Patent Abstract:
A stapler includes an adjustable firing apparatus for using staples/nails in various sizes that directs toward simplifying the operation of switch between different staples/nails. The adjustable firing apparatus of the stapler includes an adjusting means and a rotation engaged member having a first and a second engaged portions. The adjusting means can be used to adjust the distance between the adjusting means and the front of a magazine assembly of the stapler for adapted to staples/nails in various sizes.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a stapler. In particular, the stapler includes an adjustable firing apparatus for using staples/nails in various sizes. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    As disclosed in PCT Patent No WO2005/102613 A1, a stapler comprising a main body which includes a seat for a row of staples and/or nails which are urged by a pusher towards an ejection head, wherein a striker can run in a direction substantially perpendicular to the feed direction of the row of staples and/or nails in the seat for pushing and ejecting from the ejection head the first staple and/or nail of the row, wherein a mobile plate is mechanically connected to a slider by means of a pin that is housed in corresponding holes made in the mobile plate and in slider which protrudes outside the main body so that by moving the slider the mobile plate can slide in the main body for being arranged between the ejection head and the striker when the latter pushes the first staple and/or nail. 
         [0005]    Said slider comprises a particular locking mechanism which prevents the accidental sliding of the mobile plate. 
         [0006]    According to the above, for using several kinds of staplers and nails with the stapler, a user should operate the slider to drive the mobile plate to slide relative to the main body as to adjust the space between the pusher and the ejection head for using various kinds of staples and/or nails. And next, the locking mechanism is operated to fix the position of the slider, which may lead to low working efficiency. 
         [0007]    The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in prior art. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    According to the present invention there is provided, a stapler includes an adjustable firing apparatus for using staples/nails in various sizes that directs toward simplifying the operation of switch between different staples/nails. The adjustable firing apparatus of the stapler includes an adjusting means, a rotation engaged member having a first and a second engaged portions and an actuating means. The actuating means is operated to press the adjusting means as to adjust the distance between the adjusting means and the front of a magazine assembly of the stapler for adapted to staples/nails in various sizes. 
         [0009]    In one aspect of the prevent invention, it is easy and simple to adjust the distance between the adjusting means and the front of the magazine assembly by operating the actuating means. 
         [0010]    In another aspect of the prevent invention, the stapler is adapted to use four kinds of staples/nails. 
         [0011]    In yet another aspect of the prevent invention, the rotation engaged member is made by punching as to reduce cost of manufacturing thereof. 
         [0012]    Other advantages, objectives and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description referring to the attached drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    The detailed description and technical characteristics of the present invention and described together with the drawings as follows. 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a stapler in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the stapler in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view taken along  3 - 3  in  FIG. 1 , illustrating the actuating means engaged with the rotation engaged member. 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view taken along  4 - 4  in  FIG. 3 , illustrating the stapler using with the first staple. 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view taken along  5 - 5  in  FIG. 5 , illustrating the stapler using with the first staple. 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view similar to  FIG. 4 , but illustrating the stapler using with the nail with head. 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view similar to  FIG. 3 , but illustrating the actuating means being operated to rotate clockwise. 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view taken along  8 - 8  in  FIG. 7 , illustrating the stapler using with the second staple. 
           [0022]      FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view similar to  FIG. 8 , but illustrating the stapler using with the nails without head. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0023]    An embodiment of the present invention will now be discussed with reference to  FIGS. 1 through 9 . As shown in  FIGS. 1 through 3 , a stapler includes an adjustable firing apparatus  1 , a magazine assembly  2 , a handle assembly  3  and a first and a second shell members  4  and  5 . The first and second shell members  4  and  5  are combined to each other to form main structure of the stapler. The magazine assembly  2  is disposed in the bottom of the first and second shell members  4  and  5 . The handle assembly  3  is pivotally installed to the first and second shell members  4  and  5 . The adjustable firing apparatus  1  is provided in the front of the first and second shell members  4  and  5 , and a user can operate the handle assembly  3  to drive the adjustable firing apparatus  1  for firing staples/nails that are disposed in the magazine assembly  2 . 
         [0024]    Plunger ledges  401  and  501  are defined on the first and second shell members  4  and  5 , respectively and relative to the adjustable firing apparatus  1 . Abutted portions  402  and  502  respectively protrude on the bottom of the plunger ledges  401  and  501  toward the interior of the stapler and correspond to each other. Receiving portions  403  and  503  are defined adjacent to the front of the first and second shell members  4  and  5 , respectively and corresponding to each other. The receiving portions  403  and  503  are provided below the plunger ledges  401  and  501 , respectively. Peep holes  404  and  504  respectively pierce through side wall of the first and second shell members  4  and  5 , and user can observe amount of staples/nails in the magazine assembly  2  via the peep holes  404  and  504 . A through-hole  505  is provided on the front of the second shell member  5  adjacent to the receiving portion  503  and adapted for a pin  506  inserting therethrough. An actuating means hole  507  and a protrusion  508  are defined on the side wall of the second shell member  5  adjacent to the peep hole  504 , with the actuating means hole  507  being long and narrow, with the protrusion  508  formed in the bottom of the actuating means hole  507 . 
         [0025]    The adjustable firing apparatus  1  includes a plunger member  10  disposed in the plunger ledges  401  and  501 , a driving member  20  abutted the abutted portions  402  and  502 , an adjusting means  30 , whose position in the stapler is limited by the receiving portions  403  and  503 , a rotation engaged member  40  and an actuating means  50 , whose position in the stapler is limited by the pin  506 . 
         [0026]    The plunger member  10  includes a connected portion  11  formed an end thereof and a firing portion  12  formed another end thereof opposite to the connected portion  11 . The connected portion  11  is connected to an end of the handle assembly  3 , and while firing staples/nails, user operates the handle assembly  3  and then the firing portion  12  is driven to falls down stably to fire staples/nails. 
         [0027]    The driving member  20  has a first surface and a second surface. A first concavity  21  is defined on the first surface of the driving member  20  and provides the firing portion  12  to slide therealong, with a second concavity  22  formed on the first concavity  21  so that the first concavity  21  is stepped. Protruding from the second surface of the driving member  20  is a protruding portion  23  that abuts against the abutted portions  402  and  502  respectively. A space  24  pierces through the center of the driving member  20  and open to the bottom the driving member  20 . 
         [0028]    The adjusting means  30  includes a main body  31  having a first surface and a second surface and exactly disposed in the space  24  of the driving member  20 . The first surface of the main body  31  is stepped and having a gap  32  formed on a side thereof. A first plate  33  is provided on the second surface of the main body  31 , and a second plate  34  is inserted through the first plate  33 , with the direction of axis of the first plate  33  perpendicular to that of the second plate  34 , with the distance between the top of the first plate  33  and the second side of the adjusting means  30  being larger than the distance between the top of the second plate  34  and the second side of the adjusting means  30 . The second plate  34  is against the second surface of the driving member  20 . A pivot  35  is inserted through the center of the first and second plates  33  and  34 . 
         [0029]    The rotation engaged member  40  is in form of uneven piece and includes a first engaged portion  41  and a second engaged portion  42  defined on two sides of the first engaged portion  41  by punching. The thickness of the first engaged portion  41  is greater than that of the second engaged portion  42 . Teeth  411  is formed on the periphery of the first engaged portion  41 , and teeth  421  is formed on the periphery of the second engaged portion  42 , with the teeth  411  being adjacent to and not overlapping the teeth  421 . A through-hole  43  is provided on the center of the rotation engaged member  40  and inserted by the pivot  35  of the adjusting means  30  so that the rotation engaged member  40  is allowed to rotate relative to the adjusting means  30 , with the position of the rotation engaged member  40  in the stapler limited by the receiving portions  403  and  503 . Moreover, the first plate  33  of the adjusting means  30  is selectively engaged with one of the first engaged portion  41  and the second engaged portion  42 . 
         [0030]    The actuating means  50  is in form of semi-circle with teeth  52  that extends from the periphery of the flat portion thereof outwardly. A through-hole  51  is defined thereon adjacent to the teeth  52 , and a positioned portion  53  is provided on the periphery opposite to the teeth  52 . An arc slot  54  is defined along the periphery of the actuating means  50  relative to the positioned portion  53  for increasing the resilience of the periphery of the actuating means  50 . The through-hole  51  corresponds to the through-hole  505  so that the pin  506  is inserted through the through-hole  505  and the through-hole  51  in sequence for fixing the actuating means  50  in the second shell member  5 . The teeth  52  of the actuating means  50  is selectively engaged with one of the teeth  411  and the teeth  421 . The thickness of the positioned portion  53  exactly fits the width of the actuating means hole  507  so that the positioned portion  53  protrudes from the actuating means hole  507  for user to operate the actuating means  50  to pivot relative to the pin  506 . Further, when the positioned portion  53  is rotated to abut with the lowest position in the actuating means hole  507 , the positioned portion  53  is enable to be pressed inwardly and received in the actuating means hole  507  behind the protrusion  508 . 
         [0031]    Referring to  FIGS. 3 through 5 , it shows the first engaged portion  41  of the rotation engaged member  40  is against the adjusting means  30 . The positioned portion  53  is operated to rotate as to engage the teeth  52  of the actuating means  50  with the teeth  421  of the second engaged portion  42 , and then the first engaged portion  41  is adapted to be against the first plate  33  of the adjusting means  30 . Simultaneously, the second engaged portion  42  abuts with the second plate  34  of the adjusting means  30  for adjusting the distance between the first surface of the adjusting means  30  and the front of the magazine assembly  2  to be the maximum as to receive one of a row of first staples A in the second concavity  22  of the driving member  20 , with the first surface of the main body  31  abutted the one of a row of first staples A, with each first staple A is U-shaped. 
         [0032]    Referring to  FIG. 6 , while the distance between the first surface of the adjusting means  30  and the front of the magazine assembly  2  is being the maximum, one of a row of nails with head B is also adapted to be received in the second concavity  22  of the driving member  20 , with the first surface of the main body  31  abutted the one of a row of nails with head B, with each nail with head B is T-shaped. 
         [0033]    Referring to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , it shows the second engaged portion  42  of the rotation engaged member  40  is against the adjusting means  30 . The positioned portion  53  is operated to rotate as to engage the teeth  52  of the actuating means  50  with the teeth  411  of the first engaged portion  41 , and then the second engaged portion  42  is adapted to be against the first plate  33  of the adjusting means  30 . Simultaneously, the main body  31  of the adjusting means  30  is pressed toward the space  24  of the driving member  20  to adjust the distance between the first surface of the adjusting means  30  and the front of the magazine assembly  2  to be the minimum as to receive one of a row of second staples C in the second concavity  22  of the driving member  20 , with the first surface of the main body  31  abutted the one of a row of second staples C, with each second staple C is U-shaped similar to the first staple A, but the thickness of the cross-section of each second staple C is thinner than that of each first staple A and width of staple boot of each second staple C is greater than that of each first staple A so that one of staple boot of each second staple C is disposed in the first concavity  21 . 
         [0034]    Referring to  FIG. 9 , while the distance between the first surface of the adjusting means  30  and the front of the magazine assembly  2  is being the minimum, one of a row of nails without head D is adapted to be received in the gap  32  of the adjusting means  30 .

Technology Classification (CPC): 1