JPH01146674A - Sheet binder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To draw a needle left in an old cartridge to be exchanged together with this cartridge in exchanging the cartridge by providing a needle feeding forbidding means for forbidding the feeding of a needle feeding means in the condition that movement of a needle is regulated by a movement regulating means. CONSTITUTION: A reflection sensor 201 detects that residual quantity of needle held in a cartridge becomes to the predetermined quantity. With this detecting signal, a needle feeding forbidding means of a control circuit forbids the feeding of a needle 101 by a needle feeding means 104 in the condition that the movement of a needle presser 103 is regulated. As a result, needles left in a cartridge 102 to be drawn is ejected together from a sheet stitching device. Consequently, when a new cartridge is installed in the sheet stitching device, needles of the new cartridge can be securely set in the sheet stitching device so as to prevent the generation of needle feeding failure and needle jam or the like at the time of restarting the sheet stitching device.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention mainly relates to a sheet binding device (hereinafter also referred to as a stapler) for binding sheets with staples.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, a stapler consists of a removable staple cartridge, a staple driving mechanism, and a driving means, and a part of the staple driving mechanism is open (at the home position).
When the paper to be stapled is inserted into the paper and the paper to be stapled is detected by the paper detection means, the stapler is activated, and during the stapler process, the staples are driven into the paper to perform the binding, and while this operation is repeated, the cartridge is The belt-shaped needle inside is configured to move in the feeding direction, and the rear end of the belt-shaped needle is detected by a needle detection sensor.

[Problem that the invention is trying to solve] However,
In conventional staplers, in order to use the staples in the cartridge as effectively as possible, the rearmost end of the strip of staples passes through the staple detection means.
Even after detecting the absence of a staple, the stapler still exists in the stapler, so it is possible to staple by operating the stapler.Stapler operation is not prohibited, and even if the stapler is detected to be absent, some users may There were cases where the needle was continuously inserted. In this case, the operation may continue even after the last end of the band-shaped needle passes through the needle holder in the needle cartridge, and if the cartridge is replaced with a new one, a small amount of the needle remaining in the old cartridge may be removed. Even if the old cartridge is removed, the staples still remain in the stapler. If a new cartridge is inserted into the stapler in this state, the remaining staples will be disarranged in a band-like arrangement inside the stapler, resulting in poor staple placement and staple jams. There was a drawback that it occurred.

[Means and effects for solving the problems] The sheet binding device according to the present invention includes a cartridge that holds staples connected in a row, and a cartridge provided in the cartridge to restrict movement of the staples connected in the row with respect to the cartridge. a driving means for driving the needles connected in the row into the sheet material sequentially from their tips; and a needle driving means for feeding the needles connected in the row from the cartridge to the driving means against the movement restriction means. a feeding means, a remaining amount detecting means for detecting that the remaining amount of needles held in the cartridge has reached a predetermined amount and emitting a signal, and a needle connected in the line based on the detection by the remaining amount detecting means. and a needle feed prohibiting means for prohibiting the needle feeding means from feeding out while the movement of the staples is restricted by the movement restricting means, so that when the user replaces the old cartridge, the stapler remains in the stapler. The belt-shaped staples are also pulled out together with the cartridge, and only the staples of the new cartridge are reliably installed in the stapler, making it possible to prevent poor staple feeding and staple jams.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, illustrated embodiments of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the stapler device of this embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a side view. 1 in Figure 2 is a stapler 100
This is the base that supports the entire device and is fixed. Also 2
is a lower jaw, which is rotatable around the shaft 2a. Furthermore, a groove-shaped cam portion 26 is formed at the end of the lower jaw 2 and engages with the cam portion 3b fixed to the upper unit 3.

Furthermore, the upper unit 3 is swingably supported by a hinge shaft 4 provided on the base. The crank arm 5 is rotatably supported on a portion of the base 1 by a shaft 5b provided at an end thereof. The other end is internally fitted with a cam plate 5c that is eccentrically fixed to the drive shaft 6, and when the stapler gear 7 rotates once, the cam plate 5c also rotates around the support shaft 6. At this time, the base 1 is fixed, and the shaft 5
Since the distance between b and the support shaft 6 is also constant, the upper unit 3 rotates about the hinge shaft 4 with respect to the base 1. At this time, the body 8 also has the head part 1 of the driver attached to the body.
Pushed from the upper unit at 05a,
(The body 8 is also rotatably supported by the hinge shaft 4.) At the same time, crimping shaft 3b of upper unit 3
The lower jaw 2 also moves to the shaft 2 due to the groove cam portion 2b of the lower jaw engaged with the shaft 2.
Rotates in the Y direction around a. An anvil 9 is attached to the base 1 for bending the two tips of the U-shaped needle inwardly.

A motor 10, which is a drive source for the stapler mechanism, is attached to the upper part of the upper unit 3, and the drive is transmitted to the stapler gear 7 via a motor gear 11. Furthermore, 12 is a home position sensor composed of a microswitch that detects that the stapler 100 is in a standby state before operation, that is, a home position in which the body 8 and the lower jaw 2 are separated from each other. When the stapler gear 7 rotates once, the sensor cam 13 synchronizes with it.
When the stapler 100 rotates once and the convex portion 13b provided on the sensor cam 13 turns on the microswitch 12, it is detected that the stapler 100 is at the home position. That is, when the stapler gear 7 rotates once, the stapler completes one stapling stroke.

Next, we will explain the mechanism of needle feeding and needle driving. 1st
The figure is a detailed sectional view of the needle feed and needle bending portions in the body 8. Reference numeral 101 denotes a stabler needle, in which individual needles are glued together at the center to form a continuous belt-like shape, and is housed in a cartridge 102. Reference numeral 103 denotes a leaf spring needle holder fixed to the cartridge as a movement restricting means, which holds a continuous band-like needle in the cartridge 1 with an appropriate pressing force.
02 guide portion 102a to hold and guide the needle. Reference numeral 105 denotes a driver as a driving means, which separates the bonded band-shaped needle, drives it into a sheet bundle (not shown), and pushes it out to the anvil 9. The head portion 105a of the driver 105 is in contact with the upper unit 3 as described above, and when the upper unit 3 rotates, the driver head portion 105a is pushed downward, in the direction x1 in FIG.

At this time, the center portion of the tip end 101a of the band-shaped needle is held by a groove 109a provided in the needle bending block 109, as shown in FIG.

At the same time as the driver head portion 105a is pushed down, the needle U-shaped bending blocks 110 are simultaneously lowered, and the blocks 110 hit both ends of the needle and bend the needle into a U-shape. When the driver head portion 105a is further pushed in, the protrusion 110a of the U-shaped bending block 110 releases the needle feeding member 104 as a needle feeding means, which is rotatably supported on the shaft 104a.
is pressed, and the needle feeding member deflects the spring portion 104b and moves to the position shown by the dashed line.

Then, the needle feed claw 104a moves in the opposite direction to the needle feed direction.

However, at this time, the needle 101a at the tip has already been bent into a U-shape, so the needle does not move backward, and only the feed pawl moves in the opposite direction to prepare for the next needle feed. After that, when the driver head 105a is moved downward, the block pushing pawl 105b of the driver 105 is disengaged from the top of the U-shaped bending block 110, and only the driver 105 comes down. And the tip 105a of the driver
reaches the tapered portion of the needle bending block 109, and as it moves further downward, the needle bending block 109 supported by the opening 106a of the block guide 106 is deflected and pushed away in the direction of the dashed line, and the needle is cut. Member 108
At the same time, the needle 101a is driven into the paper while separating one needle with a U-shaped tip from the other needles from the belt-shaped needle. When the driving is completed, the driver head part 105a
is returned upward, and the protrusion 110a is removed from the member 104.
The needle feed claw 104a returns to its original position. At this time, the needle moves forward. Through the above steps, needle feeding is performed. 1st
In the figure, the distance between the needle detection sensor 201 and the needle presser 103 is L. Next, detection of needles in the needle cartridge will be explained. Reference numeral 201 in FIGS. 8 and 9 is a reflective sensor as a remaining amount detecting means for electrically detecting the presence or absence of a needle.

In the configuration of this embodiment, as shown in FIG.
A reflective sensor is used, which includes a light receiving element 201b that receives reflected light emitted from a light emitting element 201a and emits a voltage. In the band-shaped needle 101 in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, each needle is glued at its center, and the glued area l is generally The color of the base of the needle has changed from silver to a yellowish color. The reflective sensor that detects the presence or absence of a needle has a higher S-N ratio (silver noise ratio; the ratio of noise to the signal you want to detect) for silver, which has a higher reflectance, than for yellow.
It is suitable for detection as it has a large value, and the probability of false detection is kept small even when it comes to dirt such as dust. In particular, since the cartridge used in this embodiment has a plastic cover ring and the needle is housed inside, the reflective sensor 201 is placed outside the cover ring.
Considering the diffused reflection from the plastic part, it is essential to detect the needle using the silver part (ground color part of the needle) to improve reliability. In this embodiment, a reflective sensor 201, a substrate 202
, the connector 203 is configured to be attached to the bottom 8a of the body 8, and its range corresponds to the ground color (substantially silver) area of the needle as shown in FIG. 5t. Furthermore, reflection sensor 2
A detailed diagram showing the relationship between 01 and the needle is shown in FIG. 101
is a needle, and each one is glued, so if you take a cross section of it, there are four parts 101b between the needles, and if you examine the voltage generated by the needle sensor at that time, it is shown in Figure 10. Due to the variation in reflectance at the uneven portions, the waveform becomes wavy. At this time, if the presence or absence of a needle is detected based only on the variation in voltage, the voltage level will rise at part 101b between the needles, and there is a possibility that it will be determined that there is no needle. Therefore, in this embodiment, the voltage level is The system is configured to detect the absence of a needle when the level (Vl) reaches a certain level (Vl) or more and becomes stable. (vo
The following is the voltage at which the needle is present. ) Next, the position of the reflective sensor in the needle feeding direction will be explained. In this embodiment, the needle is in a cartridge configuration, so when the needle runs out, it must be replaced with a new cartridge. However, in this configuration (see FIG. 1), the reflection sensor 201 is located at a certain distance from the needle tip 101a. For this reason, if the stapler main body electrically stops operating immediately after the reflective sensor 201 detects the absence of staples, the remaining staples will be wasted, so it is desirable that the stapler can be used a certain number of times after the reflective sensor 201 detects the absence of staples. . However, in the case of the stapler using the claw feeding mechanism in this configuration, when the rearmost end of the needle passes through the needle feeding claw 104a, which is the needle feeding mechanism, the needle cannot be fed.

Even if the stapler operates in a state where needle feeding is disabled, the staples will not come out. When the cartridge is replaced with a new one for the first time at this time, the few staples that cannot be fed remain in the stapler when the old cartridge is removed. If you try to load a new cartridge into the stapler in this state, the remaining staples of the old cartridge will be pushed by the new cartridge, disrupting the band-like arrangement inside, and then the stapler will be fed (stable operation). This can sometimes lead to poor needle feeding and needle jams. For this reason, the remaining needles of the old cartridge must be removed together with the cartridge when replacing the cartridge.

In the configuration of this embodiment, the needle cartridge 102 includes:
There is a staple holder 103, and when the staple is held by this, the staple can also be pulled out from inside the stapler when the cartridge is pulled out. For this reason, in this configuration, the reflection sensor 201 is located at a distance from the needle holder 103 by the distance backward in the needle feeding direction, and furthermore, in order to detect the absence of a needle and use the needle as effectively as possible, After detecting this, stabilization is allowed up to n times (neo) within the range where the rearmost end of the staple is held by the needle holder 103, and after n times, the operation of the stapler is electrically disabled. It has such control means. For this purpose, the distance between the reflective sensor 201 and the needle holder 103 should be greater than the distance obtained by multiplying the needle-book width 8 shown in FIG. 4 by the above-mentioned n, that is, L>nX8. L may be set so as to satisfy the relationship.

Next, the electric circuit block diagram shown in FIG. 11 will be explained.

In the figure, 301 is a control circuit including a needle feed inhibiting means, and for example, a well-known microcomputer having a built-in program for controlling the sequence in chronological order is used. Terminals A and B of the control circuit 301 are output terminals for rotating the motor 10 forward and reverse, respectively, and are output to the forward/reverse driver 302 . That is, when the B output is ON, a normal needle driving operation is performed, and when the B output is ON, a reverse operation is performed in the event of an abnormality such as when an overload is applied to the motor 10.

Normally, when the stapler is at the home position, the microswitch 12, which is a home position sensor, is in an activated state (ON state), and this state is input to the C terminal of the control circuit 301. The forward/reverse driver 302 is configured so that the motor is stopped immediately by detecting the microswitch 12 in both forward and reverse operations, and the lower jaw 2 of the stapler is always at the maximum position as shown in FIG. 1 in the stopped state. It is located near the bottom end. In other words, reliable stable operation and ease of processing after reverse operation are guaranteed.

Also, the reflection sensor 201 is input to the D terminal of the control circuit 301, but since the above input is input as an analog value,
In this embodiment, a microcomputer having a function of converting analog values into digital values is used.

The E terminal outputs a needleless signal to the indicating device 303,
The indicating device provides a needleless indication.

Next, the operation flow of this embodiment will be explained along FIG. 12. When it is determined in step F1 that the stable operation is to start, the stable operation is performed once in step F2, and after the operation is completed, the presence or absence of a needle in the needle cartridge is checked based on the output of the sensor 201. Here, if the needle is present, the operation is completed normally, but if it is determined that the needle is not present, the process proceeds to step F3, and the number of times the machine has stabilized after the needle is absent is counted. The no-needle counter is incremented by one.

Then in step F4, the content of the counter is compared with a predetermined integer n, and if the content of the counter is less than n, the operation is completed and the next stable operation is waited, but not less than n, i.e. equal to n. If so, step F
Branches into 5. In step F5, the display device 303 prompts the user to indicate that there is no needle.

The flow remains at step F6 until the next needle exchange, and stable work is prohibited.

Detection of needle replacement is performed by detecting the presence or absence of a needle using the reflective sensor 201.

When the needle is replaced, the counter is cleared in step F7 (
Set to 0. ) and return to the start.

In this embodiment, a reflective sensor is used as the needle detection means, but since the needle is a magnetic material, it is natural that a magnetic sensor can be used instead. Needle detection is also possible using a mechanical sensor.

[Other Examples]

The stapler configured in this embodiment can be effectively used in a general electric stapler, but it can also be used in a finisher that is connected to a copying machine to automatically perform stabilization work, a sorter with an automatic stapler, etc. It can be used even more effectively if it is used.

Furthermore, as another embodiment, as shown in FIG.
A hole making member 103' that can be caught on the needle 1' is provided, and after the needle detection means detects the absence of a needle, the operation continues, and when the remaining amount of the needle reaches a predetermined amount, the rearmost end 101' of the needle moves to the needle presser 10.
3, the needle cannot be mechanically fed and the staple does not come out (even if the configuration is configured to allow the needle to be replaced, the remaining staple of the old cartridge may be stuck in the stapler when the old cartridge is pulled out). It can be pulled out without leaving anything behind.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, in the present invention, the movement of the needle is restricted by the movement restricting means, and the needle feeding means is prohibited from feeding out, so when replacing a used old cartridge with a new cartridge, the needle remains in the old cartridge. The staples are pulled out to the stapler together with the old cartridge, and when the new cartridge is inserted, the staples in the new cartridge can be set securely in the stapler, and when the stapler operates again, there will be no needle feed failure or staple jam. First, the reliability of the stapler is improved.

[BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing essential parts of an embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 2 and 3 are general views of a stapler embodying the present invention, and FIG.
The figure is a detailed view of the stapler, Figure 5 ε is a diagram showing the stapler needle, Figures 6 and 7 are diagrams showing the attachment of the staple sensor, and Figure 8 is a diagram showing the reflective sensor.
Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the relationship between the reflective sensor and the needle, Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the output voltage of the reflective sensor, Fig. 11 is a block diagram,
FIG. 12 is a flowchart, and FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another embodiment. 1... Base, 2... Lower jaw, 8... Body, 10
2... Cartridge, 103... Needle holder, 104
...Needle feeding member, 105...Driver, 201...
・Reflection sensor, 301...Microcomputer.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) a cartridge holding needles connected in a row;
a movement regulating means provided in the cartridge and regulating the movement of the needles connected in the one row; a driving means for driving the needles connected in the one row into the sheet material sequentially from the tips thereof; a needle feeding means for feeding the needles from the cartridge to the driving means against the movement regulating means; a remaining amount detecting means for detecting that the remaining amount of needles held in the cartridge has reached a predetermined amount; and a needle feeding prohibiting means for prohibiting the needle feeding means from feeding out while the movement of the needles connected in one row is restricted by the movement restricting means based on detection by the detecting means. sheet binding device. (2) The sheet binding device according to claim 1, wherein the remaining amount detecting means is a sensor that detects when the rear end of the needles connected in the row has reached a predetermined position in the cartridge.