Patent ID: 7665943

Claim:
A binding apparatus for binding a stack of papers having a plurality of holes together with a binding element having a plurality of fingers insertable in the holes, the apparatus comprising: a paper clamp for clamping the stack of papers; a binding element applicator for securing the binding element to the stack of papers so as to bind the stack of papers together, at least one of the paper clamp and the binding element applicator being movable relative to the other to allow the fingers of the binding element to enter the holes in the stack of papers for securing the binding element to the stack of papers; a controller for controlling a relative position between the paper clamp and the binding element applicator to align the holes in the stack of papers with the fingers of the binding element received in the binding element applicator; and a sensor operable to detect a thickness of the stack of papers, the sensor being coupled to the controller and the controller being operable to control the relative position between the paper clamp and the binding element applicator based on the thickness sensed by the sensor.