Patent Publication Number: US-2005132859-A1

Title: Electromotive hole puncher

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
      Not Applicable  
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
      Not Applicable  
     FIELD OF INVENTION  
      This invention relates to an electromotive hole puncher, particularly to an electromotive hole puncher with an adjustable number of punches so as to meet various punch-hole specifications.  
     BACKGROUND  
      The commercially available hole punchers are mostly manually driven double-hole or single-hole press punches, which are able to form punches at predetermined locations of a piece of paper inserted between a paper recess of a paper support upon an operator pressing a lever downwards to facilitate subsequently binding tasks.  
      Since hole punchers having fixed punch positions cannot be adapted to various punch-hole specifications, there have been developed numerous hole punchers with adjustable punch positions or adjustable distance between the punch positions in the market. For example, TW337245Y disclosed an adjusting mechanism for a hole puncher for adjusting the punch positions; TW521693Y disclosed an improved hole puncher capable of selectively shielding a punch die by means of a control plate.  
      Other electromotive hole punchers have also been developed to allow easy operation, such as those disclosed in TW176321Y and TW398398Y. Such electromotive hole punchers are provided with punch dies at fixed positions and/or a contact switch at the paper recess of the paper support, such that upon inserting a piece of paper to be punched into the recess provided on the hole puncher, the paper would activate the contact switch to turn on a motor for generating a power to drive rotation movements of fly wheels provided at opposing sides of transmission gears and reciprocal movements of sliding shafts on the fly wheels thereby activating punch dies to punch holes on the paper.  
      However, such electromotive hole punchers have not yet provided a simple mechanism for determining the number of punches in an easy operative manner so as to meet various punch-hole specifications.  
      Hence, it is an important topic in the industry to provide a hole puncher featuring with a simple mechanism for determining the number of punches in an easy operative manner.  
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
      It is a primary objective this invention is to provide an electromotive hole puncher, capable of adjusting the distance between the punch positions in accordance with the required punch-hole specifications, so as to provide more flexibility of the hole puncher.  
      It is a further objective of this invention to provide an electromotive hole puncher, featuring with a simple mechanism for determining the number of punches in an easy operative manner so as to provide different punch positions and punch distance.  
      To achieve the above objectives and to resolve disadvantages of prior art, this invention discloses an electromotive hole puncher, comprising: a base; at least one actuatable driving device affixed to a predetermined position on the base, the actuatable driving devices each being selectively locked to a first position or a second position; a predetermined number of punch units being equivalent to the number of driving devices, and affixed to the base at positions corresponding to the driving devices, wherein the corresponding actuatable driving devices and punch units are situated at different levels when the actuatable driving devices are each at the first position, and the corresponding actuatable driving devices and punch units are situated at the same level when the actuatable driving devices are each at the second position, whereby the punch unit is selectively driven by the driving device; and a transmission mechanism, for transmitting a driving power to each of the driving devices.  
      According to one aspect of this invention, the punch units each comprise: a paper support, the paper support being formed with a paper recess at an end thereof; a punch die slidably provided to the paper support, the punch die being provided with a cutting blade at an end face thereof, a recovering spring engaging over the punch die; and an urging block affixed to another end face of the punch die.  
      According to one aspect of this invention, the actuatable driving devices each comprise: a gear driven by the transmission mechanism; a cam affixed to a rotating shaft of the gear and rotating synchronously with the gear; and an actuator affixed to the cam and subjecting the cam to be selectively locked to the first position or the second position, wherein the cam and the urging block of the corresponding punch unit are situated at different levels when the cam is at the first position, and the cam and the urging block of the corresponding punch unit are situated at the same level when the cam is at the second position.  
      According to one aspect of this invention, the punch dies each comprise: a reduced neck; a paper-retaining pin and a spring, inserted into the punch die through a tail end thereof; and a mounting peg, for retaining the paper-retaining pin and the spring in the punch die, such that the paper-retaining pin is able to displace reciprocally within the paper-retaining pin by means of compression and expansion of the spring.  
      According to one aspect of this invention, the electromotive hole puncher further comprises: a powering device for driving the transmission mechanism.  
      According to one aspect of this invention, the powering device is a motor.  
      According to one aspect of this invention, the transmission mechanism includes a reducing mechanism constructed of a plurality of meshing gears.  
      According to one aspect of this invention, the gear is an eccentric wheel.  
      According to one aspect of this invention, the electromotive hole puncher further comprises: a stationary driving device affixed to a predetermined position of the base, wherein the stationary driving device and a corresponding punch unit are situated at the same level.  
      According to one aspect of this invention, the stationary driving device comprises: a gear driven by the transmission mechanism; and a cam affixed to a rotating shaft of the gear and rotating synchronously with the gear, the cam and the corresponding punch unit are situated at the same level.  
      According to one aspect of this invention, the gear is an eccentric wheel. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      These and other modifications and advantages will become even more apparent from the following detained description of a preferred embodiment of the invention and from the drawings in which:  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a punching mechanism for an electromotive hole puncher according to this invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the electromotive hole puncher in  FIG. 1  upon removal of part of the housing;  
       FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective of the electromotive hole puncher in  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 4  is an enlarged perspective view of a stationary driving device and its corresponding punch unit according to this invention;  
       FIG. 5  is an enlarged perspective view of an actuatable driving device and its corresponding punch unit according to this invention; and  
       FIG. 6  is an exploded perspective view of a chip ejecting device implemented in the punch unit according to this invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS)  
      With reference to FIGS.  1  to  3 ,  FIGS. 1 and 3  illustrate  FIG. 1  is a perspective view and an exploded view of a punching mechanism for an electromotive hole puncher according to this invention, respectively;  FIG. 2  illustrates a perspective view of the electromotive hole puncher in  FIG. 1  upon removal of part of the housing.  
      As shown in  FIG. 1 , the electromotive hole puncher according to this invention includes a punching mechanism  10  Because the punching mechanism  10  is the primary mechanism based on which this invention offers the electromotive-punching effect, the punching mechanism  10  will be referred to as a hole puncher throughout this invention.  
      As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the hole puncher (punching mechanism)  10  comprises: a base  20 ; at least one driving device  30 ,  40 , affixed to a predetermined position of the base  20 , wherein at least one of the driving devices is an actuatable driving device  40 . The embodiment illustrated in this invention includes four driving devices  30 ,  40 , that is, two stationary driving devices  30  and two actuatable driving devices  40 . The hole puncher  10  also includes a predetermined number of punch units  50  being equivalent to the number of driving devices  30 ,  40 , and affixed to the base  20  at positions corresponding to the driving devices  30 ,  40 , to be selectively driven by the driving devices  30 ,  40 ; a transmission mechanism  60  for transmitting a driving power to each of the driving device  33 ,  40 . With reference to  FIG. 3 , the transmission mechanism  60  may be driven by a motor  70  or any other suitable powering devices, and includes a reducing mechanism constructed of a plurality of meshing gears that are operatively meshed with the driving devices  30 ,  40 .  
       FIG. 4  is an enlarged perspective view of a stationary driving device  30  and its corresponding punch unit  50 . As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 6 , the punch unit  50  includes: a paper support  52 , the paper support  52  being formed with a paper recess  522  at an end thereof; a punch die  54  slidably provided to the paper support  52 , the punch die  54  being provided with a cutting blade  542  at an end face thereof; a recovering spring  56  engaging over the punch die  54 ; and an urging block  58  affixed to another end face of the punch die  54 .  
      As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , according to this invention, the punch die  54  may further be provided therein with a paper-retaining pin  544  to assist in retaining a piece of paper inserted in the paper recess  522  during punching. As shown in  FIG. 6 , the punch dies  54  each comprise: a reduced neck  541 ; a paper-retaining pin  544  and a spring  545 , inserted into the punch die  54  through a tail end thereof, the paper-retaining pin  544  and the spring  545  being retained in the punch die  54  by a mounting peg  546 , such that the paper-retaining pin  544  is able to displace reciprocally within the punch die  54  by means of compression and expansion of the spring  545 , for preventing jamming of the punch die  54  by ejecting paper chips accumulated in the punch die  54 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 5 , the stationary driving device  30  includes: a gear  32  driven by the transmission mechanism  60 ; a cam  34  affixed to a rotating shaft of the gear  32  and rotating synchronously with the gear  32 , wherein the cam  34  and the urging block  58  of a corresponding punch unit  54  are situated at the same level. As such, when the transmission mechanism  60  drives rotation of the gear  32 , the gear  32  will subsequently drive rotation of the cam  34  thereby pressing the urging block  58  and corresponding punch die  54  situated at the same level, subjecting the cutting blade  542  to punch a hole on a piece of paper inserted in the paper recess  522 . After the gear  32  is driven to rotate for a complete revolution, the cam  34  adapts to rotate for a complete revolution and returns to the original state of not contacting the urging block  58 , while the recovering spring  56  also recovers the urging block  58  and punch die  54  to a non-compressed state.  
       FIG. 5  is an enlarged perspective view of an actuatable driving device  40  and its corresponding punch unit  50 .  
      The punch die  50  illustrated in  FIG. 5  consists of the same structure as that illustrated in  FIG. 4  and is not repeated hereafter.  
      With reference to  FIG. 5 , the actuatable driving device  40  includes a gear  42  driven by the transmission mechanism  60 ; a cam  44  affixed to a rotating shaft of the gear  42  and rotating synchronously with the gear  42 ; and an actuator  46  affixed to the cam  44 . The actuator  46  may be of a conventional construction consisting of alternatively-arranged deep and shallow grooves, projections and a recovering spring, such that each pushing action will selectively lock the cam  44  to a first position or a second position. The details of the actuator  46  are not repeated herein.  
      According to this invention, the cam  44  and the urging block  58  of the corresponding punch unit  50  are situated at different levels when the cam  44  is at the first position, where the cam  44  may either be situated at a lower or a higher level, whereas the cam  44  and the urging block  58  of the corresponding punch unit  50  are situated at the same level when the cam is at the second position.  
      As such, when the actuator  46  locks the cam  44  to the first position, even if the transmission mechanism  60  drives rotation of the gear  42 , the cam  44  is incapable of causing the cam  34  to press the urging block  58  and corresponding punch die  54  because they are not situated at the same level.  
      On the other hand, if the actuator  46  locks the cam  44  to the second position, when the transmission mechanism  60  drives rotation of the gear  42 , the gear  42  is able to drive rotation of the cam  44  thereby pressing the urging block  58  and corresponding punch die  54  situated at the same level, subjecting the cutting blade  542  to punch a hole on a piece of paper inserted in the paper recess  522 .  
      Like the stationary driving device  30  previously described, after the gear  42  is driven to rotate for a complete revolution, the cam  44  adapts to rotate for a complete revolution and returns to the original state of not contacting the urging block  58 , while the recovering spring  56  also recovers the urging block  58  and punch die  54  to a non-compressed state.  
      According to an embodiment of this invention, the gears  32 ,  42  of the driving devices  30 ,  40  may each be an eccentric wheel, such that the cams  34 ,  44  are able to effectively press the urging blocks  48  situated at the same level when the transmission mechanism  60  drives rotation of the gears  32 ,  42 , thereby pushing the cutting blade  542  formed at the end face of the punch dies  54  towards the paper recess  522 .  
      According to this invention, operators are able to control whether each of the independent actuators  46  are to be pressed by an easy pushing operation so as to selectively lock the cams  44  of the actuatable driving devices  40  to a first or a second position, being capable or incapable of respective actuating the punch dies  54 , respectively. Hence, this invention allows the operators to adjust the distance between the punch positions in accordance with the required punch-hole specifications, so as to provide more flexibility of the hole puncher.  
      To enhance the flexibility of the electromotive hole puncher of this invention, all driving devices may be actuatable driving devices. Alternatively, one may also design the hole puncher such that the driving device located at a terminal end of the hole puncher is a stationary driving device for positioning purpose, while the remaining driving devices are actuatable driving devices. A contact switch may also be provided in one of the recesses of the paper support, such that upon inserting a piece of paper to be punched into the paper recess provided on the hole puncher, the paper would activate the contact switch to turn on the electromotive hole puncher. Such modifications are those that may be easily conceived by persons ordinarily skilled in the art based on the disclosures of this invention.  
      This invention is related to a novel creation that makes a breakthrough in the art. Aforementioned explanations, however, are directed to the description of preferred embodiments according to this invention. Since this invention is not limited to the specific details described in connection with the preferred embodiments, changes and implementations to certain features of the preferred embodiments without altering the overall basic function of the invention are contemplated within the scope of the appended claims.  
     Nomenclature Listing  
     
         
           10  hole puncher/punching mechanism  
           20  base  
           30  stationary driving device  
           32  gear  
           34  cam  
           40  actuatable driving device  
           42  gear  
           44  cam  
           46  actuator  
           50  punch unit  
           52  paper support  
           54  punch die  
           56  recovering spring  
           58  urging block  
           60  transmission mechanism  
           70  motor  
           522  paper recess  
           541  neck  
           542  cutting blade  
           544  paper-retaining pin  
           545  spring  
           546  mounting peg