Electric stapler capable of automatically matching staples according to paper thickness and use method of electric stapler

By incorporating multiple staple slots and sensors to detect paper thickness in the stapler, combined with mechanical transmission and DC motor drive, automatic staple matching is achieved, solving the problem of the stapler's inability to adapt to different paper thicknesses and improving binding efficiency and reliability.

CN120863232APending Publication Date: 2025-10-31DALIAN UNIV OF TECH
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202511295481.8
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2025-09-11
Publication Date
2025-10-31

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing staplers are difficult to adapt to paper of different thicknesses, require frequent changes of staple types, and are inefficient, unreliable, and aesthetically unappealing when binding documents of varying thicknesses.

Method used

An electric stapler was designed, which uses multiple staple slots that can accommodate different types of staples. It combines sensors to detect the paper thickness and automatically matches the staples through mechanical transmission. A DC motor and planetary reducer are used to provide the binding force, ensuring that the staple slots move vertically to staple the paper vertically.

Benefits of technology

It enables automatic matching of staples based on paper thickness, improving the reliability and aesthetics of binding, reducing manpower consumption, and increasing binding efficiency.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The invention provides an electric stapler capable of automatically matching staples according to paper thickness and a use method of the electric stapler, and belongs to the technical field of staplers, the stapler comprises a packaging mechanism, a sensing control mechanism, a staple replacing mechanism and a stapling mechanism. Firstly, a thickness sensor is used for detecting paper thickness; secondly, the staple replacing mechanism is matched with the corresponding staples according to the thickness of the paper, and staple grooves of the staples are arranged at the binding positions; thirdly, the stapling mechanism enables a staple groove to press the paper, and staples are pushed to complete stapling; and finally, the remaining nail condition of each nail groove can be observed through a nail feeding button, and nail feeding is performed. According to the stapler, the thickness of stapled paper can be detected, and proper staples can be automatically matched, so that the paper with different thicknesses can be automatically stapled; the staples can be always vertically nailed into paper, and the binding reliability and attractiveness are improved; the stapler can be prevented from being damaged by empty stapling; thick file binding requirements can be met, response is rapid, manpower is saved, working efficiency is improved, and the device is suitable for office file binding work.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of stapler technology, and relates to an electric stapler that automatically matches staples according to paper thickness and its usage method. Background Technology

[0002] Staplers are a common tool in office work. They can bind loose sheets of paper, such as meeting materials and reports, into volumes, making them easy to classify, store, and carry. They are convenient, efficient, and economical, making them an indispensable basic tool in the office. However, the number of sheets of paper being bound often varies, making it difficult for a single type of staple to fully meet the binding needs. When binding a large batch of documents of varying thicknesses, it is often necessary to constantly change the type of staple in the stapler, or even to constantly change the stapler itself, greatly reducing the efficiency of the binding work.

[0003] To avoid frequent staple changes, Chinese invention patent CN 113618679 A proposes an automatic paper-thickness-adaptive stapler. This stapler is equipped with longer staples, which can effectively staple thicker documents. When stapleing thinner documents, a special device cuts off the excess staple tips to adapt to the paper thickness. However, this invention has drawbacks: First, users may not know whether it is necessary to cut off the staple tips, resulting in unnecessary work; second, the cutting blade used to cut off the staple tips may damage the paper after cutting; third, the cut-off staple tips require additional processing; and fourth, like other manual staplers, it requires more manpower when stapled thicker documents.

[0004] Furthermore, most office electric staplers, due to insufficient driving force, can only staple thinner documents. Moreover, the staple slots of most staplers typically operate in a fixed-axis circular motion during staplering. While this can compress the paper, when the document is too thick or too thin, the staple slot is not horizontal after compressing the paper, causing the staple exit point to tilt. This prevents the staples from being driven perpendicularly into the paper, affecting the reliability and aesthetics of the binding. Additionally, because large staplers have longer staple legs, when the paper being stapled is too thin or there is no paper (blank staple), the staple legs will be bent backward by the forming plate and pierce upward into the staple slot, causing damage to the stapler. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To overcome the shortcomings of the aforementioned technologies, this invention provides an electric stapler that automatically matches staples based on paper thickness. The invention features multiple staple slots capable of accommodating different types of staples. A sensor detects the paper thickness, and mechanical transmission automatically matches the appropriate staples to achieve automatic binding of papers of varying thicknesses. The combination of a DC motor and a planetary reducer generates significant binding force, enabling the binding of thicker documents. The designed staple slots move only vertically under the constraint of a sliding groove, ensuring that the staples are always driven perpendicularly into the paper. Simultaneously, the length of the sliding groove limits the maximum longitudinal displacement of each staple slot, preventing empty staples from damaging the stapler.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0007] An electric stapler that automatically matches staples according to paper thickness mainly includes a sealing mechanism, a sensing and control mechanism, a staple changing mechanism, and a binding mechanism. Details are as follows:

[0008] The encapsulation mechanism consists of a shell 1, a transparent flip cover 2, and a base plate 5, primarily used for fixing and encapsulating the internal structure. The shell 1 is composed of multiple thin plates spliced ​​together, and is fixedly connected to the base plate 5 at the bottom; it has slots for placing the controller 3 and thickness sensor 4; and bolt holes at the top for fixing the DC motor 6. The transparent flip cover 2 is rotatably mounted on one side of the shell 1, used in conjunction with the staple changing mechanism to observe the remaining staples inside the stapler and to complete the staple insertion after flipping it open. The base plate 5 is located at the bottom of the stapler and has a double-layer structure. The lower plate is fixedly connected to the shell 1, and a guide rail 15 and a spring seat guide rail 39 are placed on it. The lower plate has a protruding platform with bolt holes for fixing the stepper motor 16; the upper plate is used to place the documents to be stapled, and also has two grooves for placing the forming plate 23 and the positioning block 24, respectively.

[0009] The sensing and control mechanism includes a controller 3 and a thickness sensor 4, both housed in slots on the housing 1. The controller 3 has two buttons: a binding button on the left for controlling the binding structure, and a staple button on the right for staple insertion. The thickness sensor 4 can be a BHD-13 digital paper thickness gauge, installed in the slot on the housing 1, and equipped with buttons. These buttons control the downward movement of the sensor contact 25 below the thickness sensor 4 to detect the paper thickness.

[0010] The staple changing mechanism includes a movable base 14, a guide rail 15, a stepper motor 16, a lead screw 17, N staple slots, N staple pushers, N sets of staples, a forming plate 23, a positioning block 24, a sensor contact 25, a staple pusher spring 26, a support spring 37, a support spring seat 38, and a spring seat guide rail 39. The number of staple slots, staple pushers, and staples are the same, forming N different binding mechanisms. Each binding mechanism includes one staple slot, one staple pusher, and one staple. Specifically:

[0011] The stepper motor 16 is the drive mechanism, fixed on the base plate 5. Its output shaft is connected to the lead screw 17, driving the lead screw 17 to rotate. The lead screw 17 is connected to the output shaft of the stepper motor 16 and forms a lead screw and nut pair with the movable base 14. The movable base 14 and the lead screw 17 form a lead screw and nut pair, which is driven by the lead screw 17 to move left and right. The lower rear end of the movable base 14 is connected to the guide rail 15, allowing it to move along the guide rail 15. The maximum stroke of the movable base 14 (i.e., the rightmost end of the lead screw 17 and the guide rail 15) is the upper staple position. The movable base 14 has N openings, each containing N staple slots. Each staple slot contains N different types of staples with different lengths of stapling legs, used for binding papers of different thicknesses. Each of the N staple slots has a pusher spring 26 connected to its rear end. The rear end of each pusher spring 26 is connected to the rear end of the N staple slots, and its front end is connected to N corresponding pusher blocks. The rear ends of the N pusher blocks are respectively connected to pusher springs 26, and the front ends respectively contact the N types of staples, enabling the pusher blocks to press the staples in real time. The rear ends of the N types of staples contact the N corresponding pusher blocks, and the front ends contact their respective staple slots, always keeping the foremost staple above the staple slot outlet. The N staple slots and the N openings of the movable base 14 form a typical linear motion pair slide mechanism. Slider blocks are provided on both sides of the N staple slots, placed in the vertical slides on both sides of the N openings, restricting the staple slots to vertical movement only, and the length of the slide in each opening of the movable base 14 is different. A support spring 37 is installed below each of the N staple slots, and the support spring 37 is connected to the support spring seat 38 at the bottom to support the staple slot and restore its position. The support spring seat 38 is connected to the support spring 37 above and is located on the spring seat guide rail 39 below, and can slide left and right along the spring seat guide rail 39. The spring seat guide rail 39 is fixedly connected to the lower plate of the base plate 5 to support the support spring seat 38 above it. The guide rail 15 is fixedly connected to the lower plate of the base plate 5 to assist in supporting the movable base 14 above it. A portion of the left side wall of each of the N nail slots extends upward and then bends outward, forming a planar structure called a pressure plane, which is used to receive the downward pressure from the binding mechanism. The height of the planar structure of each nail slot is different.

[0012] The binding mechanism includes a DC motor 6, a multi-stage planetary gear reducer 7, a spur gear 8, a rack 9, a rack connecting plate 10, a downward pressure spring 11, a downward pressure plate 12, a push-pin piece 13, a forming plate 23, and a positioning block 24. Specifically:

[0013] The forming plate 23 is installed in the groove of the upper plate of the base plate 5. When the binding mechanism is started, the staple slot directly above the forming plate 23 is called the binding position. The staple outlet of the staple slot located at the binding position is directly above the forming plate 23, which is used to bend the staple feet to complete the binding. The positioning block 24 is located in the slide groove of the upper plate of the base plate 5. The positioning block 24 can be slid back and forth manually to adjust the staple insertion depth. The DC motor 6 is the driving mechanism, which is connected to the bolt hole on the top of the housing 1 by bolts. Its output shaft is connected to the input shaft of the multi-stage planetary gear reducer 7. The input shaft of the multi-stage planetary gear reducer 7 is connected to the output shaft of the DC motor 6, thereby amplifying the torque of the motor. Its output shaft is connected to the spur gear 8, driving the spur gear 8 to rotate. The spur gear 8 is driven by the multi-stage planetary gear reducer 7 and forms a gear rack pair with the rack 9, driving the rack 9 to move up and down. The rack 9 is driven by the spur gear 8 and is connected to the rack connecting plate 10. The rack and pinion plate 10 is horizontally mounted, with one end connected to the rack 9 and the other end connected to the staple pusher 13 for pushing staples into the paper. The rack 9's vertical movement drives the rack and pinion plate 10 and the staple pusher 13 to move synchronously. The rear end of the staple pusher 13 is connected to the rack and pinion plate 10, and the thin plate at its front end for pushing staples remains vertical. Two downward pressure springs 11 are mounted below the rack and pinion plate 10, with a pressure plate 12 mounted at the bottom of each spring. The upper end of the pressure plate 12 is connected to the downward pressure springs 11 and is horizontally suspended in mid-air. When the staple changing mechanism places a staple slot in the binding position, the lower surface of the pressure plate 12 is directly opposite the pressure plane of the staple slot. When the rack 9 moves downward, the pressure plate 12 contacts the pressure plane of the staple slot, thus pushing the staple slot to move.

[0014] A method for using an electric stapler that automatically matches staples according to paper thickness includes the following steps:

[0015] The first step involves the user turning on the stapler, triggering the power-on reset function. Stepper motor 16 drives lead screw 17 to rotate, pushing the movable base 14 to the rightmost staple-loading position of lead screw 17. At the staple-loading position, the user can clearly observe the remaining number of staples in each slot through the transparent flip cover 2. When a slot is low on staples and needs to be stapled, the user can manually open the transparent flip cover 2 and pull the corresponding pusher block backward. After placing a staple in the slot, the pusher block is reset by the pusher spring 26. Each pusher block is equipped with a pull ring for easy operation. A staple-loading button is installed on the controller 3. When the staple-loading function is activated, stepper motor 16 drives lead screw 17 to rotate, pushing the movable base 14 to the rightmost staple-loading position of lead screw 17, allowing for easy observation of the remaining staples and staple-loading via the above operation.

[0016] The second step involves placing the paper on the upper plate of the base plate 5, below the thickness sensor 4. The thickness sensor 4 is then activated, and the sensor contact 25 automatically presses down to clamp the paper. The control system calculates the paper thickness based on the displacement value of the sensor contact 25. The calculation method is as follows: Initially, the distance between the lower surface of the sensor contact 25 and the upper plate surface of the base plate 5 is L mm. Let the paper thickness be x. After the sensor contact 25 clamps the paper, the thickness sensor 4 can read the displacement value y of the sensor contact 25. The control system can then calculate the paper thickness as x = Ly. Different paper thicknesses are bound using different staples, according to the following rules:

[0017] When the paper thickness is 0 mm ≤ 2.5 mm, use the first type of staple 32, specifically type 24 / 6 staple;

[0018] When the paper thickness is 2.5 mm < 5 mm, use the second type of staple 33, specifically type 23 / 8 staple;

[0019] When the paper thickness is 5 mm < 9 mm, use the third type of staple 34, specifically type 23 / 10 staple;

[0020] When the paper thickness is 9 mm < 11.7 mm, use type 4 staple 35, specifically type 23 / 13 staple;

[0021] When the paper thickness is 11.7 mm < 13 mm, use Type 5 staple 36, specifically Type 23 / 17 staple;

[0022] The maximum paper thickness that the stapler can bind is H mm, which is approximately 100 A4 sheets. When the paper thickness is greater than H mm, the paper cannot be loaded into the stapler.

[0023] The third step involves the control system acquiring the paper thickness and determining the type of staples to be used for binding according to the rules described above. The stepper motor 16 is then controlled to rotate the lead screw 17, pushing the movable base 14 so that the selected staple slot is positioned at the binding location. As the movable base 14 moves, the guide rail 15 provides support, and the support springs 37 and support spring seats 38 below each staple slot also move along the spring seat guide rail 39 to further provide support and ensure smooth movement.

[0024] In the fourth step, the user places the paper to be bound on the upper plate of the base plate 5. At this time, the position of the positioning block 24 can be manually adjusted to modify the paper insertion depth, ranging from 3 to 36 mm. Align the binding position with the forming plate 23, and then start the binding function to control the DC motor 6 to rotate. Its output torque can be amplified to more than 30 N·m under the action of the multi-stage planetary gear reducer 7, and the binding force is more than 250 N, ensuring that the thickest paper of H mm can be bound. The output shaft of the multi-stage planetary gear reducer 7 is equipped with a spur gear 8. The rotation of the spur gear 8 drives the rack 9 to move down, and at the same time drives the connected rack connecting plate 10, the pressure spring 11, the pressure plate 12, and the pusher plate 13 to move down. When the pressure plate 12 moves down to contact the pressure surface of the lower staple groove, it transmits the downward pressure to the staple groove. Because the stiffness of the two pressure springs 11 is greater than that of the support spring 37, the support spring 37 is compressed first, causing the staple groove to move down. Each staple slot is connected to the movable base 14 via a vertical sliding groove structure, which allows the staple slot to move only in the vertical direction. After the staple slot moves down and presses the paper, the support spring 37 stops compressing, while the rack 9 continues to move down, compressing the pressure spring 11, which drives the pusher 13 down to contact the first staple, vertically inserting the staple into the paper. After the staple penetrates the paper, it contacts the groove of the forming plate 23 and is bent, completing the binding.

[0025] Fifth, after binding is completed, the motor reverses, causing rack 9 to move upwards, the pressing structure to return to its original position, and the staple slots also rise to their original position under the action of support spring 37. The staple pusher blocks in the staple slots move forward under the pushing force of the staple pusher spring 26, pushing the next staple to the exit point. Based on the paper thickness and the geometric dimensions of each staple slot, the motor's rotation angle can be calculated, thereby controlling the motor's rotation and preventing insufficient or excessive downward movement of the pressing plate 12 that could crush the paper surface.

[0026] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0027] 1) This invention provides an electric stapler that automatically matches staples according to paper thickness. It can detect the thickness of the paper to be stapled and automatically match the appropriate staples to achieve automatic stapleping of papers of different thicknesses.

[0028] 2) The staple groove designed in this invention only moves vertically under the restriction of the slide groove, ensuring that the staples are always driven vertically into the paper, which can improve the reliability and aesthetics of binding.

[0029] 3) Based on the different binding thickness ranges of staples, the present invention sets the corresponding movement distance of the staple slot through the sliding groove structure, that is, the maximum longitudinal displacement of each staple slot is limited by the length of the sliding groove to avoid empty staples damaging the stapler.

[0030] 4) This invention uses a motor drive, which can generate a large binding force to meet the binding needs of thick documents. It is fast-responding, which helps to save manpower and improve work efficiency. It is suitable for office document binding work. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 It is an isometric drawing of the overall shape of the stapler;

[0032] Figure 2 It is an isometric drawing of the internal structure of a stapler;

[0033] Figure 3 This is a front view of the internal structure of the stapler;

[0034] Figure 4 This is a top view of the internal structure of a stapler;

[0035] Figure 5 This is an isometric view of the base plate 5.

[0036] Figure 6 This is a top view of the movable base 14 and a cross-sectional view of the locations of each opening;

[0037] Figure 7 This is a three-dimensional view of the first nail groove;

[0038] Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional view of the binding preparation position in Embodiment 1;

[0039] Figure 9 This is a cross-sectional view of the binding and clamping position in Example 1;

[0040] Figure 10 This is a cross-sectional view of the completed binding position in Example 1.

[0041] In the diagram, 1 is the outer casing; 2 is the transparent flip cover; 3 is the controller; 4 is the thickness sensor; 5 is the base plate; 6 is the DC motor; 7 is the multi-stage planetary gear reducer; 8 is the spur gear; 9 is the rack; 10 is the rack connecting plate; 11 is the pressure spring; 12 is the pressure plate; 13 is the pusher plate; 14 is the moving base; 15 is the guide rail; 16 is the stepper motor; 17 is the lead screw; 18 is the first nail slot; 19 is the second nail slot; 20 is the third nail slot; 21 is the fourth nail slot; 22 is the fifth nail slot; 23 is the molding plate; 24 is the positioning block; 25 is the sensor contact; 26 is the pusher spring; 27 is the first pusher block; 28 is the second pusher block; 29 is the third pusher block; 30 is the fourth pusher block; 31 is the fifth pusher block; 32 is the first type nail; 33 is the second type nail; 34 is the third type nail; 35 is the fourth type nail; 36 is the fifth type nail; 37 is the support spring; 38 is the support spring seat; 39 is the spring seat guide rail; 40 is the file. Detailed Implementation

[0042] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments, but the scope of the present invention is by no means limited to the following examples:

[0043] Example 1

[0044] An electric stapler that automatically matches staples according to paper thickness mainly includes a sealing mechanism, a sensing and control mechanism, a staple changing mechanism, and a binding mechanism. Details are as follows:

[0045] The encapsulation mechanism consists of a shell 1, a transparent flip cover 2, and a base plate 5, primarily used for fixing and encapsulating the internal structure. The shell 1 is composed of multiple thin plates spliced ​​together, and is fixedly connected to the base plate 5 at the bottom; it has slots for placing the controller 3 and thickness sensor 4; and bolt holes at the top for fixing the DC motor 6. The transparent flip cover 2 is rotatably mounted on one side of the shell 1, used in conjunction with the staple changing mechanism to observe the remaining staples inside the stapler and to complete the staple insertion after flipping it open. The base plate 5 is located at the bottom of the stapler and has a double-layer structure. The lower plate is fixedly connected to the shell 1, and a guide rail 15 and a spring seat guide rail 39 are placed on it. The lower plate has a protruding platform with bolt holes for fixing the stepper motor 16; the upper plate is used to place the documents to be stapled, and also has two grooves for placing the forming plate 23 and the positioning block 24, respectively.

[0046] The sensing and control mechanism includes a controller 3 and a thickness sensor 4, both housed in slots on the housing 1. The controller 3 has two buttons: a binding button on the left for controlling the binding structure, and a staple button on the right for staple insertion. The thickness sensor 4 can be a BHD-13 digital paper thickness gauge, installed in the slot on the housing 1, and equipped with buttons. These buttons control the downward movement of the sensor contact 25 below the thickness sensor 4 to detect the paper thickness.

[0047] The staple changing mechanism includes a movable base 14, a guide rail 15, a stepper motor 16, a lead screw 17, 5 staple slots, 5 staple pushers, 5 sets of staples, a forming plate 23, a positioning block 24, a sensor contact 25, a staple pusher spring 26, a support spring 37, a support spring seat 38, and a spring seat guide rail 39. The number of staple slots, staple pushers, and staples are the same, forming N different binding mechanisms. Each binding mechanism includes one staple slot, one staple pusher, and one staple. Specifically:

[0048] The stepper motor 16 is the drive mechanism, fixed on the base plate 5. Its output shaft is connected to the lead screw 17, driving the lead screw 17 to rotate. The lead screw 17 is connected to the output shaft of the stepper motor 16 and forms a lead screw and nut pair with the movable base 14. The movable base 14 and the lead screw 17 form a lead screw and nut pair, which is driven by the lead screw 17 to move left and right. The lower rear end of the movable base 14 is connected to the guide rail 15, allowing it to move along the guide rail 15. The maximum stroke point of the movable base 14, which is the rightmost end of the lead screw 17 and the guide rail 15, is the upper staple position. The movable base 14 has 5 openings, each containing 5 staple slots. Each staple slot contains 5 different types of staples with different lengths of stapling legs, used for binding papers of different thicknesses. Each of the 5 staple slots has a pusher spring 26 connected to its rear end. The rear end of each pusher spring 26 is connected to the rear end of the 5 staple slots, and the front end is connected to 5 corresponding pusher blocks. The rear ends of the five pusher blocks are each connected to pusher springs 26, and the front ends of each block contact five different types of staples, allowing the pusher blocks to press the staples firmly in real time. The rear ends of the five types of staples contact the five corresponding pusher blocks, and the front ends contact their respective staple slots, ensuring that the foremost staple is always positioned above the staple slot outlet. The five staple slots and the five openings of the movable base 14 form a typical linear motion sliding mechanism. Slider blocks are located on both sides of the five staple slots, placed in the vertical sliding grooves on both sides of the five openings, restricting the staple slots to vertical movement only. The length of the sliding grooves in each opening of the movable base 14 is different. A support spring 37 is installed below each of the five staple slots, and the support spring 37 is connected to a support spring seat 38 at the bottom, providing support and positional restoration for the staple slot. The support spring seat 38 is connected to the support spring 37 above and rests on a spring seat guide rail 39 below, allowing it to slide left and right along the guide rail 39. The spring seat guide rail 39 is fixedly connected to the lower plate of the base plate 5 to support the support spring seat 38 above it. The guide rail 15 is fixedly connected to the lower plate of the base plate 5 to further support the movable base 14 above it. A portion of the left side wall of each of the five staple slots extends upward and then bends outward, forming a planar structure called a pressure plane, which is used to receive the downward pressure from the binding mechanism. The height of the planar structure of each staple slot is different.

[0049] The binding mechanism includes a DC motor 6, a multi-stage planetary gear reducer 7, a spur gear 8, a rack 9, a rack connecting plate 10, a downward pressure spring 11, a downward pressure plate 12, a push-pin piece 13, a forming plate 23, and a positioning block 24. Specifically:

[0050] The forming plate 23 is installed in the groove of the upper plate of the base plate 5. When the binding mechanism is started, the staple slot directly above the forming plate 23 is called the binding position. The staple outlet of the staple slot located at the binding position is directly above the forming plate 23, which is used to bend the staple feet to complete the binding. The positioning block 24 is located in the slide groove of the upper plate of the base plate 5. The positioning block 24 can be slid back and forth manually to adjust the staple insertion depth. The DC motor 6 is the driving mechanism, which is connected to the bolt hole on the top of the housing 1 by bolts. Its output shaft is connected to the input shaft of the multi-stage planetary gear reducer 7. The input shaft of the multi-stage planetary gear reducer 7 is connected to the output shaft of the DC motor 6, thereby amplifying the torque of the motor. Its output shaft is connected to the spur gear 8, driving the spur gear 8 to rotate. The spur gear 8 is driven by the multi-stage planetary gear reducer 7 and forms a gear rack pair with the rack 9, driving the rack 9 to move up and down. The rack 9 is driven by the spur gear 8 and is connected to the rack connecting plate 10. The rack and pinion plate 10 is horizontally mounted, with one end connected to the rack 9 and the other end connected to the staple pusher 13 for pushing staples into the paper. The rack 9's vertical movement drives the rack and pinion plate 10 and the staple pusher 13 to move synchronously. The rear end of the staple pusher 13 is connected to the rack and pinion plate 10, and the thin plate at its front end for pushing staples remains vertical. Two downward pressure springs 11 are mounted below the rack and pinion plate 10, with a pressure plate 12 mounted at the bottom of each spring. The upper end of the pressure plate 12 is connected to the downward pressure springs 11 and is horizontally suspended in mid-air. When the staple changing mechanism places a staple slot in the binding position, the lower surface of the pressure plate 12 is directly opposite the pressure plane of the staple slot. When the rack 9 moves downward, the pressure plate 12 contacts the pressure plane of the staple slot, thus pushing the staple slot to move.

[0051] This embodiment provides a method for using an electric stapler that automatically matches staples according to paper thickness, including the following steps:

[0052] The first step involves the user turning on the stapler, triggering the power-on reset function. Stepper motor 16 drives lead screw 17 to rotate, pushing the movable base 14 to the rightmost staple-loading position of lead screw 17. At the staple-loading position, the user can clearly observe the remaining number of staples in each slot through the transparent flip cover 2. When a slot is low on staples and needs to be stapled, the user can manually open the transparent flip cover 2 and pull the corresponding pusher block backward. After placing a staple in the slot, the pusher block is reset by the pusher spring 26. Each pusher block is equipped with a pull ring for easy operation. A staple-loading button is installed on the controller 3. When the staple-loading function is activated, stepper motor 16 drives lead screw 17 to rotate, pushing the movable base 14 to the rightmost staple-loading position of lead screw 17, allowing for easy observation of the remaining staples and staple-loading via the above operation.

[0053] The second step involves placing the paper on the upper plate of the base plate 5, below the thickness sensor 4. The thickness sensor 4 is then activated, and the sensor contact 25 automatically presses down to clamp the paper. The control system calculates the paper thickness based on the displacement value of the sensor contact 25. The calculation method is as follows: Initially, the distance between the lower surface of the sensor contact 25 and the upper plate surface of the base plate 5 is 14mm. Let the paper thickness be x (2.5mm in this embodiment). After the sensor contact 25 clamps the paper, the thickness sensor 4 can read the displacement value y (11.5mm in this embodiment). The control system can then calculate the paper thickness as x = 14 - y (2.5mm in this embodiment). Different paper thicknesses are bound using different staples according to the following rules:

[0054] When the paper thickness is 0 mm ≤ 2.5 mm, use the first type of staple 32, specifically type 24 / 6 staple;

[0055] When the paper thickness is 2.5 mm < 5 mm, use the second type of staple 33, specifically type 23 / 8 staple;

[0056] When the paper thickness is 5 mm < 9 mm, use the third type of staple 34, specifically type 23 / 10 staple;

[0057] When the paper thickness is 9 mm < 11.7 mm, use type 4 staple 35, specifically type 23 / 13 staple;

[0058] When the paper thickness is 11.7 mm < 13 mm, use Type 5 staple 36, specifically Type 23 / 17 staple;

[0059] In this embodiment, the calculated paper thickness is 2.5 mm, so the first type of staple 32, specifically a 24 / 6 staple, is selected. In this embodiment, the maximum paper thickness for the stapler is 13 mm, approximately 100 sheets of A4 paper. When the paper thickness exceeds 13 mm, the paper cannot be loaded into the stapler. Thirdly, after the control system obtains the paper thickness, it determines the type of staple to be used for binding according to the rules described above (in this embodiment, a 24 / 6 staple is selected). The stepper motor 16 is controlled to drive the lead screw 17 to rotate, pushing the moving base 14 so that the staple slot containing the selected staple is positioned in the binding position. As the moving base 14 moves, the guide rail 15 provides support, and the support springs 37 and support spring seats 38 below each staple slot also move along the spring seat guide rail 39 to provide additional support and ensure the smoothness of the movement.

[0060] In the fourth step, the user places the paper to be bound on the upper plate of the base plate 5. At this time, the position of the positioning block 24 can be manually adjusted to modify the paper insertion depth, ranging from 3 to 36 mm (5 mm in this embodiment). Align the binding position with the forming plate 23, and then start the binding function to control the DC motor 6 to rotate. Its output torque can be amplified to more than 30 N·m under the action of the multi-stage planetary gear reducer 7, and the binding force is more than 250 N, ensuring that the thickest paper of 13 mm can be bound. The output shaft of the multi-stage planetary gear reducer 7 is equipped with a spur gear 8. The rotation of the spur gear 8 drives the rack 9 to move down, and at the same time drives the connected rack connecting plate 10, the pressure spring 11, the pressure plate 12, and the pusher plate 13 to move down. When the pressure plate 12 moves down to contact the pressure surface of the lower staple groove, it transmits the downward pressure to the staple groove. Because the stiffness of the two pressure springs 11 is greater than that of the support spring 37, the support spring 37 is compressed first, causing the staple groove to move down. Each staple slot is connected to the movable base 14 via a vertical sliding groove structure, which allows the staple slot to move only in the vertical direction. After the staple slot moves down and presses the paper, the support spring 37 stops compressing, while the rack 9 continues to move down, compressing the pressure spring 11, which drives the pusher 13 down to contact the first staple, vertically inserting the staple into the paper. After the staple penetrates the paper, it contacts the groove of the forming plate 23 and is bent, completing the binding.

[0061] Fifth, after binding is completed, the motor reverses, causing rack 9 to move upwards, the pressing structure to return to its original position, and the staple slots also rise to their original position under the action of support spring 37. The staple pusher blocks in the staple slots move forward under the pushing force of the staple pusher spring 26, pushing the next staple to the exit point. Based on the paper thickness, the geometric dimensions of each staple slot, and the geometric dimensions of the spur gear 8, the rotation arc of the motor can be calculated, thereby controlling the motor's rotation and preventing insufficient or excessive downward movement of the pressing plate 12 that could crush the paper surface. Specifically, in this embodiment:

[0062] The rack 9 of the binding mechanism first moves down 1 mm, so that the lower pressure plate 12 contacts the pressure surface of the staple slot. Then, the rack 9 moves down another 10.5 mm, so that the staple slot presses the paper firmly. Finally, the rack 9 moves down another 32.5 mm, so that the lower pressure plate 12 completely pushes the staple out of the staple slot. The total downward stroke of the rack 9 is S = 44 mm. The pitch circle diameter of the spur gear 8 is d = 37.5 mm, so its pitch circle circumference is C = dπ = 117.81 mm. The number of rotations of the spur gear 8 and the motor is n = S / C = 0.373, and the radian of rotation of the spur gear 8 and the motor is r = 2πn = 2.347 rad.

[0063] Example 1:

[0064] In this implementation case: Figures 8-10 This diagram illustrates the binding process for a document 40 with a thickness of 2.5mm. After the thickness sensor 4 detects the thickness of document 40, the stapler pushes the first staple slot 18 to the binding position according to the staple matching rules. The user places document 40 on the upper plate of the base plate, ready for binding. Figure 8 As shown. After the binding function is activated, the rack 9 first moves the binding structure downwards, pressing the first staple groove 18 downwards through the lower pressure plate 12. The support spring 37 is compressed until the first staple groove 18 presses the document 40 tightly, as shown. Figure 9 As shown. Then the rack 9 moves down, compressing the two downward springs 11, and the pressure plate 12 moves down, pushing the first first-type staple 32 out of the staple outlet, thus binding the document, as shown. Figure 10 As shown. After binding is completed, the equipment is reset and awaits the next binding.

[0065] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the implementation methods of the present invention, but should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An electric stapler that automatically matches staples according to paper thickness, characterized in that, The electric stapler includes a sealing mechanism, a sensing and control mechanism, a staple changing mechanism, and a binding mechanism; The packaging mechanism includes a shell (1), a transparent flip cover (2), and a base plate (5); the shell (1) is made of multiple thin plates spliced ​​together, and slots are provided on it for placing the controller (3) and thickness sensor (4) of the sensing and control mechanism; a DC motor (6) is fixed on its top; the transparent flip cover (2) is rotatably installed on one side of the shell (1) for completing the nailing; the base plate (5) has a double-layer structure, the lower plate is fixed to the shell (1), and a guide rail (15) and a spring seat guide rail (39) are placed on it; the upper plate is used to place the bound documents, and two grooves are provided for placing the forming plate (23) and positioning block (24) of the binding mechanism respectively; The sensing and control mechanism includes a controller (3) and a thickness sensor (4). A sensor contact (25) is installed below the thickness sensor (4) to detect the thickness of the paper. The staple changing mechanism includes a movable base (14), a guide rail (15), a stepper motor (16), a lead screw (17), N staple slots, N staple pushers, N sets of staples, a forming plate (23), a positioning block (24), a sensor contact (25), a staple pusher spring (26), a support spring (37), and a spring seat guide rail (39). The staple slots, staple pushers, and staples form N different binding mechanisms. Each binding mechanism includes one staple slot, one staple pusher, and one set of staples. Specifically, the stepper motor (16) is fixed on the base plate (5) and connected to the lead screw (17). The lead screw (17) and the movable base (14) form a lead screw nut pair. The movable base (14) can move along the guide rail (15). The movable base (14) has N openings, each opening has a staple slot, and different types of staples are installed in the staple slots. The rear ends of the N staple slots are connected to the staple pusher springs (26) through pusher blocks, and the pusher blocks press the staples in real time. A support spring (37) is installed under each staple slot through a support spring seat (38) to support the staple slot and restore its position. The support spring seat (38) can slide left and right along the spring seat guide rail (39). The binding mechanism includes a DC motor (6), a multi-stage planetary gear reducer (7), a spur gear (8), a rack (9), a rack connecting plate (10), a pressure spring (11), a pressure plate (12), a pusher plate (13), a forming plate (23), and a positioning block (24). Specifically, the forming plate (23) is used to bend the staple feet to complete the binding, and the positioning block (24) is used to adjust the staple insertion depth. The output shaft of the DC motor (6) is connected to the input shaft of the multi-stage planetary gear reducer (7), and the multi-stage planetary gear reducer (7) is connected to the DC motor (6). The gear (8) is connected to drive the spur gear (8) to rotate; the spur gear (8) and the rack (9) form a gear rack pair, driving the rack (9) to move up and down; the rack (9) is also connected to one end of the rack connecting plate (10), and the other end of the rack connecting plate (10) is connected to the pusher plate (13) used to push the staples into the paper. The rack (9) moves up and down, driving the rack connecting plate (10) and the pusher plate (13) to move synchronously; two pressure springs (11) are installed below the rack connecting plate (10), and a pressure plate (12) is installed at the bottom of the pressure springs (11).

2. The electric stapler that automatically matches staples according to paper thickness according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness sensor (4) is a BHD-13 digital paper thickness gauge.

3. The electric stapler that automatically matches staples according to paper thickness according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the nail changing mechanism: the maximum stroke of the movable base (14) is the rightmost end of the lead screw (17) and guide rail (15), which is the upper nail position.

4. An electric stapler that automatically matches staples according to paper thickness as described in claim 2, characterized in that, In the nail-changing mechanism: The back ends of N types of staples are in contact with N corresponding types of staple pushers, and the front ends are in contact with their respective staple slots, always keeping the foremost staple above the staple slot exit opening. The N nail slots and the N openings of the movable base (14) form a linear motion pair slide mechanism. The N nail slots are provided with sliders on both sides, which are placed in the vertical slides on both sides of the N openings to restrict the nail slots to vertical movement. The length of the slide in each opening of the movable base (14) is different. The top left side wall of each staple slot extends upward and then bends outward horizontally to form a planar structure called the pressure plane, which is used to receive the downward pressure from the binding mechanism. The height of the planar structure of each staple slot is different.

5. An electric stapler that automatically matches staples according to paper thickness as described in claim 1, characterized in that, In the binding mechanism: the forming plate (23) is installed in the groove of the upper plate of the base plate (5). When the binding mechanism is started, the staple groove directly above the forming plate 23 is called the staple groove located at the binding position. The staple outlet of the staple groove located at the binding position is directly above the forming plate (23) and is used to bend the staple feet to complete the binding. The positioning block (24) is located in the groove of the upper plate of the base plate (5). The positioning block (24) can slide back and forth and is used to adjust the staple insertion depth.

6. An electric stapler that automatically matches staples according to paper thickness as described in claim 1, characterized in that, In the binding mechanism: when the staple changing mechanism places a staple slot in the binding position, the lower surface of the lower pressure plate (12) is directly opposite the pressure plane of the staple slot; when the rack (9) moves downward, the staple slot is pushed to move by the contact between the lower pressure plate (12) and the pressure plane of the staple slot.

7. A method of using an electric stapler that automatically matches staples according to paper thickness as described in any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: The first step is that when the stapler is in use, the stepper motor (16) drives the lead screw (17) to rotate, pushing the movable base (14) to the upper staple position on the far right of the lead screw (17); The second step is to bind the paper. First, place the paper on the upper plate of the base plate (5) and below the thickness sensor (4). Activate the thickness sensor (4). The sensor contact (25) will automatically press down and tighten the paper. The controller will calculate the paper thickness based on the displacement value of the sensor contact (25). Different paper thicknesses are bound using different staples. The third step is to determine the type of staples to be used for binding based on the paper thickness. The stepper motor (16) drives the lead screw (17) to rotate and push the moving base (14) so ​​that the staple slot where the selected staple is located is in the binding position. When the moving base (14) moves, the guide rail (15) provides support for it. The support springs (37) and support spring seats (38) under each staple slot also move along the spring seat guide rail (39) to provide support and ensure stability. In the fourth step, the user places the paper to be bound on the upper plate of the base plate (5), adjusts the position of the positioning block (24) to adjust the paper insertion depth; aligns the binding position with the forming plate (23), and then starts the DC motor (6) to rotate, which drives the spur gear (8) to rotate through the multi-stage planetary gear reducer (7), thereby driving the rack (9) to move down, and at the same time driving the rack connecting plate (10), the pressure spring (11), the pressure plate (12), and the pusher plate (13) to move down; when the pressure plate (12) moves down to contact the pressure surface of the lower staple groove, the support spring (37) is compressed, causing the staple groove to move down; when the staple groove moves down and presses the paper, the support spring (37) is no longer compressed, at this time the rack (9) continues to move down, causing the pressure spring (11) to be compressed, driving the pusher plate (13) to move down and contact the first staple, and vertically staples the paper; after the staple penetrates the paper, it contacts the groove of the forming plate (23) and is bent, completing the binding; Fifth step, after binding is completed, the DC motor (6) reverses to move the rack (9) up and return it to its original position. The staple slot rises to its original position under the action of the support spring (37). The pusher block in the staple slot pushes the next staple to the exit point under the pusher spring (26).

8. The method of using an electric stapler that automatically matches staples according to paper thickness as described in claim 7, characterized in that, In the first step, at the top of the staple position, the remaining number of staples in each staple slot is observed through the transparent flip cover (2); when staples need to be added, the transparent flip cover (2) is opened, staples are placed in the staple slots, and the staple pusher block is reset by the staple pusher spring (26).

9. A method of using an electric stapler that automatically matches staples according to paper thickness as described in claim 7, characterized in that, In the second step, the paper thickness is calculated as follows: In the initial state, the distance between the lower surface of the sensor contact (25) and the upper surface of the base plate (5) is L mm. Let the paper thickness be x. After the sensor contact (25) presses the paper, the thickness sensor (4) reads the displacement value y of the sensor contact (25) pressing down, and calculates the sheet thickness as x=Ly. Different paper thicknesses are bound using different staples. The specific rules are as follows: When the paper thickness is 0 mm ≤ 2.5 mm, use the first type of staple 32, specifically type 24 / 6 staple; When the paper thickness is 2.5 mm < 5 mm, use the second type of staple 33, specifically type 23 / 8 staple; When the paper thickness is 5 mm < 9 mm, use the third type of staple 34, specifically type 23 / 10 staple; When the paper thickness is 9 mm < 11.7 mm, use type 4 staple 35, specifically type 23 / 13 staple; When the paper thickness is 11.7 mm < 13 mm, use Type 5 staple 36, specifically Type 23 / 17 staple; The maximum paper thickness for the stapler is H mm.

10. A method of using an electric stapler that automatically matches staples according to paper thickness as described in claim 7, characterized in that, In the fourth step: the paper insertion depth is adjusted in the range of 3~36 mm; in the fifth step: the rotation angle of the DC motor (6) is calculated according to the paper thickness and the geometric dimensions of each staple slot, thereby controlling the rotation of the motor to avoid the situation where the lower pressure plate (12) moves down too low or too low and crushes the paper surface.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Stapler capable of automatically adapting to paper thickness

    CN113618679A