JP3975354B2 - Return mechanism in stapler - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a return mechanism in a stapler that mechanically brakes at a home position when a stapler is returned after a staple is passed through a stapled paper by a stapler.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Sheet staples formed by connecting a large number of straight staples in a sheet form are stored in multiple stages in a magazine provided in the driver unit, and the driver unit and one of the clincher units disposed opposite to the driver unit are moved up and down. The stapled paper is clamped between the two units, and the staples are sequentially ejected from the staples at the end of the upper or lower sheet staple in the magazine, and after passing through the stapled paper, the staple legs are placed on the clincher unit. An electric stapler that bends and clinch is known.
[0003]
By the way, after the spelling operation is finished, in order to prepare for the next spelling, the spelling means (driver unit or clincher unit) is returned to the home position. As a result, the cam cannot be stopped accurately at the position corresponding to the home position, so that the spelling means may also stop beyond the home position. When this deviation overlaps, a spelling failure occurs.
[0004]
For this reason, a system is known in which the apparatus is stopped by a short brake by a motor for driving the spelling means.
[0005]
However, since the short brake does not always work in a certain state and varies, the necessary angle of the home position is set in consideration of this variation. In order to reduce the current, this angle is preferably as small as possible, but there is a limit in short brakes.
[0006]
Therefore, a braking system that mechanically brakes is also known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
[0007]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2002-1705 A (paragraphs “0021” to “0024”, “0032” to “0035”, FIGS. 8 to 10)
[0008]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the braking mechanism is an independent mechanism only for the purpose of braking, and is a burden in terms of space and cost.
[0009]
The present invention eliminates the above-mentioned drawbacks, and can use the paper thickness adjusting spring as a brake when the spelling means returns to the home position, so that it can be reliably braked, space saving can be realized, and the structure can be simplified. It is an object of the present invention to provide a return mechanism in a stapler that can reduce costs.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-described problem, the return mechanism of the stapler according to the present invention has a driver unit that drives out staples by a driver and a clincher unit that includes a clincher that folds a leg portion of the staple that has been punched and penetrates a sheet. In the electric stapler that operates by moving the driver unit or the clincher unit so as to approach each other, the first link that operates the driver unit or the clincher unit is linked to the second link that is operated by the motor-driven cam. In addition, a paper thickness adjusting spring is provided between the first link and the second link, and the paper thickness adjusting spring expands and contracts as the first link and the second link reciprocate once. together is the spelling operation of 1 cycle Te, the driver unit Forms a long hole in a return link rotatably supported by a shaft provided on the side wall of the clincher unit, engages the shaft fixed to the first link in the long hole, and attaches the return link to the return link. When the driver unit or the clincher unit is engaged with the peripheral surface of the return cam operatively connected to the motor, and the first link is moved toward the home position via the return link by the rotation of the return cam, The spring force of the paper thickness adjusting spring is made zero immediately before reaching the home position, and when moving to the home position, the paper thickness adjusting spring is extended or reduced to move. .
[0011]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of an electric stapler according to the present invention will be described below based on examples shown in the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the electric stapler 1 is provided in the middle of a conveyance path 2 that is accommodated in a copying machine, a printing machine, or the like and that is fed with a copy or printed binding sheet. And a clincher unit 4 disposed on the upper surface side of the conveyance path 2. The driver unit 3 and the clincher unit 4 are vertically separated with the conveyance path 2 for the binding paper P interposed therebetween, and are arranged in a separated state so that the binding paper P can pass between the two units. 2 is supported so as to be able to move in synchronization with a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the binding paper P along the guide shaft 5 provided between the frames F arranged on both sides of the two.
[0012]
As shown in FIG. 2, the driver unit 3 includes a plate-like driver 6 that reciprocates up and down a staple S in a magazine portion (not shown) formed in the driver unit 3 up and down. A driving mechanism for driving out the bound binding paper P and a driving mechanism for driving the driving mechanism are provided.
[0013]
On the other hand, the clincher unit 4 includes a clincher mechanism that bends a staple leg that has been punched by a driver and penetrates the binding paper P along the back surface side of the binding paper P, and holds the clincher mechanism. A clincher base 7 that is movable in the vertical direction between a lower position that holds the binding paper P between and an upper position that is separated from the binding paper P, and a drive mechanism that moves the clincher base 7 up and down and activates the clincher mechanism And. As an example of the clincher mechanism, as shown in FIG. 5, a pair of movable clincher 21 is rotated to bend the leg portion of the staple S.
[0014]
The drive motor that is provided in the driver unit 3 and drives the driving mechanism, and the clincher drive motor that is provided in the clincher unit 4 and operates the clincher base 7 and the clincher mechanism are constituted by a CPU chip or the like. It is controlled by a control device (not shown).
[0015]
An outline of the operation of the electric stapler 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. In the initial state before the electric stapler 1 is actuated, the drive unit driving mechanism and the clincher base 7 of the clincher unit 4 are both waiting at the home position as shown in FIG.
[0016]
When the binding paper P is set at the binding position and a start signal is output from the copying machine or the like, the control device drives the clincher drive motor of the clincher unit 4. By driving the clincher drive motor, the drive shaft rotates to lower the clincher base 7 as will be described later.
[0017]
When the clincher base 7 is lowered by a predetermined distance, the binding paper P is clamped by the clincher base 7 and the upper end surface of the driver unit 3 as shown in FIG. 5B, and the clincher driving motor is stopped.
[0018]
Next, the staple S is driven out toward the binding paper P clamped by the driver 6 by the driver drive motor of the driver unit 3, and the legs of the staple S penetrate the binding paper P and are exposed to the clincher mechanism side.
[0019]
Here, the clincher driving motor of the clincher unit 4 is driven again, the clincher mechanism in the clincher base 7 is operated, and the leg is engaged with the leg of the staple S passing through the binding sheet P to which the clincher mechanism is clamped. The legs of the staple S are clinched by being bent along the upper surface of the binding paper P.
[0020]
When the clinching is completed, the clincher base 7 of the clincher unit 4 is operated toward the upper home position, and the driver of the drive unit is operated toward the lower home position.
[0021]
As described above, the clincher base 7 is operated downward so that the binding paper P is sandwiched between the lower surface of the clincher base 7 and the upper surface of the driver unit 3. Accordingly, the clincher base 7 is reciprocated once in the vertical direction by one rotation of the drive shaft.
[0022]
Incidentally, the clincher unit 4 is provided with a clincher base drive mechanism for operating the clincher base 7 in the vertical direction in addition to the drive mechanism for operating the clincher mechanism. Correspondingly, a paper thickness adjusting mechanism for adjusting the height position of the clincher base 7 is provided.
[0023]
As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4A, the clincher base drive mechanism includes a clincher base 7 which is provided with a clincher (not shown) so as to be movable up and down, and a clincher unit 4 at one end side. The first link 10 is pivotally supported by the first support shaft 9 of the side wall 4a and the other end is engaged with the pin 8 fixed to the clincher base 7, and the one end side is the upper part of the side wall 4a of the clincher unit 4. A second link 12 that is pivotally supported with respect to the second support shaft 11 so as to be swingable in the left-right direction, and is disposed so as to overlap the first link 10, and a drive cam 13 that operates the second link 12. It consists of and.
[0024]
As shown in FIG. 3, the first link 10 is disposed on the left and right of the clincher base 7. The second link 12 is configured as four second links by arranging a pair of U-shaped link members 14, and the second link 12 is disposed between the first links 10.
[0025]
One end of the first link 10 is supported by the first support shaft 9. A groove 15 is formed at the other end, and the groove 15 is engaged with the pin 8 of the clincher base 7. When the first link 10 swings, the pin 8 also moves up and down, and the clincher base 7 moves up and down.
[0026]
A roller 16 is attached to one side of the second link 12 and is engaged with the peripheral surface of the drive cam 13.
[0027]
A first long hole 17 is formed in the first link 10, and a second long hole 18 is formed in the second link 12. The second long hole 18 is formed on a straight line passing through the center of the second support shaft 11 of the second link 12. A movable shaft 19 is inserted through a portion where the first long hole 17 and the second long hole 18 intersect. When the first link 10 and the second link 12 are swung, the portion where the first long hole 17 and the second long hole 18 intersect changes, so the movable shaft 19 also moves accordingly.
[0028]
According to the above configuration, the portion where the second long hole 18 and the first long hole 17 intersect is changed by rotating the drive cam 13 and rotating the second link 12 by a motor (not shown). The movable shaft 19 located at the intersection is also moved. As the movable shaft 19 moves, the first link 10 swings about the first support shaft 9, so that the clincher base 7 can be moved downward together with the pin 8 engaged with the groove 15. Thus, the clincher mechanism is further prepared to bend and clinch the staple leg.
[0029]
Next, the paper thickness adjusting mechanism is configured by disposing a paper thickness adjusting spring 20 on the second link 12 in the clincher base 7 driving mechanism. As shown in FIG. 3, three paper thickness adjusting springs 20 are attached between the four second links 12. In addition, each paper thickness adjusting spring 20 is disposed between the second support shaft 11 and the movable shaft 19 of the second link 12. The second long hole 18 is formed on a straight line passing through the center of the second support shaft 11 of the second link 12, and the movable shaft 19 moves along the second long hole 18. The paper thickness adjusting spring 20 disposed between the two support shafts 11 and the movable shaft 19 extends and contracts along the moving direction of the movable shaft 19.
[0030]
According to the paper thickness adjusting mechanism, when the clincher base driving mechanism is operated, the clincher base 7 moves down, but the stroke is not constant. When the sheet P is thin, the bottom dead center position is low, but when the sheet P is thick, the position is high. Such a change in stroke is absorbed by the paper thickness adjusting mechanism.
[0031]
That is, when the sheet to be bound is thick, the stroke becomes small as shown in FIG. Therefore, the second link 12 is swung by the drive cam 13, the first link 10 is swung downward, and the clincher base 7 is also moved downward. However, when the lower surface of the clincher base 7 comes into contact with the binding paper, the clincher base 7 cannot move further downward. Therefore, the first link 10 cannot swing further. On the other hand, the second link 12 is pressed by the drive cam 13 via the roller 16 and continues to rotate around the second support shaft 11 in the criminal hole in FIG. However, the coaxial 19 is forced to move relatively upward along the second long hole 18 because the swinging of the first link 10 is stopped. At this time, the movable shaft 19 moves while compressing the paper thickness adjusting spring 20.
[0032]
When the bound paper is thin, as shown in FIG. 4B, the stroke is slightly smaller than when there is no bound paper, and the movement of the clincher base 7 is limited accordingly, As described above, the movable shaft 19 is forcibly moved, so that it moves relatively upward along the second long hole 18. At this time, the movable shaft 19 moves while compressing the paper thickness adjusting spring 20. The degree of bending of the paper thickness adjusting spring 20 is smaller than when the bound paper is thick.
[0033]
As described above, the paper thickness adjusting spring 20 bends flexibly corresponding to the size of the paper thickness, so that the clincher base 7 drive mechanism operates reliably. Further, the paper thickness adjusting spring 20 is disposed between the second support shaft 11 and the movable shaft 19 of the second link 12, and is provided so as to expand and contract along the moving direction of the movable shaft 19. It can be arranged along the second link 12.
[0034]
Next, the return mechanism for returning the clincher base to the home position after the forward movement includes a return cam 23 and a return link 24 as shown in FIG. The return cam 23 has a parallel straight long side 23a and an arcuate short side 23b formed in a square shape, one end of which is slidably fixed to a shaft 25, and the shaft 25 is operatively connected to a motor. ing. The return link 24 is formed to be long in the vertical direction, and the upper part is supported to be swingable about a shaft 26 provided on the side wall 4 a of the clincher unit 4, and a roller 29 provided at the upper end is engaged with the peripheral surface of the return cam 23. It is combined. In addition, an oblique long hole 27 is formed in the lower portion, and the long hole 27 is engaged with a shaft 28 fixed to the first link 10.
[0035]
According to the return mechanism, when the return cam 23 is rotated by the motor after the spelling operation (forward movement), the return link 24 also swings, so that the shaft 28 moves along the long hole 27. Link 10 moves toward the home position. In this case, the return cam 23 is operated by pressing the return link 24 with the long side 23a during rotation, but even if the return link 24 is pressed with the end of the long side 23a, the return link 24 is as shown in FIG. The return link 24 is set so that it only moves to immediately before the home position, and reaches the home position only after pressing with the short side 23b as shown in FIG.
[0036]
Further, the movable shaft 19 of the clincher base drive mechanism reciprocates once with the clincher base 7 during the spelling operation, but the home position of the movable shaft 19 is set slightly above the lowest point. Further, the paper thickness adjusting spring 20 is also expanded and contracted during the spelling operation, but is set so as to reach maximum extension when the movable shaft 19 reaches the lowest point beyond the home position. Of course, when the movable shaft 19 moves to the home position, the first link 10 and the clincher base 7 move to the top dead center that is the home position. Further, even if the movable shaft 19 subsequently moves to the bottom dead center, the first first link 10 and the clincher base 7 are maintained at the top dead center at the bottom dead center.
[0037]
Next, the operation of the return mechanism will be described. When the return cam 23 is rotated after the clincher base 7 is operated downward as described above and the spelling operation is completed, it is shown in FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b). Thus, the return link 24 is swung by being pressed by the long side 23a, and the shaft 28 of the first link 10 engaged with the long hole 27 is lifted upward, so that the first link 10 is moved upward. Swing. Then, when the first link 10 returns from the bottom dead center toward the home position, the paper thickness adjusting spring 20 extends little by little from the contracted state. As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, when the movable shaft 19 reaches the lowest point beyond the home position, the paper thickness adjusting spring 20 has the maximum length. Further, when the return cam 23 rotates, as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the return link 24 is further swung by being pressed by the short side 23b, and the movable shaft 19 is again moved to the first long hole. The first link 10 and the clincher base 7 are also moved to the home position. However, when the movable shaft 19 moves up along the first long hole 17, as shown in detail in FIG. 9, the paper thickness adjusting spring 20, which has been fully extended, has a length l at the home position. Since it must be shrunk and deformed by that amount, the upward movement of the movable shaft 19 receives resistance due to the spring force of that amount.
[0038]
In this manner, until the movable shaft 19 reaches the home position from the lowest point, the resistance to the movement of the movable shaft 19 is provided by the load that causes the paper thickness adjustment spring 20 to contract and deform, and The brake is applied to the movement.
[0039]
As described above, the brake when the clincher base 7 is returned is performed using the paper thickness adjusting spring 20. Since this mechanism is not an independent mechanism for the purpose of braking in particular, there is no burden in space. Therefore, space saving can be realized, the structure can be simplified, and the cost can be reduced.
[0040]
The brake may be configured such that the spring force of the paper thickness adjusting spring 20 is reduced at the lowest point, and the paper thickness adjusting spring 20 is deformed and moved in the direction in which a load is applied when moving to the home position. Therefore, the paper thickness adjusting spring 20 is not necessarily limited to the compression spring. It may be a tension spring.
[0041]
In the above example, the clincher unit is moved up and down with respect to the fixed driver unit. On the contrary, the clincher unit is fixed to the lower part and the upper part is fixed to the fixed clincher unit. There is also a configuration in which the driver unit arranged in the above is moved up and down. Also in this case, since the stroke of the driver unit differs depending on the paper thickness, a paper thickness adjusting mechanism is necessary, and it is also necessary to apply a brake when the driver unit returns. Therefore, in the same way as in the above example, the spring force of the paper thickness adjustment spring is reduced at the lowest point of the driver unit, and the paper thickness adjustment spring is extended or reduced when moving to the home position. You just have to do it.
[0042]
The present paper thickness adjusting mechanism can be applied not only to the clincher base as described above but also to a staple driving driver in place of the clincher base as in the second embodiment shown below. That is, the above example is a configuration in which the clincher unit is moved up and down with respect to the fixed driver unit 3, but on the contrary, the clincher unit is fixed at the lower part and the upper part with respect to the fixed clincher unit. The structure which moves the driver unit arrange | positioned up and down up and down may be sufficient.
[0043]
In this case, the structure may be basically the same as the above example. That is, as shown in FIG. 10, the driver unit 3 is provided with a drive mechanism that drives the driver holder 31 that holds the driver 30 up and down in the up and down direction. After clamping the sheet to be bound between the clincher unit 4, the driver 30 may be operated to fold the leg of the staple that has passed through the sheet by the clincher mechanism to clinch.
[0044]
In this case, the driver holder 31 of the driver unit 3 may be replaced with the clincher base 7 in the above example. Therefore, the driver unit 3 is engaged with a driver holder 31 held so as to be movable up and down, and a pin 8 whose one end is pivotally supported by the first support shaft 9 and whose other end is fixed to the driver holder 31. One link 10, one end side pivotally supported so as to be swingable in the left-right direction with respect to the second support shaft 11, a second link 12 arranged in an overlapping manner on the first link 10, The movable shaft 19 is inserted into the first long hole 17 formed in the link 10 and the second long hole 18 formed in the second link 12, and the second link 12 is rotated to thereby move the second long hole 12. By moving the movable shaft 19 located at a portion where the long hole 18 and the first long hole 17 intersect, the first link 10 is swung to drive the driver holder 31 and the second link. 12 between the second support shaft 11 and the movable shaft 19. To may be the construction of arranging the sheet thickness adjusting spring 20. Then, as the first link 10 and the second link 12 reciprocate once, the paper thickness adjusting spring 20 expands and contracts to perform a one-cycle spelling operation, and the first link 10 and the second link 12 When the driver unit 3 returns to the home position after returning to the home position, the spring force of the paper thickness adjusting spring 20 is made to be zero immediately before reaching the home position, and the paper thickness is adjusted when moving to the home position. The adjustment spring 20 may be moved by extending or contracting.
[0045]
In the above stapler, 32 is a magazine provided in the driver unit 3, in which a plurality of straight staples connected in a sheet form are stored in multiple stages, and the driver unit 3 is moved up and down. The stapled paper P is clamped between the units 3 and 4 by being moved, sequentially formed into a U-shape from the staple at the end of the lower sheet staple s in the magazine 32, and then driven out by the driver 30 to be bound. After the paper P is penetrated, the clincher 21 of the clincher unit 4 is configured to bend and staple the staple legs.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an overall schematic diagram of an electric stapler. FIG. 2 is a side view of a clincher unit. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the clincher unit. FIG. 4 (a), (b), and (c) include a paper thickness adjusting mechanism. FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of an example of a clinching mechanism by a clincher. FIGS. 6A and 6B are operation state diagrams of a paper thickness adjusting mechanism and a return mechanism when starting a return. FIG. FIGS. 8A and 8B are diagrams illustrating operation of the paper thickness adjusting mechanism and the return mechanism immediately before reaching the home position at the time of return. FIGS. 8A and 8B are diagrams illustrating adjustment of the paper thickness when reaching the home position. FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of the paper thickness adjusting mechanism when it reaches the home position. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of an example of moving the driver unit up and down relative to the clincher unit. ]
3 Driver unit 4 Clincher unit 7 Clincher base 10 First link 12 Second link 19 Movable shaft 20 Paper thickness adjusting spring 23 Return cam 24 Return link

Claims (1)

A driver unit that drives out staples by a driver and a clincher unit that includes a clincher that folds a leg portion of the staple that has been punched and penetrates a sheet are vertically opposed to each other, and the driver unit or the clincher unit is moved so as to approach each other for binding. In the electric stapler that works,
A first link for operating the driver unit or the clincher unit is linked to a second link operated by a motor-driven cam, a paper thickness adjusting spring is provided between the first link and the second link, and
As the first link and the second link reciprocate once, the paper thickness adjustment spring expands and contracts to perform one cycle of the spelling operation,
A long hole is formed in a return link rotatably supported on a shaft provided on a side wall of the driver unit or the clincher unit, and a shaft fixed to the first link is engaged with the long hole, and When a return link is engaged with a peripheral surface of a return cam operatively connected to the motor, and the first link is moved back toward the home position via the return link by rotation of the return cam, a driver unit or The spring force of the paper thickness adjustment spring is made zero immediately before the clincher unit reaches the home position, and the paper thickness adjustment spring is extended or reduced when moving to the home position. The return mechanism in the stapler.

Images