GB2153285A

GB2153285A - A stapling device

Info

Publication number: GB2153285A
Application number: GB08402539A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Yoshiyuki Ebihara
Original assignee: Etna Corp
Current assignee: Etna Corp
Priority date: 1984-01-31
Filing date: 1984-01-31
Publication date: 1985-08-21
Also published as: GB8402539D0; HK25087A; GB2153285B

Abstract

A stapler for stapling together articles of stationery comprises a base II, a top cover I, and staple support frame III, all pivotally connected. A group of staples are fed along the support frame and are dispersed by the action of a blade 7 in the top cover, caused by manually pressing on the top cover. The base and the top cover are both separated from the support frame, at their front ends by gaps Q, P, these gaps being maintained by spring forces produced by partially punched out portions of the members a1, a2, a3, formed from one or more of base II, cover I and frame III bent to engage the adjacent member. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A stapling device The present invention relates to stapling devices.

Conventional staplers are composed of a relatively large number of parts having regard to their simple function. It has proved difficult to reduce the costs of manufacturing these articles and to reduce their sizes whilst retaining effective operation.

An improved stapler is provided by the present invention and by which the abovementioned disadvantages may be alleviated.

The stapler in accordance with the invention may be constructed in various sizes, but the advantages in production efficiency are maintained even with large size versions.

The present invention provides means for improving a construction of a stapler widely used iri daily life.

By advantageously improving a conventional mechanism for the elastic stress for opening the gap suitably between the front portion of a projecting frame of an intermediate layer and a guide body of an upper layer and that between the front portion of said frame and a lower base, a surplus independent member is not required. Thus, the constitutions of said frame and f rame cover may be relatively small in size.

In the above-mentioned improvement, all members for the elastic stress are creatively made by partially punching out basic materials of the above-mentioned members constituting a stapler and are engaged with the other mechanism having a conventional action.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view showing parts of a stapler according to the present invention, for illustration, in displaced positions; Figure 2 is a sectional view of the stapler in one position; Figure 3 is a sectional view of the stapler in another position; Figure 4 is a view corresponding to that of Figure 1 of a further embodiment of the invention incorporating a frame cover; Figure 5 is a side elevation of the stapler shown in Figure 4; Figure 6 is a fragmental sectional view of a guide body of the stapler of Figure 1 or Figure 4, including a connector for connecting with a blade; and Figure 7 is a sectional view taken along line A-A' in Figure 6.

It is well known that the parts of a stapler are required to define a gap P (shown in Figures 2 and 5) between the upper frontal edge of a frame member III containing the staples and the lower frontal edge of a guide member I. Relative movement of the members to close the gap is against some form of biassing means, returning the members to the open gap position. It is also required to define a gap Q (shown in Figures 2 and 5) between the lower frontal edge of the frame Ill and an underlying base member II. The members II and Ill are returned to this position by means of a further biassing spring. Typically respective spring bodies in the form of coil or leaf springs have been located between the frame III and respectively the base II and the guide member I.

To avoid the need for these conventional spring members a stapler, as one embodiment of the present invention, includes two resilient pushing pieces a1, a2 on the upper wall of the guide member I and a further resilient pushing piece a3 on the bottom wall of the base II.

These pushing pieces a1-a3 are integrally formed with either the guide member I or the base II by partially punching out portions of the walls of these members.

In the particular type of stapler which has a frame cover IV (shown in Figure 4) for locating a spring providing feeding bias to a staple feed mechanism, further resilient pushing pieces a4, formed by partially punching out a portion of a wall of the frame Ill, and a5 and a6, formed in frame cover IV in like manner, may be provided.

Referring in detail to Figure 1 the guide body I with the illustrated configuration is moulded from a hard plastics material with elastic properties. Side walls 2, 3, 4 depend from an upper wall 1 of the member I at the front and on both sides thereof. A blade 7 is stably secured downward through a connector (not illustrated) housed within the front wall 2 and a hook 5 for the usual spring 23 is fixed in relation to the above-mentioned edge 2.

When the base II is formed as illustrated in the figure, fabricated from the same material as that of the guide member or a metal panel, the length I thereof is almost the same as that of the guide member I and the width w thereof is designed to fit within an inner periphery of the body The base II contains an anvil 1 3 corresponding in location to the edge 7' of the blade 7 and further includes pivotal bearings 10 defining a horizontal axis at the rear of the base II. Latch holes 6, 6' are perforated in the guide member I for engagement with the bearings and enabling the guide member to be pivoted about this axis.

A stopper 1 2 is formed by cutting an opening in a wall 9 of the base II and a lattice of cells 14 is formed at the bottom surface of base II to reinforce it.

The frame III has a width w' and length 1' such that it fits into the base II and also includes at its rear pivotal stubs 18, 1 8 lo cated in a latch state in recesses II, II in the base co-axial with the horizontal pivotal axis of the guide body. The frame Ill also includes a groove 1 5 into which the edge surface 7' of the blade 7 may enter and a blade-retaining wall 16. A staple feed device 20 for the frame is arranged to contact the bottom 1 7 of the frame in order to slide a group of staples 24 (Figure 2) arranged in the bottom 1 7 of the frame Ill into the delivery position, the feed device being biased by means of the spring 23.

Projecting portions 21, 21 at the rear of the side edges of the feeder 20 engage with respective sliders 19, 1 9 disposed in the side walls of the frame lli.

In this stapler, a hook 22 of the feed device, a stopper 20' of the f rame Ill and a stopper 12 of the base II engage with each other, and the spring 23 pushing said feed device 20 is latched between the hook 5 of the guide member and the hook 22.

The mechanism for applying the other resilient biasing of parts of the stapler will now be described.

The resilient pushing pieces a,, a2 are strips of rectangular section and are formed integrally with the guide member 1 by partially punching out and bending suitable portions of its upper wall at it forward region The strips a1, a2 are formed inclined downward so as to touch the top surfaces X' and Y' of respective side walls of the frame Ill, and thus the frame Ill is pushed down prior to use of the staper.

This position is illustrated in Figure 2.

The resilient pushing piece a3 is a strip of rectangular section formed integrally with the base II by partially punching out and bending a surrounded portion of bottom wall of the base II. The strip a3 is inclined upward in the direction of the horizontal axis defined by bearings 10 so that the upper edge Z of a3 touches a bottom surface Z' the f rame II at its rear; and thus the front of the frame lil, prior to use, is raised and a gap exists between the forward ends of the frame ill and the guide body 1, as shown in Figure 2.

Thus, the blade 7, prior to use, extends across gap P so as to be always positioned above groove 1 5 in frame Ill which guides the blade 7 when it descends. Similarly a gap Q exists between the forward end of the frame Ill and the base II.

Figure 3 illustrates a degree of opening of the gaps p and Q when the guide member I is manually opened upward.

As an alternative to the above described embodiments the resilient pushing pieces a, and a2 are respectively formed as upwardly inclined cut-out portions of the surfaces of X' and Y' of the frame Ill. Similarly another piece a3 is cut-out and bent downward (not illustrated) at the rear portion of the bottom 1 7 of the frame Ill. Each of these pieces touches the corresponding portions of the guide member I and the base II.

Constructional variants such as that described immediately above are within the ambit of the present invention.

An alternative embodiment according the the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings of stapler provided with a frame cover IV (Figure 4).

The lower edge X, of a resilient pressing piece a4 in the form of a strip, partially punched out and bent from the lower wall of the frame Ill inclines downwards to touch an upper surface X2 of the base.

To form the other resilient strips a5, a6 from the frame cover IV, a pair of rectangular box portions 25, 25 are preliminarily formed integrally with cover members, longitudinally along each side from the front edge thereof.

The upper wall of each box portion 25 is bent upwards by partially punching it from the surrounding material so as to form two resilient pushing pieces a5, a6.

Each of said pieces aS, a6 is upwardly inclined and each of their upper edges Z1, Z2 touch the roof of the guide body I, so that the same gaps P, Q (Figure 5) are formed as described with reference to the first embodiment and accordingly the guide member 1 and the frame Ill may respectively be opened with a suitable gap in relation to the base II.

The effect of each of the resilient strips a, to a6 formed as described above will now be described.

During manual operation, the guide I and frame Ill are pushed down against the bias of a1, a2 and a3 by the downwards manual pressure on the guide body 1.

Accordingly the gaps P, Q are closed. The staples are inserted by a conventional manner by separating from the group 24 one staple at a time by means of the blade 7. The blade moves through the groove 1 5 and staple is pressed on an object to be stapled situated on the anvil 1 3.

An equivalent operation takes place in the case of the second embodiment.

To further improve the production cost saving obtainable from the present invention, the following means is supplementally fixed to the guide body I.

When the blade 7 is pushed into the con nector of the guide body I (not illustrated in Figures 1 to 5) to secure it during the assembly of the stapler, the conventional secur ing means comprising securing a blade itself to the side wall of a body by punching out and bending it into an L-shape can be avoided according to a further aspect of the present invention.

In an embodiment of this aspect, illustrated in Figures 6 and 7, a sectional face 27 of the front wall portion of the guide member I is moulded with increased thickness and the member I includes an embedded connector 26 for the blade 7 with inverse check function which does not slip down.

Using this construction enables elimination or reduction of the amount of labour necessary to secure the blade.

Figure 7 shows a section taken along line A-A' in Figure 6. 28 in Figure 7 is an inverse checking portion of the connector 26; 29 is a nail portion for checking inverse and 30 is a cap for inserting the blade 7.

According to the present invention, independent members for providing some of the resilient biasing forces are unnecessary, thus supplemental fixing steps can be avoided.

Minaturisation therefore is more possible than with conventional constructions.

Another effect the present invention provides is considerable efficiency and cost reduction in the mass production of these articles, for the minimum number of members for providing the elastic stress can be prepared by dividing the base materials for the stapler homogeneously.

Claims

1. A stapling device including a base member, a top cover and a staple support frame, including a staple feed mechanism, intermediate the base member and the top cover, these members being pivotally mounted with respect to each other via one or more axes at the rear region of the device, the device including first resilient biasing means between the top cover and the support frame, and second resilient biasing means between the base and the support frame, each of the biasing means comprising a portion of one of the members between which it acts, partially separated from the member, and bent towards the other member, so that by virtue of the resilience of the bent portions a repulsive force exists between the respective two members when they are pivotally brought together.

2. A stapling device provided with a guide body, a base, a frame and the members of a feeder and/or a frame cover supplementally fixed to said members, and including mechanical means for opening the members of the device which comprises resilient strips of rectangular section, inclined downward by partially punching out and bending a plurality of portions of a top surface of said guide body and touching the top surface of said frame and a further resilient strip stretching backward with a rectangular section, inclined upward by partially punching out and bending the surrounded portion of a bottom wall of said base and touching an external lower surface of said frame.

3. A stapling device as claimed in claim 2, wherein gaps are maintained between the forward ends of the body and the frame and also between the forward ends of the frame and the base prior to the use of the device and, in use, the said body and frame are pushed down against the repulsions of said resilient strips.

4. A stapling device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in Figures 1-3, 6 and 7 or Figures 1-3, 6 and 7 as modified by Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.

4. A stapling device provided with a guide body, a base, a frame, and a frame cover, supplementally fixed to said members, and including mechanical means for opening the members of the device which comprises resilient strips of rectanglar section inclined upwardly by partially punching out and bending a rectangular portion of each of a pair of hollow boxes formed on the frame cover, the strips touching an inner surface on the roof of the guide body, and further comprises a resilient strip inclined downwardly by partially punching out and bending a bottom portion of the frame, and which touches an upper surface of the base.

5. A stapling device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.

CLAIMS New claims or amendments to claims filed on 26 March 1985 Superseded claims: All

1. A stapler comprising a base, a guide body having a staple driver blade, a staple magazine mounted between the base and the guide body and provided with a groove allowing penetration of the driver blade, a staple follower slidably mounted on a bottom surface of the magazine, a spring arranged to act on the follower to feed staples along the magazine, the device including first resilient biasing means between the guide body and the magazine, and second resilient biasing means between the base and the magazine, each of the biasing means comprising a portion of one of the members between which it acts, partially separated from the member, and bent towards the other member, so that by virtue of the resilience of the bent portions a repulsive force exists between the respective two members when they are brought together.

2. A stapler as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first biasing means comprises strip portions of the guide body which engage at their far ends the magazine, and wherein the second biasing means comprises a strip portion of the base which portion engages at its far end the magazine, the arrangement being such that in use the guide body and magazine are pushed down towards the base against the repulsive action of the two biasing means.

3. A stapler as claimed in claim 1 wherein the magazine comprises a cover having a pair of hollow boxes formed thereon, the first resilient biasing means comprising rectangular strips formed by partially punching out a portion of each box, the strips being bent upwards to engage the guide body, the second resilient biasing means comprising a strip portion of the magazine partially punched out therefrom and bent downwardly to engage the base.