Abstract:
A punch for making a decorative buckle design on a sheet medium. The punch includes a body formed with a fissure for receiving the sheet media, a cutter axially movable within the body and a die secured in said body configured to engage with the cutter. The cutter cuts out at least two flaps in the sheet medium, each flap is connected to a central supporting column.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a punch device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a punch device for making a buckle shaped perforation in a sheet medium. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    In the field of decorative crafts such as scrap booking, one desired effect is to adorn a sheet medium or piece of craft paper with a ribbon medium, such as a thin strip of ribbon, fabric, or paper. 
         [0003]    In the prior art, a craftsman would need to carefully attach a ribbon medium to a sheet medium in a decorative fashion by using such techniques including adhesives, staples, or threading through holes punched by hand, all of which require a great deal of skill to make a consistently neat decorative effect. Furthermore, the use of glue, tape, or staples, also decreases the aesthetic appeal of the final result. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The present invention provides a simple way to attach a ribbon medium to a sheet medium in a decorative fashion without using such techniques as adhesives, staples, or threading through holes punched by hand. Likewise, the present invention requires no consumables such as glue, tape, or staples, and can be reused an unlimited number of times. 
         [0005]    It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a means for securing a ribbon medium through a sheet medium by creating a buckle in the sheet medium. The buckle is formed by two flaps cutout of the sheet medium. The flaps are attached to the sheet medium by a central supporting column, each flap with at least one hollow interior portion. A ribbon is affixed to the sheet medium by threading it through the hollow interior portions. 
         [0006]    It is a further object of the present invention to provide a punch device for creating such buckles including a seat body formed with a horizontal fissure and a vertical chamber communicated with the fissure. A cutting block is disposed in the chamber. One face of the cutting block is disposed with a cutter, while the other face of the cutting block is disposed with a channel passing through the cutting block. A pressing lever is pivotally disposed in the channel of the cutting block. A housing covers the seat body and is formed with a window for a pressing section of the pressing lever to extend therethrough. In use, a paper or a sheet is pushed into the fissure of the seat body and then the pressing section of the pressing lever is depressed to force the cutting block downward with the die punching the sheet medium placed in the fissure. Therefore, a buckle is formed in the sheet medium, through which a ribbon medium can be threaded. 
         [0007]    It is a further object of the present invention to provide the above punch device, in which a resilient member is fitted under the cutting block in the chamber of the seat body. After the cutting block is released from the pressing force of the pressing lever, the resilient member serves to restore the cutting block to its home position. 
         [0008]    It is still a further object of the present invention to provide the above punch device in which the cutting block is replaceably placed in the seat body, whereby the cutting block can be easily replaced by another cutting block to create different buckle designs. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    The present invention can be best understood through the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective exploded view of the present invention, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a perspective assembled view of the present invention, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a front sectional view of the present invention, wherein the pressing lever is not pressed downward, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a side sectional view of the present invention, wherein the pressing lever is not pressed downward, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a side sectional view according to  FIG. 4 , wherein the pressing lever is pressed downward to punch the paper or the sheet, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a top-down view of the underside of cutting block  20 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is an overhead view of female die  14 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  is a top-down view of the underside of cutting block  20 , in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 9  is an overhead view of female die  14 , in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 10  is an overhead view of the sheet medium after use of the present invention, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 11  is an overhead view of the sheet medium after use by an alternate embodiment of the present invention, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 12  is an overhead view of the sheet medium depicting how a ribbon can be threaded through the buckle formed in the sheet medium for decorative effect, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0022]      FIG. 13  is an overhead view of the sheet medium depicting how a ribbon can be threaded through the buckle formed in the sheet medium for decorative effect, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0023]    Please refer to  FIGS. 1 to 5 . The punch device of the present invention includes a seat body  10  formed with a horizontal fissure  11  at one end and a vertical chamber  12 . The bottom of the chamber  12  is formed with an opening  121  communicated with the fissure  11 . An insertion cavity  13  is disposed on seat body  10  in front of opening  121 . The bottom of the seat body  10  is formed with a female die  14  communicated with the fissure  11  opposite to the opening  121 . 
         [0024]    A cutting block  20  is disposed on the seat body  10 . One face of the cutting block  20  facing the fissure  11  is disposed with a solid cutter  21  in the shape of an outline of a geometric or other symmetrical shape. The other face of the cutting block  20  is disposed with a channel passing through the cutting block  20 , forming walls  22  and  23 . 
         [0025]    The cutting block  20  is disposed with a projection  23  corresponding to the extension  122  to be fitted therein. A recess  221  is created on the underside of each of the protrusions of walls  22  and  23  for the purpose of engaging with resilient member  40 , as described below. 
         [0026]    A pressing lever  30  is disposed in the cutting block  20 . One end of the pressing lever  30  is disposed with a pivot shaft  31  for rotatably inserting in the insertion cavity  13  of the seat body  10 , whereby the pressing lever  30  is pivotally disposed on the seat body  10 . 
         [0027]    The other end of the pressing lever  30  is disposed with an upward bent pressing section  32 . In addition, the pressing lever  30  is formed with a protuberance  33  extending in a direction reverse to that of the pressing section  32  for fitting in the recesses  221  of the cutting block  20 . 
         [0028]    At least one resilient member  40  is fitted into recess  221 . As illustrated in  FIG. 1  preferably two resilient members  40  where at least one resilient member  40  comprises first and second oppositely disposed springs adjacent to said die. The first resilient member  40  is disposed along a second axis and the second resilient member  40  disposed along a third axis, the third axis spaced apart from the first solid cutter  21  axis and the second resilient member  40  axis. 
         [0029]    A housing  50  covers the seat body  10  and is formed with a window  51 , whereby the pressing section  32  of the pressing lever  30  can extends through the window  51  out of the housing  50 . As illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , housing  50  preferably maintains an indication  53  corresponding to the shape of cutter  21 . 
         [0030]    In use, a paper or a sheet  60  is horizontally placed in the fissure  11  of the seat body  10  and pushed inward to a true position. Fissure  11  is maintained perpendicular to the movement axis of cutter  21 . Then the pressing section  32  of the pressing lever  30  is pivotally depressed about the pivot shaft  31 , whereby the protuberance  33  of the pressing lever  30  is moved downward to exert a force onto the cutting block  20 . Accordingly, the cutting block  20  is forced downward with the cutter  21  passing through the opening  121  of the chamber  12  to punch the paper or the sheet placed in the fissure  11  through the correspondingly shaped die  14 . Thus, a perforation is created in the sheet medium as defined by the periphery of the cutter  21  which engages with the female die  14  as shown in  FIG. 5 . The resilient member  40  serves to restore the cutting block  20  to its home position. At this time, the pressing section  32  of the pressing lever  30  is moved upward along with the cutting block  20  to its home position. The above operation can be repeatedly performed to create the same partial cutout. 
         [0031]    As shown in  FIG. 6 , cutter  21  is ideally a sharpened tapered metal blade, shaped as a three dimensional projection of the outline to be created. In one embodiment of the present invention, cutter  21  is tapered such that its highest (deepest cutting) points  77   a  are furthest away from the horizontal, or width axis of the cutter at points closest to and furthest from the pressing section  32  of the center of cutter  21  along the long or length axis (in line with lever  30 ). In an alternate embodiment, the edge on cutter  21  can be serrated. Both approaches are designed to make the perforations for the cutouts as cleanly as possible, without any wrinkling or warping in the sheet medium  60 . Cutter  21  may also be surrounded by a rubber or plastic insert  26 , which is inserted into a recess in the center of the underside of cutting block  20 . Insert  26  is used to make the perforations as cleanly as possible, without any wrinkling or warping of the sheet medium. 
         [0032]    In  FIG. 7 , die  14  is designed to engage with cutter  21  and is shaped as a female version of cutter  21 . Die  14  is also equipped with a series of holes  41  corresponding to cutter  21 , through which the portions of the sheet medium which form holes  81  may be punched. A rubber or similar insert  42  may be placed into a recesses of die  14  around the cutter receiving portion to block all but the deepest portions of cutter  21  from entering die  14 . This ensures that the perforations are made as precisely as possible. 
         [0033]    In another embodiment of the present invention,  FIGS. 8 and 9  depict an alternate arrangement for cutter  21  and die  14  respectively, where cutter  21  maintains an additional center cutter  21   a  and die  14  maintains an additional center cutter receiving hole  41   a.    
         [0034]    Turning now to the cutting of sheet media  60  by way of punch device  10 , in one embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 10  illustrates a punched sheet media according to a die  14  and cutter  21  arrangement from  FIGS. 6 and 7 . Here flaps  80  are formed in sheet medium  60  by cutting along a portion of an outline, leaving flaps  80  attached to a central support column  82 . In each of flaps  80 , a hole  81  has been created by punching a portion of the paper with cutter  21  through holes in die  14 . Both the flaps and the holes may be in any shape, but for the purposes of illustration  FIG. 10  simply shows smooth curved edges for flaps  80  and centralo support column. 
         [0035]    In another embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 11  depicts an alternate sheet media  60  punched according to the die  14  and cutter  21  arrangement from  FIGS. 8 and 9  in which support column  92  contains an extra hole  91  in addition to the holes in flaps  90 . Extra hole  91  is formed from the punching of central cutter portion  21   a  moving through center hole  41   a  in die  14 . 
         [0036]    In one embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 12  depicts the invention in which ribbon medium  100  is threaded through holes  81  as formed by die  14  and cutter  21  arrangement from  FIGS. 6 and 7 , thereby attaching to sheet medium  60 . While ribbon medium  100  need only be thread through at least one hole, ideally all holes  81  should be used to for the most secure attachment. Ribbon medium  100  can be constructed of any material, such as paper, ribbon, fabric, foil, plastic, or any like material with the same dimensions. Sheet medium  60  can similarly be made of paper, fabric, plastic, foil, or the like. 
         [0037]    In another embodiment of the present invention as illustrated in  FIG. 13  ribbon medium  100  is threaded through holes  91  as formed by die  14  and cutter  21  arrangement from  FIGS. 8 and 9 , thereby attaching to sheet medium  60 . Again, while ribbon medium  100  need only be thread through at least one hole, ideally all holes  91  should be used to for the most secure attachment. 
         [0038]    Additionally in either of these arrangements ribbon  100  may be threaded over flaps  80 / 90  and under central column  82 / 92  as shown in  FIG. 12 , or under flaps  80 / 90  and over central column  82 / 92  as shown in  FIG. 13 . 
         [0039]    It is to be understood that the above description and drawings are only used for illustrating one embodiment of the present invention, not intended to limit the scope thereof. Any variation and derivation from the above description and drawings should be included in the scope of the present invention.