock the clincher unit360and is disposed to continue rotating with the rocking of the clincher drive lever, not shown in the drawings, while the anvil unit350nips and stops the binding media and after the anvil unit350stops at the nipping position that corresponds to the thickness of the binding media, it continues rotating to bend the staples.

The manual drive plate500is for resetting stapling defects by manually operating the stapler when a staple is not properly driven into the binding media and the defective staple prevents the stapler apparatus from operating and thus causes a stapling problem. The manual drive plate500is mated to the rotating shaft extending to the back side of the output shaft of the direct current motor of the electric drive unit, which is not shown.

FIG. 2is an exploded perspective view showing the cartridge holder200and staple cartridge100that are mounted on the stapler unit300inFIG. 1pulled out.

When pulling from the stapler unit300, first the cartridge lock lever600which abuts the staple cartridge100and urgingly supports in the mounting direction is manually pressed downward to release the abutting. Then, the staple cartridge100is pulled from the cartridge holder200.

Then, the cartridge holder200is pulled from the stapler unit300. Conversely, it is also possible to remove the staple cartridge100from the cartridge holder200after pulling out the cartridge holder200while the staple cartridge100is mounted to the cartridge holder200.

Note that the reverse procedures are acceptable when mounting the staple cartridge100and cartridge holder200to the stapler unit300.

The staple cartridge100is composed of a semi-transparent plastic case and comprises the storage unit102that stores the staple band material101into which sheets of a plurality of straight staples linked into a band are wrapped into a roll, and the pull-out guide103for pulling out the staple band material101.

The pull-out guide103is mounted to the cartridge holder200and is equipped with the opening104of the guide surface on the leading top side being widely cut away to abut the staple feed means202on the cartridge holder200, the back-feed stopper pawl105to arrest so that the staple band material101pulled out from the storage unit102does not return back into the storage unit102, and the leading edge stopper106that restricts the leading edge of the staple band material101that has been pulled out and that positions the leading edge thereof at the binding position while mounted to the stapler unit300.

Also, it comprises the feed pawl advancing protrusion107that protrudes into the guide surface on the top-side of the leading edge formed on the opening104on the pull-out guide103and advances the staple feed means202when mounting to the cartridge holder200to press the leading edge of staples in the staple band material01to the edge stopper106.

Furthermore, to both sides of the staple cartridge100are equipped the guide protrusion108guided when mounting to the cartridge holder200and the stopper pawl109stopped when mounting to the cartridge holder cartridge holder200.

Though not shown in the figures, it is possible to bend open the bottom portion of the staple cartridge100from an appropriate position on the back-feed stopper pawl105and the edge stopper106to the storage unit102. By opening, the back-feed stopper pawl105is released from stopping the staple band material101thereby making it possible to discard all remaining staples when discarding.

The cartridge holder200is composed of the holder unit201, the staple feed means202, the magnet203, the guide plate204comprising a non-magnetic body, the opening205, the guide206, the abutting hole207and the auxiliary table208.

The holder unit201is formed of a plastic material to cover the front half of the staple cartridge100.

The staple feed means202is rockingly supported on the holder unit201and is constantly urged to the staple 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 unit350and charged. It comprises a feed pawl for pressing the staple sheet surface of the staple band material101with the recovery action caused by the release of the charge to advance the staple band material101.

The magnet203and the guide plate204faces the staple to be driven at the binding position when mounted to the stapler unit300and the magnetic attraction of the magnet attracts mis-driven staples to discharge them outside from the stapler unit300.

The opening205is for setting the leading edge of the stopper106on the staple cartridge100and the leading edge of the staple to protrude and be set at the binding position.

The guide206is for guiding the guide protrusion108on the staple cartridge100and is composed of a cut-out groove and a bottom surface.

The abutting hole207abuts the stopper pawl108on the staple cartridge100and it is one of the supplementary stopping means on the staple cartridge100until the staple cartridge100is locked by the cartridge lock lever600.

The supplementary table208acts as the loading table where the binding media is loaded along with the table331on the staple head unit330, as shown inFIG. 1, when mounted to the stapler unit300.

FIG. 3shows the staple cartridge100disassembled. To describe the order of assembly, one of the two separated pieces of the staple cartridge, the cover100b, mates with the urging means701on the support shaft109bon the cover100b. While mated to the regulating means700bto regulate the unraveling of the stacked surface101aon the staple band101, the staple band member is mated to the cover100bfrom above. Then, pressing the urging means702to the shaft109aon the other cover100a, it mates and covers the regulating means700a. Finally, assembly is completed by inserting the return stopper pawl105to the staple band member101.

Particularly, the surfaces of the regulating means of700aand700bfacing the stacked surfaces101aand101bon the staple band material101can hold to a degree where it does not easily move even if there is a vibration, the rough surface considering the urging force of the urging means701and702. For example, with a surface that catches, such as VELCRO, hook and loop fasteners when there is no vibration, the forces to regulate the unraveling while in contact with the stacked surface of the staple band material101do not act together, however when there is vibration, they act mutually to not displace the relative positions by the vibrations to the staple band material101. This makes it possible to hold down the frictional force that occurs between the inner wall of the staple storage portion and the staple band material rolled surface to within a range that is not larger than the draw out force of the staple band material from the staple storage portion and check the phenomenon of biting to the staple cartridge of the staple band material subsequently drawn out, when the rolled staple band material widens in the rolled diameter direction, even when the rolled outside surface of the staple band material touches the inner wall of the staple storage portion.

Also, the regulating means700aand700bare the regulating plates rotatingly supported to the staple storage portion102. The surfaces of the regulating means700aand700bfacing the staple storage portion102slide easily and follow the rotation of the roller portion when drawing out the staple band member101to enable it to rotate. For example, their surfaces can be a metal plate such as aluminum that is thin and planar, the catching side portion of the aforementioned VELCRO, hook and loop fasteners being affixed to the metal plate.

Also, the regulating surface of the regulating means700aand700bcan be pointed needles such as those used in flower arrangement, rather than the catching part of the aforementioned VELCRO hook and loop fasteners. Furthermore, it is possible to regulate the displacement by the vibration of the staple band with the reverse action caused by the elastic deformation when elastically deforming by the needle tips of the staple band material that vibrate.

FIG. 4is a timing charge to illustrate the operation of each of the driver, former, anvil and clincher units' 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.

Initially, along with the setting to the stapling position of the binding media a staple execution instruction signal is output to the stapler apparatus from an outside source.

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 lever340in the downward direction by the anvil drive cam, which is not shown in the drawings, resisting the anvil spring380.

Following the displacement of the actuating lever340, the anvil unit350moves downward to start nipping the binding media.

Note that interlocked to the nipping of the anvil unit350, the clincher unit360interlocked by the interlock lever370and the clincher spring400follows the anvil unit350.

In describing the operation of the anvil unit360, beginning from the idling position A0, rocking stops at a nipped position according to the thickness (the number of sheets) of the binding media set at the binding position, between the position A1where, for example, 100 pages of binding media are nipped to the position A2where 0 pages are nipped of binding media.

After nipping the binding media by the anvil unit360, only the actuating lever340continues displacement resisting the paper thickness absorbing springs390. The anvil unit360maintains a displaced state to the position equivalent to the position A3by applying an over-stroke to the position A2to enable the secure nipping even if there are 0 pages of binding media, in consideration of variations in parts and their assembly, to complete the nipping operation of the binding media using the anvil unit360.

Before operating to the position A3to complete the nipping operation of the binding media using the anvil unit360, the driver drive cam CA40, shown inFIG. 4displaces the driver332, which is not shown in the drawing, upward, and the former333following this displacement is pressed upward.

The driver332begins moving from the position D1when the clincher unit360is beyond the position A1, at position D2, the former333presses 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 block335to guide it, both leading edges of the staple are secured front, back left and right by the non-magnetic materials of the guide plate204walls composed of the former333, the bending block335and the cartridge holder200.

Then, the leading edges that touch the formed staple of the driver332are pressed into the oblique surfaces of the bending block335. The leading edge portion of the driver332touches the formed staple at the position D3with the bending block335retracted from the area of movement of the leading edge of the driver332. The leading edge of the formed staple pressed by the driver332delayed from the position A3where the anvil350nips the binding media reaches the position D4that touches the surface of the sheet of the binding media to start driving the formed staple into the binding media by the driver332.

After the driver332starts driving the staple, at the same time that the abutting portion that was abutting the former333on the driver332is released from abutting, by the level protrusion on the sheath334at the slightly delayed position D5, the former333is released from abutting with the driver332at the position D6just prior to the leading edge of the former333touching the surface of the sheets in the binding media and the former333stops and the former guides the bend staple driven by the driver332.

Continuing on, the formed staple is driven by the driver332, and after the formed staple crown touches the surface of the sheets in the binding media at the position D7, the driver332is further driven by the driver drive cam at the position D8, but because the driver332cannot press the formed staples in, the driver332comprising a leaf spring, itself is elastically deformed the amount of the over-stroke to absorb the difference of the mounting position to securely drive the formed staple.

The clincher unit360is rocked by the clincher drive unit602pressed downward by the clincher drive cam CA10shown inFIG. 11from position C1immediately after the position D8where the formed staple is driven by the driver332, pressing the clincher354to complete the clinching operation at the position C2by bending the leading edges of the staples that have penetrated the binding media.

After the clinching operation is completed, first, the recover operation is started for the driver332at the position D11. The former333partway is re-interlocked and returned to the position D0which is equivalent to the initial position passing through the positions of D12and D13.

The anvil unit350recovery operation is started slightly delayed to the recovery operation of the driver332and is returned to the position A7which is equivalent to the initial position passing through the position A6.

Finally, the anvil unit360recovery operation is started slightly delayed to the recovery operation of the driver350and is returned to the position C4which is equivalent to the initial position to complete the series of the staple operation.