Patent Publication Number: US-6902367-B2

Title: Binding machine with tape

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application claims priority benefits under 35 USC § 119 of Japanese Patent Application Serial No. 2001-206693, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a binding machine with a tape, in which a loop is formed by the tape, and the loop is tightened, to bind a material to be bound. 
   2. Description of Related Arts 
   Conventionally provided as a small-sized binding machine for binding bills or the like is one for winding a binding tape. At least one surface of the binding tape has thermal adhesive properties. The binding tape is wound around a material to be bound, and an outer surface of its winding start portion and an inner surface of its winding end portion are overlapped with each other. A heater/presser heated by a heater is pressed against an overlapped portion. The overlapped portion is heated and bonded by thermoplastic resin applied to the tape, to bind the material to be bound. 
   In the binding machine, a tape delivered from a tape roll held in the machine so as to be rotatable is caused to travel along a guide path in an arch shape, to form a loop of the tape along the guide path. The loop is then tightened, to bind the material to be bound arranged in the loop. 
   Meanwhile, this type of binding machine is used to close a package made of synthetic resin or paper for covering a railroad box lunch or take-out food, for example, by winding a tape. 
   However, a person who will eat the railroad box lunch or the like can not, in some cases, satisfactorily fracture the tape wound around the railroad box lunch or the like. 
   Therefore, an enormous number of nicks are previously formed with very small spacing at a side edge of the material itself of the tape wound around the tape roll. 
   However, such a tape roll is higher in cost by approximately 30%, for example. Therefore, the binding cost is increased. 
   Such a problem is not limited to the binding of the railroad box lunch. For example, it similarly exists in all uses required for a user to fracture a binding tape. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   An object of the present invention is to provide a binding machine with a tape, in which a user can easily fracture a binding tape, and the binding cost is low. 
   In order to attain the above-mentioned object, in a preferred mode of the present invention, a binding machine with a tape, which binds a material to be bound by enlarging a loop formed at an end of a tape delivered from a tape roll to a predetermined size by the travel of the tape to arrange the material to be bound inside the enlarged loop and tightening the tape to contract the loop, comprises a tape traveling mechanism that can cause the tape to travel in order to expand and contract the loop formed by the tape; a table on which the material to be bound can be put; a tape passage groove formed on the table; a guide frame provided above the tape passage groove for guiding the tape which travels; and nick formation means for forming a nick for inducing fracture at a side edge of the tape having the loop enlarged to the predetermined size. 
   In this mode, the nick is formed in the stage of the enlarged loop before tightening, and the tape is then tightened to contract the loop, thereby binding the material to be bound. It is possible to use as the tape in the tape roll a conventional one having no nick. Therefore, the binding cost can be made low through the reduction in the cost of the tape. 
   The nick may be in any shape, provided that it can induce the fracture of a tape by hand tearing. For example, a half-cut nick having a part of its thickness cut may be used in addition to a nick line, a V-cut nick, and a Y-cut nick. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a partially broken perspective view showing a principal part of a binding machine with a tape according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic perspective view showing a nick forming mechanism; 
       FIGS. 3A and 3B  are schematic plan views each showing the operations of a nick forming mechanism; and 
       FIGS. 4A  to  4 C are plan views each showing a tape formed with a nick; 
       FIGS. 5A  to  5 E are schematic front views of a binding machine, each showing the steps of the binding process; and 
       FIG. 6  is a schematic view showing the layout of a nick forming mechanism according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described while referring to the accompanying drawings. 
     FIG. 1  illustrates a principal part of a binding machine with a tape according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to  FIG. 1 , an upper surface of the main body of a binding machine  1  is formed by a table  2  for receiving a material to be bound. The table  2  is divided into a front table  4  and a rear table  5  with a groove  3  serving as a tape path interposed therebetween. Legs  6   a  and  6   b  of a guide frame  6  in an arch shape arranged above the table  2  are respectively fixed to both ends of the groove  3 . The guide frame  6  has a  shape (a so-called groove shape) in cross section having a pair of flanges  7  and  8  and a web  9  connecting the flanges  7  and  8  to each other. A front sidewall and a rear sidewall of a guide path  10  are respectively composed of the pair of flanges  7  and  8 . 
   Furthermore, a guiding member  11  composed of an arch-shaped plate, for example, for guiding an outer surface (a curved outer surface) of a tape T, having thermal adhesive properties, which travels in order to form a loop is arranged inside the guide frame  6 . The guiding member  11  constitutes an outer peripheral wall of the guide path  10 . The guiding member  11  extends to a tape discharge end  11   b  from a tape introduction end  11   a.    
   Furthermore, a nick forming mechanism  12  serving as nick formation means for forming a nick in the tape T is attached to the front flange  7  in the one leg  6   a  of the guide frame  6  through a mounting bracket  13 . The mounting bracket  13  can be fixed to the flange  7  by adjusting the position thereof up and down. Therefore, a mounting screw  14  penetrating the mounting bracket  13  is screwed into a nut (not shown) on a rear surface of the flange  7  through an insertion hole  15  composed of a slit in a circular arc shape extending up and down which is formed in the flange  7 . 
   Reference numeral  16  denotes an insertion hole composed of a slit in a circular arc shape extending up and down which is formed in the flange  7  in order to introduce a part of a cutter  35 , described later, of the nick forming mechanism  12  into the guide path  10 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 2 ,  3 A and  3 B, the nick forming mechanism  12  comprises a solenoid  31  serving as driving means containing a return spring and the cutter  35  for opening and closing first and second cutting edges  33  and  34  upon being driven by the advance and retreat of an operating bar  32  serving as a driver of the solenoid  31 . 
   The first cutting edge  33  is formed in a longitudinal first member  36 . The first member  36  is supported so as to be swingable around a supporting shaft  38  at its base end  37 . A hole provided at the base end  37  of the first member  36  in order that the supporting shaft  38  should be inserted thereinto is formed into a slit  39 . The slit  39  extends in a direction parallel to the direction of advance and retreat  50  of the operating bar  32 . The base end  37  of the first member  36  can be moved so as to be slidable in the direction parallel to the direction of advance and retreat  50  of the operating bar  32  by the slit  39 . 
   The second cutting edge  34  is formed in the second member  40 . The first member  36  and the second member  40  are connected to each other so as to be slidable through a first connecting shaft  41 . 
   The second member  40  forms the shape of an angle having a first piece  42  including the second cutting edge  34  and a second piece  43 . The first connecting shaft  41  is provided in the vicinity of a portion where the first piece  42  and the second piece  43  cross each other. 
   A plate-shaped extender  44  is provided in the operating bar  32 . A base end of the extender  44  is inserted into a connecting groove formed in the operating bar  32 , and is connected to the operating bar  32  through a connecting pin  45 . The first piece  42  of the second member  40  is connected to an end of the extender  44  in the operating bar  32  so as to be relatively rotatable through a second connecting shaft  46 . 
   A spring, which is not illustrated, for urging the operating bar  32  in the direction of advance and retreat is contained in the solenoid  31 . When a coil inside the solenoid  31  is excited, the operating bar  32  is shortened, as shown in  FIG. 3B , against the spring, to close the first and second cutting edges  33  and  34 , thereby performing an operation for cutting into the tape T. Consequently, a nick C as shown in  FIG. 4A  is formed at a side edge T 1  of the tape T. The nick C is not limited to a linear nick as shown in FIG.  4 A. For example, it can be a V-cut nick as shown in  FIG. 4B and a  Y-cut nick as shown in FIG.  4 C. 
   Conversely, when the excitation of the coil inside the solenoid  31  is released, the operating bar  32  advances, as shown in  FIG. 3A , by the force of the contained spring, so that the first and second cutting edges  33  and  34  are opened. 
   Referring to  FIG. 1  again, a tape traveling mechanism  17  for delivering and pulling back the tape T is provided below the table  2 . The tape traveling mechanism  17  has a delivery roller  18  and a binding roller  19  each composed of a rubber roller. The delivery roller  18  is driven so as to rotate forward (rotate in a clockwise direction), and is used in delivering the tape T in a tape roll  20  serving as a winding portion toward the introduction end  11   a  of the guiding member  11 . Further, the binding roller  19  is driven so as to rotate in the opposite direction to the delivery roller  18  (rotate in a counterclockwise direction). 
   Driven rollers  21  and  22  each made of a metal are respectively arranged just above the delivery roller  18  and the binding roller  19 . The driven rollers  21  and  22  are supported by a side plate of the main body of the binding machine  1  so as to be alternately abutted against the delivery roller  18  and the binding roller  19  which respectively correspond thereto. That is, when the tape T in the tape roll  20  is delivered, the delivery roller  18  and the driven roller  21  are abutted against each other (at this time, the driven roller  22  is spaced apart from the binding roller  19 ). When the tape T is bound upon being tightened around the material to be bound, the above-mentioned state is reversed, that is, the binding roller  19  and the driven roller  22  are abutted against each other, and the delivery roller  18  and the driven roller  21  separate from each other. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 5A  to  5 F, a receiving plate  23 , being movable back and forth, receiving a lower surface of the material to be bound A as well as holding an end of the tape T between the receiving plate and a first clamping member  24 , a second clamping member  25  for holding an overlapped portion of the tape T between the second clamping member and a lower surface of the receiving plate  23 , a heater/presser  26  for heating and pressing an overlapped portion of the tape T on the lower surface of the receiving plate  23 , a cutter  27  for cutting the whole width of the tape T after heating and bonding, and so forth are arranged as a mechanism further provided in the binding machine. Further, there is provided a movable holding member  28  for holding the end of the tape T and reversing the end to form a small loop L by the tape T. 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 5A  to  5 F, a binding operation will be described. 
   As shown in  FIG. 5A , the movable holding member  28  that holds the end of the tape T is reversed, whereby the small loop L is formed at the end of the tape T. 
   As shown in  FIG. 5B , the tape T is then delivered by the delivery roller  18  and the driven roller  21 , and is fed along the guide path  10  on the inner periphery of the guiding member  11 , so that the loop L is expanded, to form the enlarged loop L. At this time, the first and second cutting edges  33  and  34  in the nick forming mechanism  12  are opened, so that the tape T inside the enlarged loop enters a region between the first and second cutting edges  33  and  34 . 
   At the time point where the enlarged loop L is formed by the expansion, the end of the tape T is held between the lower surface of the receiving plate  23  and the first clamping member  24  which has advanced, and is stopped. In this state, the material to be bound A is put on an upper surface of the receiving plate  23  which has advanced into the groove, as shown in FIG.  5 C. The solenoid  31  is turned on as the material to be bound A is put on the receiving plate  23 , so that the nick C is formed in the tape T inside the enlarged loop L. 
   In order to detect that the material to be bound A is put on the receiving plate  23 , sensing means such as an optical sensor may be provided in the passage groove  3 , or a user may press a switch indicating that the putting is completed after the material to be bound A is put to start to form a nick in the tape T as the switch is pressed. 
   After the nick is formed in the tape T, the tape T is then pulled back by the binding roller  19 , so that the loop diameter is reduced, as shown in FIG.  5 D. When the loop diameter is further reduced, the tape T surrounds the material to be bound A in a dense state, as shown in FIG.  5 E. In this state, the nick C is positioned on the lower surface of the material to be bound A. After the tape T surrounds the material to be bound A in a dense state, the end of the tape T and the winding end portion of the tape T are overlapped with each other, to be clamped between the lower surface of the receiving plate  23  and the second clamping member  25 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 5F , the heater/presser  26  with the cutter  27  then heats an overlapped portion Ta of the tape T while pressing the overlapped portion against the lower surface of the receiving plate  23  to heat and bond the overlapped portion, and the cutter  27  cuts the tape T. Thereafter, the receiving plate  23  retreats, thereby completing the binding. Further, the solenoid  31  is turned off, so that the first and second cutting edges  33  and  34  are opened, to enter a state where the subsequent binding process is prepared. 
   According to the present embodiment described above, the nick C is formed in the stage of the enlarged loop L before tightening, and the nick C is tightened, to bind the material to be bound. It is possible to use as the tape in the tape roll  20  a conventional one having no nick. Accordingly, the binding cost can be made low through the reduction of the cost of the tape. 
   Furthermore, the position of the nick forming mechanism  12  can be adjusted, thereby making it possible to easily adjust the position, where the nick is formed, in the enlarged loop L depending on the size of the material to be bound A. Accordingly, the range of an object to be bound is enlarged to enhance versatility. 
   The nick C may be one in any shape, provided that it can induce the fracture of the tape by hand tearing. For example, it may be a half-cut nick having a part of its thickness cut in addition to the nick line, the V-cut nick and the Y-cut nick, as described above. 
   Although in the above-mentioned embodiment, the nick forming mechanism  12  is arranged in the guide frame  6 , the nick forming mechanism  12  can be also arranged in the tape passage groove  3 , as shown in FIG.  6 . 
   While the invention has been described in detail with respect to specific embodiments thereof, it will be appreciated that those skilled in the art, upon attaining an understanding of the foregoing, may readily conceive of alterations to, variations of, and equivalents to these embodiments. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should be assessed as that of the appended claims and any equivalents thereto.