Abstract:
Disclosed in a stapling device that is sound, safe, convenient and not easy to get lost and that is applicable to staples of multiple specifications. A casing has a rear end to which an adjustor is set. The adjustor has a fitting portion that is comprised of two or more than two fitting blocks each having an engaging face that is spaced from a central axis of the adjustor by a different distance. A rear end of the casing is provided with a depress-to-fix member corresponding to the adjustor. The depress-to-fix member forms a fitting slot. This arrangement allows selective change engagement between the fitting slot and different fitting blocks thereby changing the set position of a rear guide plate and realizing change of gap size of a staple outlet opening for being applicable to staples of different specifications.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention generally relates to as stapling device, and in particular to a stapling device that is readily and safety applicable to staples of different wire gauges. 
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
       [0002]    In order to use staples of different wire gauges in a stapling device, the stapling device must be structured in such a way to change a gap size or width of a staple outlet opening. An example is shown in  FIG. 1 , wherein a stapling device has a casing  10  that is formed by mating two opposing casing members and has opposite end portions respectively forming a staple ejection portion  101  and a magazine access portion  102 . The staple ejection portion  101  movably receives therein a staple striker plate  11 . The casing  30  has a lower portion forming a receiving seat  12  that slidably receives a staple magazine  20  therein and has a rear end forming a retention hole  120  and a front end having opposite inner faces respectively forming a front retention block  131  and a rear retention block  132 , which are spaced from a front edge of the receiving seat  12  by different distances. A front guide plate  15  has a first end  151  and a second end  152  and forms first and second extensions that respectively project from intermediate sections of opposite walls. Upper and lower edges of the first extension  161  respectively form a first front notch  171  and a second rear notch  182 , and the second extension  162  forms, in upper and lower edges thereof, a second front notch  181  and a first rear notch  172 . The staple magazine  20  is slidably received into the receiving seat  12  through the magazine access portion  102  and has a front end forming a rear guide plate  21  that is substantially parallel to the front guide plate  15 . The front and rear guide plats  15 ,  21  form therebetween staple outlet openings A, B (see  FIGS. 2 and 3 ) for ejecting staples. The staple magazine  20  has a staple pusher  22  arranged thereon and has a rear end to which a depress-to-fix member  45  that can automatically effect upward position returning is rotatably mounted to. The depress-to-fix member  25  forms a fitting block  250 , which is engageable with the retention slot  120  when the staple magazine  20  slides into the receiving seat  12  so as allow the staple magazine  20  to be set in the receiving seat  12  and also allow the staple magazine  20  to be withdrawn by depressing the depress-to-fix member  25  to disengage the fitting block  250  from the retention slot  120 . 
         [0003]    In operation, as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the front guide plate  15  is rotated in accordance with the staple wire gauge of the staples used to have first front notch  171  and the first rear notch  172 , or the second front notch  181  and the second rear notch  182 , engaging the front and rear retention blocks  131 ,  123 , pointing the first end  151  or the second end  152  downward. Since the first front and rear notches  171 ,  172  and the second front and rear notches  181 ,  182  are spaced from the front edge of the front guide plate  15  by different distances, the gap size or width of the first and second ends  151 ,  152  with respect to the rear guide plate  21  can be selectively set to a first staple outlet opening A (see  FIG. 2 ) that is relatively narrow and is applicable to staples of a small wire gauge or a second staple outlet opening B (see  FIG. 3 ) that is relatively wide and is applicable to staples of a great wire. 
         [0004]    The operation of setting gap size of width of the staple outlet opening is realized through the front guide plate  15  that is selectively set in engagement with or disengaging from the receiving seat  12  and the engagement is primarily done by means of the first front and rear notches  171 ,  172  and the second front and rear notches  181 ,  182 . However, since the front guide plate  15  is arranged in the staple ejection portion  101 , within which the staple striker plate  11  that effects powerful downward striking is received. This arrangement is based on the front and rear retention blocks  131 ,  132  to relatively fix the front guide plate  15 , which is susceptible to loosening and results in instability. Thus, the first front and rear notches  171 ,  172  and the first and second notches  182 ,  182  must be tightly fit with the front and rear retention blocks  131 ,  132  to prevent the front guide plate  15  from getting loosened in the operation of stapling. This, however, makes it difficult to release and re-orient the front guide plate, leading to inconvenience of operation. Further, after a long term of operation, the front plate  15  may still get loosened due to the successive and powerful striking of the staples and this may lead to potential risk. Further, the front guide plate  15  may get lost when it is stored. This causes troubles to the user. Further, the conventional stapling device is only applicable to staples of two different staple wire gauges; this stands for a limitation to the application of the stapling device. Conclusively, the conventional stapling device may be further improved in the respects of structural stability, operation convenience, safety of staple striking, loss of parts, and universal capability for multiple specifications. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The primary objective of the present inventor is to provide a stapling device that is applicable to staples of different wire gauges and features soundness, safety, and being not easy to get lost to thereby enhance the convenience thereof and ensure structural stability for improving the operation safety and not easy to get lost for the stapling device. 
         [0006]    The present invention provides a stapling device that is universally applicable to staples of multiple staple wire gauges to allow a user to use a single stapling device to handle staples of multiple wire gauges and thus enhancing operation convenience. 
         [0007]    The present invention provide a stapling device that comprises an adjustor to change the position of a staple magazine in a front-rear direction thereby changing the opening size of a staple outlet opening defined between front and rear guide plates, whereby the operation is made easy, structural soundness and safety are improved, detachment and loss of parts can be avoided, and the variability of the opening size of staple outlet is enhanced. Thus, the added value of the stapling device is increased and the economic value is also improved. 
         [0008]    The foregoing objective and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts. 
         [0009]    Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a conventional stapling device. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating the operation of the conventional stapling device with staples of small wire gauge. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating the operation of the conventional stapling device with staples of large gauge. 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is an exploded view of a stapling device constructed in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the stapling device of the first embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the stapling device of the first embodiment of the present invention, observed from the rear side, illustrating the spatial arrangement of an adjustor and depress-to-fix member thereof. 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view illustrating the operation of the stapling device of the first embodiment of the present invention with staples of small wire gauge. 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view illustrating the operation of the stapling device of the first embodiment of the present invention with staples of large wire gauge. 
           [0018]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view illustrating an adjustor for a stapling device constructed in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional view of the adjustor of the stapling device of the second embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 11  is an exploded view of a stapling device constructed in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the stapling device of the third embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 13  is a cross-sectional view of the stapling device of the third embodiment of the present invention, observed from the rear side. 
           [0023]      FIG. 14  is a cross-sectional view illustrating the operation of the stapling device of the third embodiment of the present invention with staples of small wire gauge. 
           [0024]      FIG. 15  is a cross-sectional view illustrating the operation of the stapling device of the third embodiment of the present invention with staples of large wire gauge. 
           [0025]      FIG. 16  is a perspective view illustrating an adjustor for a stapling device constructed in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0026]      FIG. 17  is a cross-sectional view of the adjustor of the stapling device of the fourth embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0027]    The following descriptions are exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. 
         [0028]    The present invention provides a stapling device that has a staple ejection opening of which the width is adjustable in a safe, stable, convenient, and part-loss-free manner. 
         [0029]    Referring to  FIGS. 4-8 , the stapling device of the present invention is comprised of a casing  30 , a staple magazine  40 , and an adjustor  50 . The staple magazine  40  is slidably fit into a lower portion of the casing  30  and the adjustor  50  is mounted to the casing  30  for adjusting the position setting of the staple magazine  40 . 
         [0030]    The casing  30  is formed by mating two casing members and has opposite end portions respectively forming a staple ejection portion  301  and a magazine access portion  302 . The staple ejection portion  301  movably receives therein a staple striker plate. The magazine access portion  302  functions to slidably receive the staple magazine  40  therein and to set the position of the staple magazine  40 . The casing  30  has a lower portion forming a hollow, U-shaped receiving seat  31 . A front guide plate  35  is arranged in the staple ejection portion  301 . The magazine access portion  302  has opposite side walls respectively forming shaft holders  321 ,  322  for mounting the adjustor  50 . 
         [0031]    The staple magazine  40  has a front end forming a rear guide plate  41  that extends downward therefrom. A staple pusher  42  is slidably mounted atop the staple magazine  40 . A depress-to-fix member  45  is rotatably mounted to a rear end of the staple magazine  40  by means of a pivot pin  46  to correspond to the adjustor  50 . A resilient element  47  is arranged between a rear end of the depress-to-fix member  45  and an inner bottom face of the staple magazine  40  to provide a biasing force that biases the depress-to-fix member  45  upward. The depress-to-fix member  45  forms a fitting slot  48  for selective engagement with the adjustor  50 . 
         [0032]    The adjustor  50  comprises a rotatable shaft  51  that is rotatably supported by the shaft holders  321 ,  322 . The shaft  51  comprises a fitting portion  52  that forms at least two fitting blocks  521 ,  522  for individually and selectively fitting into and thus engaging the fitting slot  48 . The two fitting blocks  521 ,  522  each have an engaging face that is distant from a central axis of the shaft  51  by a different distance for respectively setting the rear guide plate  41  at different positions and thus allowing the rear guide plate  41  and the front guide plate  35  to selectively form first and second staple outlet openings A, B of different opening sizes (see  FIGS. 7 and 8 ). Opposite ends of the shaft  51  form a polygonal rotation stop block  53  and an operation portion  55  that is also polygonal. The rotation stop block  53  and the operation portion  55  are made polygonal to correspond to the number of the fitting blocks  521 ,  522 . The shaft holders  321 ,  322  respectively form a rotation stop slot  33  and a position-setting slot  34  corresponding to and mating the rotation stop block  53  and the operation portion  55  respectively for selectively cooperating with the fitting blocks  521 ,  522  to effect position setting by engagement of the fitting blocks with the fitting slot. The shaft  51  forms a stop  54  opposing a wall of the casing  30  and is biased by a restoration resilient element  56 , whereby when the rotation stop block  53  and the operation portion  55  are moved to disengage from the rotation stop slot  33  and the position-setting slot  34 , the restoration resilient element  56  generates a spring force that tends to restore the original position and with such a position-restoration spring force, the shaft  51  is normally maintained in a such a position where the rotation stop block  53  and the operation portion  55  stay in mating engagement with the rotation stop slot  33  and the position-setting slot  34  respectively. Thus, the adjustor  50  can be properly fixed inside the casing  30  without undesired rotation. 
         [0033]    As shown in  FIGS. 5-8 , the operation of the present invention is that one of the fitting blocks of the shaft  51 , for example the fitting block  521 , which corresponds to a gauge number of the staple loaded or to be loaded in the stapling device, is set opposing downward, whereby when the staple magazine  40  is slidably pushed into the receiving seat  31 , the depress-to-fix member  45  is depressed down to allow the staple magazine  40  to move to a desired position to be set and then the depress-to-fix member  45  is released and is allowed to automatically return upward to have the fitting slot  48  thereof engage the fitting block  521  by which the position of the staple magazine  40  is set. In this way, the rear guide plate  41  and the front guide plate  35  form therebetween a first staple outlet opening A (see  FIG. 7 ) that is for staples of a first (and perhaps small) wire gauge and the stapling device is thus applicable for staples of the first gauge. 
         [0034]    To operate with staples of a second (and perhaps great) gauge, the depress-to-fix member  45  is depressed down again to disengage the fitting slot  48  from the fitting block  521  and now the adjustor  50  is moved axially along the shaft  51  by manually and outward pulling the operation portion  55 . The rotation stop block  53  and the operation portion  55  are moved out of engagement with the rotation stop slot  33  and the position-setting slot  34  so as to allow the rotation of the shaft  51  to set the other fitting block  522  to face downward. Releasing the shaft  51  then allows the shaft  51  to return to the original axial position by the spring force of the restoration resilient element  56  and the rotation stop block  53  and the operation portion  55  are once against set in engagement with the rotation stop slot  33  and the position-setting slot  34 . At this time, releasing the depress-to-fix member  45  allows the depress-to-fix member  45  to automatically return upward, making the fitting slot  48  engaging the other fitting block  522 . Due to the distance of the fitting block  522  with respect to the central axis of the shaft  51 , the staple magazine  40  is now slightly backward retracted and set in a new position where the rear guide plate  41  and the front guide plate  35  form therebetween a second staple outlet opening B (see  FIG. 8 ) that is for staples of a second (and perhaps great) wire gauge and the stapling device is thus applicable for staples of the second and large gauge. 
         [0035]    The present invention provide a stapling device that uses an adjustor  50  arranged in the magazine access portion  302  to adjust the gap size or width of the staple outlet opening. Since no part that is subjected to high speed movement or great magnitude of operating force, the structure for the adjustment of the gap size can be made relatively stable. Thus, as compared to the conventional structures for adjusting the gap size, the present invention offers the efficacy of being sound and stable, thereby substantially improving operation safety. Further, for the structure for adjusting gap size of staple outlet opening in accordance with the present invention, since it is integrated with the casing  30  of a stapling device and requires no loosening of part in operation thereof, there will be no worry about loss or undesired detachment of parts. And, adjustment of gap size of staple outlet opening can be easily realized through pulling and rotating the adjustor  50 . This further enhances the convenience of operation. 
         [0036]    As shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , the adjustor  50  can alternatively be structured by forming four fitting blocks  521 ,  522 ,  523 ,  524  that are selectively fit into and engageable with the fitting slot  48 . The four fitting blocks  521 ,  522 ,  523 ,  524  each have an engaging face that is distant from the central axis of the shaft  51  by a different distance, as shown in  FIG. 10 , to increase the number of selectable setting positions for the staple magazine  40 , where the rear guide plate  41  and the front guide plate  35  forms therebetween a staple outlet opening of different width or gap size. This allows the stapling device to be applicable to staples of further different gauges. 
         [0037]    As shown in  FIGS. 11-15 , a different embodiment is given, wherein the adjustor  60  comprises a transversely-extending shaft  61  that is linearly movable or slidable in the transverse direction. The shaft  61  comprises a fitting portion  62  that forms at least two fitting blocks  621 ,  622  spaced in the transverse direction on a bottom of the shaft  61 . The two fitting blocks  621 ,  622  have engaging faces that are distant from a central axis of the shaft  61  by different distances so as to make the rear guide plate  41  and the front guide plate  35  selectively forming first and second staple outlet openings A, B of different opening sizes (see  FIGS. 14 and 15 ). Opposite ends of the shaft  61  form push sections  63  that transversely project out of the casing  30 . As shown in  FIGS. 16 and 17 , the adjustor  60  can alternatively be structured by forming three fitting blocks  621 ,  622 ,  623 , which have engaging faces that are distant from the central axis of the shaft  61  by different distances, as shown in  FIG. 17 , so as to selectively make the rear guide plate  41  and the front guide plate  35  forming therebetween a staple outlet opening of different width or gap size. This allows the stapling device to be applicable to staples of further different gauges. 
         [0038]    While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.