JP2567870Y2 - Electric stapler control device - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

The present invention relates to a head having a driver plate for driving staples and a clincher provided separately from the head and having a movable clincher for bending a leg of the driven staple. The present invention relates to a control device for controlling the operation of the head section and the clincher section in an electric stapler provided.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An electric stapler of this type has a so-called separation type configuration in which a head portion and a clincher portion are vertically separated via a space into which a spell sheet is inserted. It has recently been developed as a system that is compatible with a system in which staples are applied to copied paper and sent out by incorporating the paper into a discharge path.

Conventionally, in this type of electric stapler,
As shown in the time chart of FIG. 6, in the staple binding operation, first, the head unit drive motor is started and the driver plate of the head unit is lowered from the home position where it has risen to the driver ejection completed position, and the spell paper is A staple is punched out to penetrate the leg. On the other hand, the clincher section is moved up from the home position where the movable clincher of the clincher section is lowered to the clinch position by the clincher section drive motor, and the staple legs are bent and clinched,
This completes the sheet spelling operation. In this configuration, the head unit and the clincher unit are driven by cams that are driven to rotate by a drive motor, and the top dead center position of the cam defines the driver plate launching complete position and the movable clincher clinch position. .
As shown by the solid line in the time chart of FIG. 6, at the timing position A at which the movable clincher reaches the clincher position and the clinch operation is completed, the driver plate is held at the driving completion position, and the timing position B after the clinch is completed.
Is set to the operation timing for returning from the ejection completed position.

[0004]

In the above-described conventional electric stapler, the clincher is driven at a predetermined timing with respect to the driving cycle of the head.
As described above, the head unit is returned at the timing after the completion of the clinch, so that a reliable spelling operation is performed.However, the dispersion of each drive motor and the load of the machine, the head unit, and the like. Variations occur in the set operation timing due to various accuracy errors such as a shift in the drive timing of the clincher unit. Therefore, FIG.
In this case, as shown by a broken line, a problem arises when the operation timing of the head unit and the clincher unit is shifted.

That is, the clinch operation timing is delayed from the regular timing position A, causing a shift in which the clinch is completed at the timing position C, while the driver plate is in the timing position D earlier than the regular timing position B.
In such a case, the driver plate rises from the ejection completed position where the staples are held during the clinching operation, and the clinching operation is not performed sufficiently, resulting in an uncertain spelling operation, which affects the staple shape. There was a problem to do.

On the other hand, as a method of improving this, it is also possible to adopt a design in which the angular area of the top dead center of the cam is widened so as to hold the driver plate at the ejection completed position longer in consideration of the precision error of the machine. However, the wider the area, the more
The angle range of the cam, in which the driver plate reciprocates from the home position to the ejection completed position, becomes smaller, the operation gradient becomes steeper, the impact during operation becomes stronger, smooth operation cannot be obtained, and the noise increases, and the durability increases. In terms of
There was also a problem that the cam design became difficult.

[0007] Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to solve the problem even if there is a machine precision error.
An object of the present invention is to provide a controller for an electric stapler that can securely hold a driver plate at a punching completion position and can easily design a driving rotary cam until a clinch operation is completed, and can always perform a reliable spelling operation.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a head unit having a driver plate for driving staples supplied from a staple storage unit;
A head drive mechanism for driving a driver plate of the head from a raised home position to a firing completion position for firing staples, a movable clincher for bending the fired staple legs, and provided separately from the head. A clincher portion, and a clincher portion driving mechanism for driving the clincher portion from a home position where the movable clincher is lowered to a clinch position where the leg portion of the staple is bent by engaging with the leg portion of the staple. Assuming an electric stapler that allows the staples to penetrate the spelling paper inserted between the staples by the driver plate and perform the staple operation by the staples by the clinch by the movable clincher,
Driver launch position detecting means for detecting that the driver plate of the head section has reached the launch completion position,
A head drive control unit for stopping the head drive mechanism in response to the detection operation of the driver launch position detection unit and holding the driver plate at the launch completion position; and a detection operation of the driver launch detection unit. A clincher drive for driving the clincher unit driving mechanism in response, and in response to the completion of the clinch operation, releasing the stop operation of the head driving mechanism and operating the head drive control means to return to the home position. The present invention proposes a control device for an electric stapler having a control unit and a configuration.

[0009]

In the electric stapler provided with the control device of the present invention having the above structure, when the driver launch position detecting means detects that the driver plate of the head has reached the launch completion position, it responds to this. Then, the head drive control means stops the head drive mechanism and holds the driver plate at the ejection completed position. On the other hand, the clincher section performs the clinch operation by driving the clincher section drive mechanism by the control operation of the clincher drive control means in response to the detection operation of the driver launch detection means, and responds to the completion of the clinch operation by the clincher drive control means. Controls the head drive mechanism to cancel the stop operation of the head drive mechanism via the head drive control means, and returns the driver plate to the home position, whereby the spelling operation in one operation cycle is completed.

As described above, in order to securely hold the driver plate at the driving completion position until the clinch operation is completed,
The head drive control mechanism is temporarily stopped until the clinch operation is completed, and the operation of the head drive mechanism is resumed after the completion of the operation, so that the clinch operation is performed reliably and uniform spelling is performed. A stable spelling operation can be performed by obtaining a shape. Further, by adopting the temporary stop structure of the head drive mechanism, the top dead center area can be set smaller in the design of the rotary drive cam in the mechanism, so that there is a margin in the angular area of the cam that reciprocates the head. An electric stapler with less impact, less smoothness and lower noise can be obtained.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the electric stapler shown in FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a head unit, and 2 denotes a clincher unit disposed below the head unit 1 with an insertion path 3 for the spelling paper P interposed therebetween. A staple storage unit 4 in which staples S are stacked and stored is disposed in the head unit 1 and a driver plate 5 of the head unit 1 is mounted.
And a head drive mechanism 6 for driving the plate 5. The drive mechanism 6 includes a head drive motor 7 and a rotary drive cam 9 connected thereto via a gear mechanism 8.
Further, it has a drive link 10 for driving the driver plate 5 in accordance with the rotation of the cam 9. The link 10 is a cam 9
And a roller-shaped cam follower 11 that is rollingly engaged with the periphery of the shaft. The cam follower 11 obtains a driving force from the cam 9 via the cam follower 11 and rotates around the support shaft 12 from the solid line position to the chain line position against the spring 13. Then, the driver plate 5 attached to the leading end is driven downward from the raised home position shown in the figure by the arrow, and the staples S supplied from the staple storage unit 4 are ejected toward the spell paper P.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the driver plate is driven from the home position shown by the dashed line to the ejection completed position shown by the solid line, the leg g of the staple S penetrates the spelling sheet P.

On the other hand, in the clincher section 2, as shown in FIG.
6, a rotary drive cam 18 having a peripheral edge engaged with a roller-shaped cam follower 17 provided on the link 16, and a clincher unit drive motor 20 for applying a rotary drive force to the cam 18 via a gear mechanism 19. Each of these portions includes a pair of movable clinchers 22 that are rotatably disposed below a binding table 21 on which the binding paper P is placed.
, A clincher drive mechanism 23 is configured to rotate in the direction of the arrow around the support shaft 24 from the home position indicated by the solid line to the clinch position indicated by the chain line. The drive cam 18 rotates around the support shaft 22. The drive link 16 is provided with a spring for urging the cam follower 17 to constantly engage the periphery of the cam 18, but is not shown.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the drive link 16 moves up and the pair of movable clinchers 22 rotate to the clinch position around the support shaft 24, the leg g of the staple S penetrating the spelling sheet P is formed. Spelled paper P as indicated by the dashed line.
Is bent to the back side and clinched, and the spelling operation is completed.

The components described above are the same as those of a known electric stapler mechanism, and a mode in which staples S are sequentially supplied from the staple storage unit 4 to the ejection position below the driver plate 5 is also known, so that detailed description is given. Illustration and explanation are omitted.

In FIG. 3, the state where the rotary drive cam 9 of the head drive mechanism 6 is in the original position before starting is indicated by a chain line.
The solid line indicates the rotational position where the drive link 10 is rotated to the maximum position and the driver plate 5 is driven to the ejection complete position where the staples are ejected. The cam 9 rotates from the original position counterclockwise around the support shaft 25 in the figure, and performs one cycle of driving per rotation. A maximum drive stroke region having the same radius from the center of the support shaft 25, that is, a top dead center region 9a is formed on the cam 9 as shown by hatching, and when the cam follower 11 is located in this region 9a,
The driver plate 5 is held at the ejection completed position.

The rotational position of the rotary drive cam 9 is determined by a detection disk 26 supported on a support shaft 25 so as to be rotatable integrally with the cam 9 and a home position detection means arranged corresponding to the peripheral edge of the disk. And a sensor 28 serving as a driver launch position detecting means. That is, these sensors 27 and 28 transmit detection signals when the detection disk 26 rotates together with the cam 9 and correspond to the detection portions 26a and 26b on the disk 26, and are of transmission type or reflection type. Optical sensor. In the case of the transmission type as the detection unit on the disk 26, the detection unit is configured by providing a shielding plate on a part of the disk. When the cam 9 is located at the original position indicated by the dashed line, the detection unit 26 a corresponds to the home position detection sensor 27. In this state, the driver plate 5 is located at the raised home position. On the other hand, when the cam 9 rotates and the detecting portion 26b on the rotating disk 26 corresponds to the driver launch position detecting sensor 28 as shown in the figure, the starting point of the top dead center region 9a with respect to the cam follower 11 9b corresponds to detect that the driver plate 5 has arrived at the driving completion position. Although the detection disk 26 and the detection units 26a and 26b are schematically illustrated in FIG. 3, the detection disk 26 and the detection units 26a and 26b can be appropriately provided at positions separated from the cam 9 in the axial direction.

On the other hand, in the clincher section 2, a sensor for detecting that the movable clincher 22 is at the home position indicated by a solid line in FIG.
A detection disk that rotates integrally with the detection disk 8 is provided and provided so as to correspond to the detection disk, but is not shown. The home position detection means 29 shown in the configuration diagram of FIG. 4 corresponds to this.

The home position detecting means 27, 2
9 and the driver launch position detecting means 28 are configured to perform the detecting operation by detecting the rotational positions of the rotary drive cams 9 and 18, but may also be provided corresponding to the rotating parts of the gear mechanisms 8, 19 and the like. It is possible. Further, a configuration in which detection is performed in direct correspondence with the driver plate 5 or the movable clincher is also possible, and is not limited to the embodiment.

Next, a configuration diagram of the present invention shown in FIG. 4 will be described. A head drive control means 30 and a brake means 31 are provided to the head drive mechanism 6 connected to the head 1.
Are connected, and a home position detecting means 27 for sending a detection signal to the head drive control means 30 and a driver launch position detecting means 28 are connected to each other. On the other hand,
Clincher drive mechanism 23 connected to clincher 2
, A clincher drive control means 32 is connected, and a home position detecting means 29 for sending a detection signal to the clincher drive means and a timer means 33 are connected. The timer means 33 constitutes a part of the clincher drive control means 32. The control means 32 is also connected to a driver launch position detecting means 28 and a head drive control means 30 on the head side.

The spelling operation by the electric stapler provided with the control device of the present invention having the above configuration will be described with reference to a flowchart shown in FIG. 5 and a time chart shown in FIG. In FIG. 5, in step 40, the staple S is supplied from the staple storage unit 4 to the staple ejection completion position, and the staple spelling operation is started.
In FIG. 1, the head drive mechanism 6 starts operating when the drive motor 7 is started, and drives the driver plate 5 of the head 1 from the home position to the ejection completed position. Step 4
In step 2, the driver launch position detecting means 28 checks whether or not the driver has reached the launch completion position. If not yet detected, the head driving mechanism 6 is further driven to lower the driver plate 5, and the driver launch position is detected. When 28 detects the arrival, the detection signal is transmitted to the head drive control means 30 and the clincher drive control means 32.

The head drive control means 30 determines in step 43
In this state, the drive motor 6 of the head drive mechanism 6 is de-energized, the brake is applied to the inertial rotation of the drive mechanism 6 via the brake means 31, and the cam 9 is stopped in the top dead center region 9a. As a result, the head portion, that is, the driver plate 5 is stopped at the ejection completion position. As a result, the staple S is held in a state where the legs g pass through the spelled sheet P as shown in FIG.

On the other hand, in the clincher section 2, a clinch operation is started in step 44. That is,
In response to the detection signal from the detection means 28, the clincher drive control means 32 drives the drive motor 2 of the clincher section drive mechanism 23.
0, and in step 45, the movable clincher 22
From the home position to the clinch position indicated by the chain line in FIG. During this time, since the driver plate 5 of the head unit 1 is kept stopped, the leg portion g of the staple S is bent by the movable clincher 22 to the back side of the spelled sheet P as shown by a chain line in FIG. A clinch operation is performed.

As shown in the time chart of FIG. 7, the head portion drive motor 7 stops at the timing position E when the driver plate 5 reaches the ejection completion position, and the clincher portion drive motor 20 starts at the same time. Therefore, in this case, since one of the motors 7 stops, there is an advantage that the peak current flowing through both motors can be suppressed low.

The determination as to whether or not clinching by the movable clincher 22 has been completed is made by setting the timer means 33. That is, a predetermined time F is set from the start of the clincher unit driving motor 20, and it is set that the clinch operation is completed at this timing position G. This is set at the timing when the movable clincher 22 reaches the clinch position in any case, taking into account the deviation due to the error of the mechanical precision.

In step 46, when the timer means 33 sends a clinch completion command to the clincher drive control means 32, the control means 32 receives the command.
Transmits a signal to that effect to the head drive control means 30. In step 47, the control means 30 confirms the arrival of the clinch completion signal, and if it has not arrived, returns to step 43 to continue stopping the head section.
On the other hand, when the clinch completion signal arrives as described above,
In response, in order to cancel the operation stop of the head drive control means, the operation of the drive motor 7 is restarted in step 48, and the head portion is returned, that is, the driver plate 5 is raised from the ejection completion position. This timing is shown in FIG.
At the timing position H, which is always after the clinch completion timing position G. Therefore,
There is no possibility that the driver plate 5 will start moving up before the clinch is completed.

At the start of the head return operation, the portion of the initial length K from the timing position H in FIG.
In the range where the top dead center area 9a passes, the driver plate 5 is further held at the ejection completed position, and after passing through the top dead center area 9a, the driver plate 5 returns until the cam 9 returns to the home position. Continue operation. As described above, at the timing position H, the reliable clinch operation is already performed.
This range of the length K can be set shorter.
That is, the angle range of the top dead center region 9a of the cam 9 can be made smaller. For this reason, the operation gradient M during the return of the driver plate 5 to the home position can be made gentler, the steepness of the gradient can be eliminated, and a smooth spelling operation with less impact can be obtained. There is an advantage that design becomes easy. In any case, in the time chart, by stopping the drive motor 7 for the length N, a reliable spelling operation is performed.

Thereafter, in the head section 1, in step 49, it is confirmed whether or not the driver plate 5 has returned to the home position based on the presence or absence of the detection by the home position detecting means 27. If not, step 4 is performed.
8, the return operation is continued, and when the return is confirmed, the head drive control means 3 receives the signal from the detection means 27 and receives the signal from the detection means 27.
0 stops the drive motor 7 of the head drive mechanism 6 in step 50.

On the other hand, in the clincher section 2, the operation of the movable clincher 22 to return from the clinch position to the home position according to the rotation of the driving cam 18 is disclosed in step 51, and the position is detected by the home position detecting means 29 in step 52. If the return has not yet been made, the process returns to step 51 to continue the return operation. When the return is confirmed, the clincher drive control means 32 receives a signal from the detection means 29 and the clincher drive 23 is stopped.

As described above, a series of spelling operations is completed, and the spelled sheets P which have been spelled out are discharged to the outside from the insertion path 3 in FIG.

In the configuration of the embodiment described above, FIG.
The drive control means 30 and 32 shown by can be constituted by an electric circuit. Further, the timer means 33 can be constituted by an electric timer capable of transmitting a signal when a set time elapses. Further, the brake means 31 may be constituted by a brake device that electrically or mechanically brakes the drive motor 7 or its transmission system. It should be noted that a detecting means similar to the driver launch position detecting means 28 is provided in place of the timer means 33 to detect that the movable clincher 22 has reached the clinch position.
It is also possible to adopt a configuration for transmitting the information to the device, and it is not limited to the embodiment. Further, in the embodiment, the configuration in which the individual drive motors 7 and 21 are provided in the drive mechanisms 6 and 23 for driving the head unit 1 and the clincher unit 2 is disclosed, but this is configured by a single drive motor. A configuration in which power is transmitted from a single drive motor to the head drive mechanism 6 and the clincher drive mechanism 23 by a clutch or the like is also included in the present invention. In this case, the operation of the head drive mechanism 6 can be stopped by an operation such as disengaging the clutch in accordance with a command from the head drive control means 30.

[0032]

As described above, in the present invention, the head drive mechanism is temporarily stopped in the middle of the operation cycle by the head drive control means, thereby holding the driver plate of the head at the ejection completed position. The stop operation is continued until the clinch operation in the clincher unit is completed, and the head drive control unit cancels the stop operation only after the clinch drive control unit confirms the completion of the clinch operation. Even if there is mechanical variation or accuracy error of the part,
The spelling operation can be always performed reliably and stably, the design of the drive cam of the head drive mechanism is easy, the spelling operation with less impact can be performed smoothly with low noise, and the durability can be improved. Various practical effects such as can be achieved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall schematic view of an electric stapler provided with a control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of an operation of a main part viewed from the left side of FIG. 1 for explaining a clinch operation of the clincher unit.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged explanatory view of a main part of FIG. 1 for explaining an operation of a driving cam of a head unit driving mechanism and an operation of a sensor.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of an electric stapler provided with the control device of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a staple binding operation by the electric stapler provided with the control device of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a time chart of a staple spelling operation in a conventional electric stapler.

FIG. 7 is a time chart of the electric stapler provided with the control device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Head part 2 Clincher part 5 Driver plate 6 Head part drive mechanism 23 Clincher part drive mechanism 30 Head drive control means 32 Clincher drive control means

Claims (1)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. A head unit having a driver plate for ejecting staples supplied from a staple storage unit, and a head unit driving mechanism for driving the driver plate of the head unit from a raised home position to a ejection complete position for ejecting staples. A clincher provided separately from the head and having a movable clincher that bends the staple leg that has been struck, and a movable clincher of the clincher that engages with a leg of the staple from a home position where the clincher is lowered. A clincher driving mechanism for driving the leg to a clinch position for bending the leg, wherein the staple is penetrated by the driver plate into the spelling paper inserted between the head and the clincher, and the staple is stapled by the clinch by the movable clincher. Let me do the action A driver stapling position detecting means for detecting that a driver plate of the head section has reached a driving completion position; and a head driving mechanism in response to a detecting operation of the driver stapling position detecting means. And a head drive control unit for stopping the driver plate at the ejection completion position, and driving the clincher unit driving mechanism in response to the detection operation of the driver ejection detection unit and responding to the completion of the clinch operation. A clincher drive control means for activating the head drive control means so as to release the stop operation of the head drive mechanism and return to the home position;
A control device for an electric stapler, comprising: