Abstract:
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.

Description:
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. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a plan view comprising a sectional view of a stapler device mounted with the staple cartridge according to the embodiment of the instant invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a plan view of the disassembled units of the stapler device mounted with the staple cartridge according to the embodiment of the instant invention. 
       FIG. 3  is a disassembled perspective view of the staple cartridge according to the invention. 
       FIG. 4  is a timing chart of the operations of the stapler apparatus mounted with the staple cartridge according to the invention. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE REFERENCE NUMERALS 
   
       
         100  Staple cartridge 
         101  Staple band material 
         101   a ,  101   b  Stack surfaces 
         102  Staple storage portion 
         200  Cartridge holder 
         300  Stapler unit 
         700  Regulating means (Regulating plate) 
     
  
   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     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 . 
   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 spring  390 , the clincher spring  400  and the manual drive plate  500 . 
   The unit frame  310  is 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 guide  301 , which is shown in FIG.  2  and the staple head unit  330  in 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 unit  330  and the anvil unit  350  via the actuating lever  340  and the interlock lever  370  and by driving the clincher unit  360  it controls the series of operations of the stapler. 
   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 . 
   Furthermore, the staple head unit  330  starts the upward direction displacement of the driver  332  pressed 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 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. 
   The former  333  bends into a U-shape staples drawn to the staple bending position of the bending block bending block  335  and holds to guide U-shaped staples on the sides of the former  333  thereof to enable driving. Note that the position where the staple is bent by the former  333  corresponds to the staple driving position below. 
   In this state, the driver  332  released from abutting the former  333  by the protrusion, not shown in the figures, formed at the sheath  334  is displaced further upward leaving the former  333  in that position. 
   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 region of movement of the driver  332  and retracts. 
   The staple driving unit  332   b  of the driver  332  displaced 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 lever  340  has arms extending left and right along the side surfaces of the anvil unit  350 . While nipping in the unit frame  310 , they are supported by the interlocking pivot shaft  331  disposed on the anvil unit  350  sides. 
   In addition, the paper thickness absorbing springs  390  are stretched between the anvil unit  350  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 contact with the stopper  351  formed on the anvil unit  350 . 
   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 it clockwise around the interlocking pivot shaft  331  which is pressed and urged downward. 
   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 . 
   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 media at a position that corresponds to the thickness thereof. 
   Note that after the anvil unit  350  nips and supports the binding media by the paper thickness absorbing springs  390 , the actuating lever  340  continues acting alone in resistance to the resilient force of the paper thickness absorbing springs  390  because the anvil unit  350  is locked in that nipping position. 
   To the anvil head  353  that nips the binding media on 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 media driven from below the binding media, is disposed to follow. 
   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 bends staples that have been driven and rocks the clincher  354  mounted to the anvil head  353  on the anvil unit  350 . 
   The clincher head  362  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, to absorb the difference in pressing stroke of the clincher  354 . 
   Next, the interlock lever  370  follows the rocking of the anvil unit  350  via the clincher spring  400  to rock the clincher unit  360  and is disposed to continue rotating with the rocking of the clincher drive lever, not shown in the drawings, while the anvil unit  350  nips and stops the binding media and after the anvil unit  350  stops at the nipping position that corresponds to the thickness of the binding media, it continues rotating to bend the staples. 
   The manual drive plate  500  is 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 plate  500  is 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. 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. 
   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 manually pressed downward to release the abutting. Then, the staple cartridge  100  is pulled from the cartridge holder  200 . 
   Then, the cartridge holder  200  is pulled 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 . 
   Note that the reverse procedures are acceptable when mounting the staple cartridge  100  and cartridge holder  200  to the stapler unit  300 . 
   The staple cartridge  100  is composed of a semi-transparent plastic case and comprises the storage unit  102  that stores the staple band 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 band material  101 . 
   The pull-out guide  103  is mounted to the cartridge holder  200  and is equipped with the opening  104  of 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 band material  101  pulled out from the storage unit  102  does not return back into the storage unit  102 , and the leading edge stopper  106  that restricts the leading edge of the staple band 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 . 
   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 band material  01  to the edge stopper  106 . 
   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 . 
   Though not shown in the figures, it is possible to bend open the bottom portion of the staple cartridge  100  from an appropriate position on the back-feed stopper pawl  105  and the edge stopper  106  to the storage unit  102 . By opening, the back-feed stopper pawl  105  is released from stopping the staple band material  101  thereby making it possible to discard all remaining staples when discarding. 
   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 auxiliary table  208 . 
   The holder unit  201  is formed of a plastic material to cover the front half of the staple cartridge  100 . 
   The staple feed means  202  is rockingly supported on the holder unit  201  and 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 unit  350  and charged. It comprises a feed pawl for pressing the staple sheet surface of the staple band material  101  with the recovery action caused by the release of the charge to advance the staple band material  101 . 
   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 attracts mis-driven staples to discharge them outside from the stapler unit  300 . 
   The opening  205  is for setting the leading edge of the stopper  106  on the staple cartridge  100  and the leading edge of the staple to protrude and be set at the binding position. 
   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. 
   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 . 
   The supplementary table  208  acts as the loading table where the binding media 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 . 
     FIG. 3  shows the staple cartridge  100  disassembled. To describe the order of assembly, one of the two separated pieces of the staple cartridge, the cover  100   b , mates with the urging means  701  on the support shaft  109   b  on the cover  100   b . While mated to the regulating means  700   b  to regulate the unraveling of the stacked surface  101   a  on the staple band  101 , the staple band member is mated to the cover  100   b  from above. Then, pressing the urging means  702  to the shaft  109   a  on the other cover  100   a , it mates and covers the regulating means  700   a . Finally, assembly is completed by inserting the return stopper pawl  105  to the staple band member  101 . 
   Particularly, the surfaces of the regulating means of  700   a  and  700   b  facing the stacked surfaces  101   a  and  101   b  on the staple band material  101  can 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 means  701  and  702 . 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 material  101  do not act together, however when there is vibration, they act mutually to not displace the relative positions by the vibrations to the staple band material  101 . 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 means  700   a  and  700   b  are the regulating plates rotatingly supported to the staple storage portion  102 . The surfaces of the regulating means  700   a  and  700   b  facing the staple storage portion  102  slide easily and follow the rotation of the roller portion when drawing out the staple band member  101  to 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 means  700   a  and  700   b  can 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. 4  is a timing charge 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 . 
   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 lever  340  in the downward direction by the anvil drive cam, which is not shown in the drawings, resisting the anvil spring  380 . 
   Following the displacement of the actuating lever  340 , the anvil unit  350  moves downward to start nipping the binding media. 
   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 . 
   In describing the operation of the anvil unit  360 , beginning from the idling position A 0 , 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 A 1  where, for example, 100 pages of binding media are nipped to the position A 2  where 0 pages are nipped of binding media. 
   After nipping the binding media by the anvil unit  360 , only the actuating lever  340  continues displacement resisting the paper thickness absorbing springs  390 . The anvil unit  360  maintains a displaced state 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 binding media, in consideration of variations in parts and their assembly, to complete the nipping operation of the binding media using the anvil unit  360 . 
   Before operating to the position A 3  to complete the nipping operation of the binding media using the anvil unit  360 , the driver drive cam CA 40 , shown in  FIG. 4  displaces the driver  332 , which is not shown in the drawing, upward, and the former  333  following this displacement is pressed upward. 
   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 . 
   Then, the leading edges that touch the formed staple of the driver  332  are pressed into the oblique surfaces of the bending block  335 . The leading edge portion of the driver  332  touches the formed staple at the position D 3  with the bending block  335  retracted from the area of movement of the leading edge of the driver  332 . The leading edge of the formed staple pressed by the driver  332  delayed from the position A 3  where the anvil  350  nips the binding media reaches the position D 4  that touches the surface of the sheet of the binding media to start driving the formed staple into the binding media by the driver  332 . 
   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 in the binding media and the former  333  stops and the former guides the bend staple driven by the driver  332 . 
   Continuing on, the formed staple is driven by the driver  332 , and after the formed staple crown touches the surface of the sheets in the binding media at the position D 7 , the driver  332  is further driven by the driver drive cam at the position D 8 , but because the driver  332  cannot press the formed staples in, the driver  332  comprising 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 unit  360  is rocked by the clincher drive unit  602  pressed downward by the clincher drive cam CA 10  shown in  FIG. 11  from position C 1  immediately after the position D 8  where the formed staple is driven by the driver  332 , 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 media. 
   After the clinching operation is completed, first, the recover operation is started for the driver  332  at the position D 11 . The former  333  partway 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 . 
   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 . 
   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.