Abstract:
A rotary trimming apparatus includes a base for receiving a material, a rail mounted on the base, a cartridge assembly having a plurality of trimming blades for trimming the material, a carriage slidably mounted on the rail, a selector comprising a plurality of engagement slots, and a set of pins for locking into the engagement slots of the selector knob in order to fix the positions of the selector knob and the plurality of trimming blades. The cartridge assembly plurality of trimming blades are rotatably connected to the selector, and the selector is capable of actuating the plurality of trimming blades by rotating on a plane perpendicular to the base.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     This invention relates generally to a cutting assembly for rotary trimmers, and is more particularly directed to a rotary multi-functional paper trimmer having such an assembly for applications within the office and similar use, wherein the cutter is mounted on a cutting board and slidably secured for cutting on a fixed rail, and which is characterized by selective vertical movement toward an underlying paper or other target to be cut, and by horizontal movement along the rail defining a plane upon which a cut is performed.  
       BACKGROUND AND DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART  
       [0002]     Rotary cutters are well known in the art. Conventional cutters may be movably secured on and move in a horizontal plane along a rail, spring loaded or fixed. Examples of rotary cutters may be found in Patents issued to Johnson (U.S. Pat. No. 0,791,793), Mori (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,069,097, 5,671,647), Boda (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,322,001, 5,524,515), and Daley Jr. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,098,515), amongst others.  
         [0003]     A common application of a rotary cutter is for trimming and efficiently cutting paper into small sheets. Please refer to  FIG. 1 , which illustrates an example of a conventional prior art paper cutter. The conventional paper cutter  10  includes a base  11 , a guide rail  12 , and a slidable carriage  13  with a trimming blade. The base  11  is for receiving the material to be trimmed, the rail  12  is fixed to the base  11 , and the carriage  13  with a trimming blade is slidably mounted on the rail  12 . The trimming blade that is mounted on the carriage  13  is a single specific trimming blade, such as a non rotating razor blade. When the paper is placed into the gap between the rail  12  and the base  11 , the user may press down the carriage with the trimming blade  13  against the paper. If the user continues to apply downward pressure and to slide the carriage  13  with the trimming blade along the rail  12 , the paper will be cut into two pieces by the blade mounted on the carriage  13 .  
         [0004]     The conventional paper cutter  10  described above is specifically used to divide paper completely with a straight edge finish. In the case that paper is to be intermittently cut (i.e. perforated) to be easily torn off by hand later, or scored with a folding line to be easily folded by hand, or provided any other type of edge finish (i.e. wavy, zig-zag, etc.), another kind of trimmer will be needed for the specific requirement. The use of multiple separate trimmers is cost ineffective and space inefficient. Accordingly, there are trimmers in the marketplace which require the user to interchange different blades for different trimmer effects. However, it is dangerous, time consuming and inconvenient for users to change these blades. In addition, the small loose blades tend to get lost when they are not in use.  
         [0005]     Additionally, prior art conventional paper cutters  10 , often cause the paper to become piled up or the blade to jam, when the blade slides on the paper due to the friction between the blade and the paper. To avoid this drawback, there are products in which a guiding slit is positioned on the base along the track upon which the blade slides. Though the design of the guiding slit may help to alleviate the piling up problem of the paper, it increases the complexity of the paper cutter.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     It is therefore a primary object of the claimed invention to provide a multi-functional trimming apparatus. The invention discloses a rotary trimming apparatus for cutting, perforating, or scoring a material. The rotary trimming apparatus includes a base for receiving the material, a rail mounted on the base, a plurality of trimming blades for cutting, perforating, or scoring the material, a carriage slidably mounted on the rail, a selector having a plurality of slots or holes, and a tongue or pins for engaging the slots or holes of the selector to fix a selected position of the selector and the plurality of trimming blades. The plurality of trimming blades are rotatably connected to the selector, and the selector is capable of actuating the plurality of trimming blades by rotating it in a plane perpendicular to the base. Additionally, the individual trimming blades may be free to rotate on their own axis, or they may be in a fixed state. The advantage of having the trimming blades free to rotate about their axis is that the blade exerts a downward perpendicular force in relation to the material to be processed, thereby minimizing the forces in the direction of travel exerted on the target material, which decreases the frictional force between the cutting element and the target material. By reducing the frictional force, the problem of the target material becoming piled up (i.e. jammed), when the blade slides on the paper due to the friction between the blade and the paper is greatly minimized.  
         [0007]     An additional advantage of the present invention is that a plurality of different rotary trimming blades for rotating on the material and cutting, perforating, or scoring the material are utilized. Different trimming functions may be switched easily in the present device, and the trimming blade selected and being employed is clearly visible to the user by viewing graphic representation through a display window on the carriage. There is no assembly or disassembly required by the user to change the trimming blades. Thus there is no dangerous handling of sharp blades or inefficient lose of parts.  
         [0008]     These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments that are illustrated in the various figures and drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]      FIG. 1  is a diagram of a prior art paper cutter.  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is a perspective illustration of a first embodiment of the present invention trimming apparatus.  
         [0011]      FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b  is an exploded view of the multi-blade rotary cartridge assembly or magazine from its front and rear sides, respectively.  
         [0012]      FIG. 4   a  is a front elevation view of a first trimming blade (straight cut) included in the present invention trimming apparatus.  
         [0013]      FIG. 4   b  is a side elevation view of the first trimming blade shown in  FIG. 4   a.    
         [0014]      FIG. 5   a  is a front elevation view of a second trimming blade (perforated cut) included in the present invention trimming apparatus.  
         [0015]      FIG. 5   b  is a side elevation view of the second trimming blade shown in  FIG. 5   a.    
         [0016]      FIG. 6   a  is a front elevation view of a third trimming blade (wavy cut) included in the present invention trimming apparatus.  
         [0017]      FIG. 6   b  is a side elevation view of the third trimming blade shown in  FIG. 6   a.    
         [0018]      FIG. 7   a  is a front elevation view of a fourth trimming blade (fold line) included in the present invention trimming apparatus.  
         [0019]      FIG. 7   b  is a side elevation view of the fourth trimming blade shown in  FIG. 7   a.    
         [0020]      FIG. 8  is an exploded view of the first embodiment of the cartridge for the trimming apparatus embodying the invention.  
         [0021]      FIG. 9  is an exploded view of a second modified cartridge for the trimming apparatus embodying the invention.  
         [0022]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the interior surface of the cover included in the second modified embodiment of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0023]     With reference to the accompanying drawings and particularly  FIG. 2 a  trimming apparatus  200  comprises a base  210 , a rail  220 , a carriage  230  slidably mounted on the rail, a selector  270 , a cover  240 , and a lever  250 . The present invention is a multi-functional trimmer apparatus including a plurality of different trimming blades, wherein the trimming blades are rotatably connected to the selector  270 . The selector  270  is ergonomically shaped to conform to the user&#39;s thumb and index fingers. The cover  240  includes an observation window  260  for viewing a graphic indication on the selector  270  of one of the several trimming blades being utilized by the trimming apparatus  200 .  
         [0024]     The rotary blade cartridge assembly  280  or magazine, shown in  FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b,    8 , and  9 , is fixed in relation to the selector  270 . The rotary blade cartridge assembly  280  has a hole  289  that mounts and is free to rotate on a boss  232  that extends out from the body of the carriage  230 . Circular protrusions or bosses  285 ,  286 ,  287 , or  288 , respectively, from the surface of the rotary blade cartridge  280  mate up with holes on the inner surface of the selector  270 . The rotary blade cartridge assembly  280  rotates with the selector knob  270  as the user turns the selector knob to choose the required trimming blade. The rotary blade cartridge assembly  280  is made up of four trimming blades  281 ,  282 ,  283 , and  284 , respectively, which may be free to rotate on their own axes within the rotary blade cartridge assembly  280 . The ability of the trimming blades  281 ,  282 ,  283 , and  284 , respectively, to freely rotate allows for a reduction in the friction generated between the selected trimming blade and the material to be cut, perforated, or scored. The resultant reduction in friction with the use of rotating trimming blades helps alleviate the problem of piling up (i.e. material jamming) in relation to a conventional paper cutter employing a fixed non-rotating blade.  
         [0025]     The first trimming blade  281  ( FIG. 4   a ) is a rotary cutter, and has a sharp perimeter  291  (see  FIG. 4   b ). When the present trimming apparatus  200  is switched to the trimming blade  281 , the rotary cutter is capable of rotating on the material on the base  210 , and cutting the material apart with a straight edge as the carriage is slide along the rail. The second trimming blade  282  ( FIG. 5   a ) is a rotary gear-shaped blade, and has a sharp saw-tooth perimeter  292  (see  FIG. 5   b ). When the trimming apparatus  200  is switched to this trimming blade  282 , this gear shaped blade rotates on the material on the base  210 , and makes a perforation cut on the material as the carriage is slid along the rail. The third trimming blade  283  ( FIG. 6   a ) is a rotary wavy-line cutter, and its perimeter  293  (see  FIG. 6   b ) is sharp and wavy. When this trimming apparatus  200  is switched to trimming blade  283 , the sharp and wavy blade rotates on the material on the base  210 , cutting the material apart in a wavy curve as the carriage slides along the rail. The fourth trimming blade  284  ( FIG. 7   a ) is a rotary blunt blade  294  having an arcuate perimeter (see  FIG. 7   b ) which forms a folding line on the material as the carriage slides along the rail.  
         [0026]     The first embodiment of the cartridge embodying the present invention illustrated in  FIG. 8  employs a lever mechanism  250  to lock the selector  270  and rotary blade assembly  280  in a user chosen position. The lever  250  is normally biased by a loading spring  251  in a down position, such that a tongue  254  inserts itself into one of the slots  271 ,  272 ,  273 , or  274 , respectively, located on the selector knob  270  assembly. However, the lever  250  is free to pivot about pin  253 , and when the user requires the use of a different trimming blade than the one presently employed, the user applies downward pressure on the tab  252  to overcome the bias of the loading spring  251  thereby lifting the tongue  254  out of the present slot  271  that the tongue  254  had been resting in. With the lever mechanism  250  in the up position the selector  270  and the rotary blade cartridge assembly  280  is free to rotate. Therefore, the user is able to turn the selector  270  and the rotary blade cartridge assembly  280  until the desired blade is in position. When the required trimming blade is in position, the user releases the downward pressure applied to the knob  252 , of the lever mechanism  250 , and the selector  270  and the rotary blade cartridge assembly  280  will be re-locked with the tongue  254  reinserted into one of the slots  271 ,  272 ,  273 , or  274  located on the selector  270  assembly.  
         [0027]     The second embodiment of the present invention illustrated in  FIGS. 9 and 10  employs a series of engagement pins  1341 ,  1342 ,  1343 , and  1344 , respectively, slots  1371 ,  1372 ,  1373 , and  1374 , respectively, and a spring loaded selector  1370  to lock the rotary blade cartridge assembly  1380  in a user selectable position. The selector  1370  is normally biased to press outwardly through the hole  1345  on the cover  1340  by a compression spring  1335 , such that all four slots  1371 ,  1372 ,  1373 ,  1374  are engage with all four of the engagement pins  1341 ,  1342 ,  1343 ,  1344 , located on the inner surface  1346  of the cover assembly  1340 . When a different trimming blade  1381 ,  1382 ,  1383 , or  1384  is required the user pushes the selector knob  1370  inward toward the carriage  1330  to overcome the outward bias of the spring  1335 , and disengage all four pins  1341 ,  1342 ,  1343 , and  1344  from the four slots  1371 ,  1372 ,  1373 , and  1374 . With inward pressure applied to the selector  1370 , the user is free to rotate the selector  1370  until the desired trimmer blade  1381 ,  1382 ,  1383 , or  1384  is in position. When one of the required trimmer blades  1381 ,  1382 ,  1383 , or  1384  is in position, the user removes the applied inward pressure to the selector knob  1370 , and the four engagement pins  1341 ,  1342 ,  1343 , and  1344 , located on the inner surface  1346  of the cover assembly  1340  engage in an indexable manner corresponding to the blade selection, with the four slots  1371 ,  1372 ,  1373 ,  1374  of the selector knob  1370 , thereby re-locking both the selector knob  1340  and the rotary blade cartridge assembly  1380 . An observation window  1360  located on the cover  1340  provides the user with a graphic indication of which one of the trimmer blades  1381 ,  1382 ,  1383 , or  1384  is exposed and available to cut, perforate, or score the target material. When the blades in the magazine  280  become worn or if a blade is broken, the entire magazine, with its blades in place, may be easily removed and replaced, without danger to the user of unintended cuts.  
         [0028]     Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the appended claims.