JP3879593B2 - Self-priming detection mechanism in electric stapler - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, a large number of straight staples are connected in parallel to supply a sheet staple formed in a sheet shape to a forming portion to form a U-shape, and the formed staple is supplied to a punching portion and driven out. the electric stapler you, about self-priming detection mechanism in the electric stapler for detecting a state ready implanted supplied staple formed into U-shape to launch position is completed.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Generally electric stapler of this kind, as shown in FIG. 6 (a) (b), the electric stapler multiple straight-shaped staples in a stacked state sheet staples 30 in the form of a sheet and connected to each other The magazine 31 is loaded, and the sheet staples 30 in the magazine 31 are sequentially supplied to the ejection unit by the rotation of the feed roller 32. A forming plate 33 for forming straight staples into a U-shape is formed in the ejection unit. In addition, a driver plate 34 is provided for ejecting staples formed in a U-shape by the forming plate 33 toward the sheets to be bound.
[0003]
The sheet staple 30 is supplied to a position just below the forming plate 33 by the feed roller 32. When the forming plate 33 is driven downward, the foremost straight staple is formed into a U-shape, and the staple formed in this U-shape is ejected. The staple 30 is fed directly below the driver plate 34 in the punching passage formed in the section, and then the formed staple 30 is driven out from the punching passage by moving the driver plate 34 downward. As described above, the sheet staple 30 is fed to the position just below the forming plate 33 by the feed roller 32, and after the fed sheet staple 30 is formed into a U-shape by the forming plate 33, the driver plate 34 prepares for actual hitting for the first time. It becomes a state.
[0004]
However, since the forming plate 33, the driver plate 34, and the feed roller 32 that feeds the sheet staple 30 are configured to interlock with each other, the driver plate 34 is also interlocked between the feeding process and the molding process. It will operate and repeat the idle operation. For this reason, when a new staple is loaded on a new electric stapler , or when staples are removed and the staple is loaded after the sheet staple 30 is removed from the electric stapler , the staple is molded directly below the driver plate 34. Since the staples are not supplied, by driving the driver plate 34 after the sheet staples 30 are loaded, the feeding roller 32 is operated to supply the sheet staples 30 to the forming plate 33. A self-priming operation is performed in which the formed staple is supplied to just below the driver plate.
[0005]
There is provided a detection mechanism for detecting that the staple formed directly under the driver plate 34 is supplied, detecting that the preparation for the staple binding operation is completed, and stopping the self-priming operation. Are known. In the conventional detection mechanism, a detection lever 37 is rotatably provided on the front side of a face plate 36 that slides and guides the driver plate 34 and the formed staple, and a tip 38 of the detection lever 37 is formed on the face plate 36. The displacement of the other end side of the detection lever 37 is detected by a sensor 39 such as a photo interrupter by rotating the detection lever 37 with the staple so as to contact the staple arranged at the launch position from the hole. It was.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the above-described conventional technique, the amount of displacement of the detection lever 37 rotated by a small size of one staple is small, and the degree of accuracy of detecting this displacement by the photo interrupter 39 or the like is poor. The detection lever 37 must have a large leverage ratio, and the detection lever 37 is increased in size by the amount of amplification, and further, the crossing of parts is expanded, resulting in a decrease in reliability of detection accuracy. .
[0007]
The present invention eliminates the drawbacks of the prior art described above, does not require an actuator such as a detection lever having a large lever ratio, and does not cause variations in detection accuracy due to dimensional tolerances of parts. An object is to provide a priming detection mechanism.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, a self-priming detection mechanism in an electric stapler according to the present invention includes a feeding unit that feeds sheet staples below the driver plate in conjunction with driving of the driver plate by an electric motor. In the electric stapler provided with a detection mechanism for detecting that the frontmost staple of the fed connected staples has been sent below the driver plate, the detection mechanism can be engaged with the staple supplied immediately below the driver plate. The detection plate formed with a simple engagement piece is provided so as to be slidable along the operation direction of the driver plate and biased upward in the sliding direction, and the lower end portion of the detection plate is positioned at the lower position of the sliding movement. The engagement piece is retracted from the drive path of the driver plate. The detection plate is slid downward by the driver plate, and the engagement piece engages with the staple supplied directly below the driver plate when the detection plate is lifted and returned by the biasing force. Thus, the fact that preparation for stapling is completed is detected by preventing the detection plate from being lifted back.
[0009]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on examples shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an outline of an electric stapler according to the present invention. In this electric stapler , a magazine 2 loaded with a large number of sheet staples is provided on the front inner side of a frame 1 arranged on the left and right. Formed on the front portion is a forming plate 3 for forming a straight staple into a U-shape and a driver plate 4 for ejecting the staple formed in a U-shape toward a binding sheet and held by a drive link 5 in a superposed state. It has been. A groove cam 6 operatively connected to an electric motor is rotatably provided at the rear portion of the frame 1, and a roller 7 attached to the rear portion of the drive link 5 is engaged in the groove cam 6. . As a result, when the groove cam 6 is rotated by the electric motor, the drive link 5 is reciprocally rotated to drive the forming plate 3 and the driver plate 4 in the vertical direction, and at the same time, the magazine 2 follows the same and moves in the same direction. Has been.
[0010]
The magazine 3 is mounted with a cartridge 9 in which sheet staples 8 formed by adhering straight staples in parallel and connected in a sheet shape are stacked in multiple stages. Further, a lead-out port (not shown) for the sheet staple 8 is formed at the lower end of the front wall of the cartridge 9, and the forming plate 3 is cured from the lead-out port to the staple guide 10 in order from the lowest one. And the driver plate 4 are configured so as to be sent to the molding / driving portion 11 below. A binding stand 12 on which a closed sheet is placed is provided at the lower part of the frame 1, and a clincher 13 for bending the leg portion of the staple which is punched out by the driver plate 4 and penetrates the stapled sheet. Is provided.
[0011]
The feeding means for feeding the sheet staple 8 to the forming / driving unit 11 includes a feeding roller 14 provided at the lower portion of the staple guide 10, a pinion gear 15 that meshes with the feeding roller 14, and a rack gear 16 that meshes with the pinion gear 15. Has been. The feed roller 14 and the pinion gear 15 are disposed in the magazine 2, and the rack gear 16 is formed on the frame 1. Therefore, when the magazine 2 is driven downward together with the two plates 3 and 4, as shown in FIG. 2, the pinion gear 15 rotates along with the rack gear 16 and meshes with the pinion gear 15 simultaneously. The feed roller 14 is rotated. The feed roller 14 is in contact with the lower surface of the lowermost sheet staple 8 of the cartridge 9, and the sheet staple 8 is led out from the outlet of the cartridge 9 by the rotation of the feed roller 14, and is formed and cured by the staple guide 10. It is sent to the driving unit 11.
[0012]
An anvil 17 is disposed below the staple guide 10 facing the lower end surface of the forming plate 3 of the forming / driving portion 11, and the foremost sheet staple on the anvil 17 when the forming plate 3 is disturbed downward. Both sides of 8 are pushed into a U shape. The formed staple 8a is sent to a driving portion below the driver plate 4 by a pusher (not shown) when the forming plate 3 is driven upward, and is formed when the driver plate 4 is driven downward by the next operation. The staple 8a is punched out, penetrates the stapled paper 18 on the binding table 12, and is further folded by the clincher 13 to complete the binding.
[0013]
A detection plate 20 is provided on the front side of the magazine 2 so as to be slidable along the operation direction of the driver plate 4. An engagement piece 21 is formed at the lower portion of the detection plate 20 so as to protrude below the driver plate 4 and on the drive locus of the driver plate 4. The engagement piece 21 is formed directly below the driver plate 4. The molded staples 8a to be arranged are engaged. Further, an upper end of the detection plate 20 is formed with a working end 22 bent in the horizontal direction, and a sensor 23 such as a photo interrupter is disposed corresponding to the working end 22. The sensor 23 outputs a detection signal according to the vertical position.
[0014]
The lower end of the detection plate 20 guides the detection plate 20 in a direction away from the driver plate 4 in a lower portion of the slide movement area when the detection plate 20 is slid downward in parallel with the driver plate 4. As a result, the lower end of the detection plate 20 is moved forward in the lower portion of the slide operation, and the engagement piece 21 is thereby retracted from the drive locus of the driver plate 4. The Further, the detection plate 20 is biased upward by a spring 24, and when the driver plate 4 is disposed upward, the detection plate 20 is moved toward the top dead center by the spring force, and the driver plate 4 staples. When driven downward for driving, the driver plate 4 contacts the engagement piece 21 and is operated downward together with the driver plate 4.
[0015]
The sensor 23 detects whether or not the detection plate 20 is arranged at the top dead center position of the slide movement range by the operation end 22 formed at the upper end of the detection plate 20, and the operation end 22 is arranged at the top dead center position. Sometimes, it is detected that the staple 8a formed under the driver plate 4 is not arranged and the staple binding is not ready. When the detection plate 20 is lifted by the action of the spring 24, the engagement piece 21 is engaged with the staple 8a supplied directly below the driver plate 4, and the sliding movement to the top dead center is prevented. The sensor 23 cannot detect the operating end 22 and detects that the staples are supplied immediately below the driver plate 4 and the preparation for stapling is completed. This sensor 23 detects the top dead center position of the operating end of the detection plate 20, and may be an optical sensor such as a photo interrupter, a micro switch operated by the operating end, or any other appropriate sensor.
[0016]
The operation of the detection mechanism will be described with reference to FIG. When the electric stapler is used for the first time, or when the cartridge 9 loaded with the sheet staples 8 is newly attached to the magazine 2 after the staples in the driving path are removed due to staple jamming or the like, it is shown in FIG. Thus, the sheet staple 8 is not yet supplied under the driver plate 4 and the forming plate 3, and therefore the detection plate 20 is disposed at the top dead center position by the action of the spring 24, and the sensor 23 is detected by the sensor 23. By detecting the operation end 22 of 20 and detecting that preparation for driving is not completed, the driving roller 14 is operated by driving the driver plate 4 and the forming plate 3 to perform the idle driving operation, thereby forming the sheet staple 8. A self-priming operation is performed so as to be supplied to the driving unit 11.
[0017]
When the driver plate 4 and the forming plate 3 are driven after the leading sheet staple 8 of the sheet staple 8 is supplied to the position immediately below the forming plate 3, the leading plate staple 8 is driven by the downward movement of the forming plate 3 as shown in FIG. The center portion of the sheet staple 8 is supported by the upper surface of the anvil 17 and both ends thereof are bent downward by the forming plate 3 to be formed into a U-shape. The detection plate 20 is slid downward as the driver plate 4 moves downward, and is guided in a direction away from the driver plate 4 near the bottom dead center of the slide region. Retreating from the drive locus of the plate 4 and avoiding the downward drive of the driver plate 4 are avoided.
[0018]
When the forming plate 3 and the driver plate 4 in which the leading staple 8 is formed in a U-shape is returned upward, the staple 8a formed by the pressing mechanism that engages with the leg portion of the U-shaped staple 8a is formed. It is supplied directly below the driver plate 4. As the driver plate 4 rises, the detection plate 20 is slid upward by the action of the spring 24. As shown in FIG. 4C, the engagement piece 21 of the detection plate 20 is directly below the driver plate 4. It engages with the lower surface of the supplied formed staple 8a and is prevented from moving to the top dead center. As a result, the sensor 23 cannot detect the operation end 22 of the detection plate 4 and detects that the preparation for stapling is completed, and stops the driving of the driver plate 4 and the forming plate 3.
[0019]
When the driver plate 4 is driven by the staple binding operation and the staple 8a disposed immediately below the driver plate 4 is driven out by the driver plate 4, the engagement piece 21 of the detection plate 20 comes into contact with the lower surface of the formed staple 8a. However, since the lower part of the detection plate 20 is guided in the direction away from the driver plate 4 in the vicinity of the bottom dead center of the slide area, the engaging piece 21 is on the staple driving locus. There is no problem in stapling.
[0020]
FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the detection mechanism of the present invention. In this embodiment, a detection plate 30 having an engagement piece 31 formed at the lower end is supported so as to be slidable in parallel with the driver plate 4. An operating end 32 that can be detected by the sensor 33 is formed at the upper end of the detection plate 30. The lower end portion of the detection plate 30 is accommodated in a guide groove 34 formed in a square shape and guided so as to operate in the vertical direction and obliquely downward away from the driver plate 4.
[0021]
The detection plate 30 is moved to the top dead center position by the spring 35 as shown in FIG. 5A when the staple formed directly under the driver plate 4 is not disposed. When the sensor 33 detects the end 32, it is detected that the preparation for stapling is not completed, and the self-priming operation is performed. When the formed staple is disposed immediately below the driver plate 4, as shown in FIG. 5B, the engagement piece 31 engages with the formed staple 8a and is prevented from moving to the top dead center. Therefore, the sensor 33 detects that the working end 32 cannot be detected and the staple binding is ready, and the self-priming operation is stopped. When the driver plate 4 is driven downward to perform a self-priming operation or to eject the formed staple, the detection plate 30 is slid downward. As shown in FIG. The lower end of 30 is guided away from the driver plate 4 by the guide groove 34, and the engagement piece 31 is retracted from the driving path so that the interference between the formed staple 8a and the driver plate 4 is released. There is no problem in driving toward the paper.
[0022]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the detection plate 20 formed with the engagement piece 21 protruding on the sliding locus of the driver plate 4 is disposed so as to be slidable along the operation direction of the driver plate 4. When the detection plate 20 is slid by the driver plate 4 and the detection plate 20 is lifted and restored by the spring biasing force, the engagement piece 21 of the detection plate 20 is engaged with the staple 8a supplied on the drive locus of the driver plate 4. Accordingly, since the detection plate 20 does not return to the top dead center position, it is detected that the staple 8a is supplied directly below the driver plate 4. Therefore, the displacement amount of the detection plate 20 is set to the thickness of one staple. It is not necessary to form a lever that amplifies the amount of displacement, and the detection mechanism can be made compact, and the amount of displacement can be detected. Even using an inexpensive sensor becomes easy can be reliably detected, further, it does not occur variations in detection accuracy due to dimensional tolerances of the parts.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side view showing an outline of an electric stapler in which a self-priming detection mechanism of the present invention is implemented.
FIG. 2 is the same side view as FIG. 1 with the driver plate and the forming plate operating.
3 is a perspective view showing the main configuration of the self-priming detection mechanism of FIG. 1. FIG.
4A and 4B show an operation state by the self-priming detection mechanism of FIG. 1, in which FIG. 4A shows a state in which staples formed immediately below the driver plate are not supplied, and FIG. 4B shows an operation state of the driver plate and the forming plate. (C) shows a state in which the formed staple is supplied directly under the driver.
FIGS. 5A and 5B show an operating state of another embodiment of the self-priming detection mechanism, in which FIG. 5A shows a state in which the formed staple is not supplied, and FIG. 5B shows a state in which the formed staple is supplied directly below the driver. (C) A state where the driver plate and the forming plate are activated.
FIGS. 6A and 6B show an outline of an electric stapler equipped with a conventional detection mechanism, in which FIG. 6A shows a state where molded staples are not supplied to the driving unit, and FIG. The state supplied to the insert portion is shown.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 3 Forming plate 4 Driver plate 8 Sheet staple 8a Formed staple 10 Staple guide 20 Detection plate 21 Engagement piece 22 Operation end 23 Sensor 24 Spring 30 Detection plate 31 Engagement piece 32 Operation end 33 Sensor 34 Guide groove 35 Spring

Claims (1)

In addition to feeding means for feeding sheet staples below the driver plate in conjunction with driving of the driver plate by the electric motor, the foremost staple of the linked staples fed by the feeding means is sent below the driver plate. In the electric stapler provided with the detection mechanism for detecting the detection plate, the detection mechanism can slide the detection plate formed with the engagement piece engageable with the staple supplied immediately below the driver plate along the operation direction of the driver plate. In addition, the engagement plate is urged toward the top dead center side of the driver plate, and the engagement piece is retracted from the drive path of the driver plate when the lower end portion of the detection plate is slid in the staple driving direction. The detection plate is connected to the driver plug. When the detection plate is lifted and returned by the urging force, the engagement piece engages with the staple supplied just below the driver plate and the detection plate is prevented from being raised and returned. A self-priming detection mechanism in an electric stapler , characterized in that it detects that preparation for binding has been completed.

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