Staple Removal Device

Abstract

To provide a staple removal device which allows a removal part to be smoothly inserted between a paper bundle and staples when the staples are removed from the paper bundle.SOLUTION: A staple removal device 1A includes: a mounting base 102 on which a paper bundle bound by staples is mounted; a removal part 120 that is positioned below the mounting base 102, removes the staples from the paper bundle mounted on the mounting base 102, and includes a tip part 122S that can be inserted between the paper bundle and the staples, where the tip part 122s is movable along the mounting base 102 between a stand-by position L1 and a removal position L2 and the tip part 122s is inserted between the paper bundle and the staples when the tip part 122s is moved to the removal position L2; and a first motor 152 for moving the removal part 120, in which the tip part 122s is moved while maintaining the state of projecting from the mounting base 102 through an opening 102b while passing through the removal position L2 from the front of the removal position L2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a staple removal device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there have been disclosed techniques relating to staple removers that remove staples from a stack of paper sheets (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). This type of staple remover is a device that removes staples from a stack of paper sheets by inserting a wedge-shaped plate between the stack of paper sheets and the crown portion of the staple.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a staple removing device in which a staple removing means is disposed at a vertically lower position relative to a sheet stack and is driven by a driving means to remove staples from the vertically lower position. Patent Document 2 discloses a staple removing device for staples, which includes a staple removal step in which both legs of the staple are raised to a predetermined state in the leg raising step, and a staple removal standing piece that moves parallel to the insertion standing fork protruding piece is inserted between the staple and the binding paper so that the central body part of the staple exposed on the binding paper is greatly separated from the surface of the binding paper. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-022923 A [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 5571264 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, conventional staple removers have the following problems: In Patent Document 1, the staple removal means rotates to remove the staple from a lower position, so there is theoretically only one point at which the height of the claw from the mounting table is maximum, and if the staple to be removed is not set accurately at this point, the claw will not be inserted between the crown of the staple and the paper surface, resulting in poor staple removal.

[0006] In addition, in Patent Document 2, the staple-removing standing piece is moved in parallel so that the staple removal point becomes a surface rather than a point. However, when the staple-removing standing piece moves in parallel to the mounting table, its tip may get caught on the crown portion of the staple, which creates a problem that the staple-removing standing piece cannot be smoothly inserted between the crown portion and the paper surface.

[0007] Therefore, in order to solve the above problems, the present invention has an object to provide a staple removal device which, when removing a staple from a stack of paper, reliably inserts the tip of a removal part between the stack of paper and the crown part of the staple, thereby preventing removal failure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A first aspect of the present disclosure is a paper feeder including a paper feed tray on which a paper stack bound by staples is placed, a pressing section that presses the paper stack placed on the paper stack, and a removal section that is located below the paper stack and removes the staples from the paper stack placed on the paper stack, the removal section including a tip that can be inserted between the paper stack and the staples. nothing A removal unit and a motor for moving the removal unit A drive unit having The mounting table has an opening through which the tip portion can protrude, and the tip portion has A removal tool is inserted between the staple and the stack of paper to start removing the staple. From the front of the position Removal Passing through position The staple is then pulled out from the stack of sheets. While maintaining the state of protruding from the mounting table through the opening until , linearly along the mounting table The present invention relates to a moving staple removing device. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present disclosure, the tip of the removal section is moved from just before the second position until it passes through the second position while protruding from the mounting table, so that the tip of the removal section can be reliably inserted between the stack of paper and the staple, preventing poor removal during the removal operation. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a staple removing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 1B] FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of a staple removal device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2A] 1 is a right front perspective view of the interior of the staple removing device when the removal portion is in a standby position according to the present embodiment; FIG. [Figure 2B] 1 is a left front perspective view of the interior of the staple removing device when the removal portion is in a standby position according to the present embodiment; FIG. [Figure 2C] FIG. 1 is a plan view of the inside of the staple removing device when the removing unit is in a standby position according to the embodiment; [Figure 2D] FIG. 2 is a plan view of an internal drive unit of the staple removing device according to the embodiment. [Figure 2E] 1 is a side view of the inside of the staple removing device when a removing section is in a standby position according to the embodiment; [Diagram 3] 1 is a side cross-sectional view of the inside of the staple removing device when a removing portion according to the present embodiment is in a standby position. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the staple-removing mechanism according to the embodiment. [Figure 5A] FIG. 4 is a plan view of a removal unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 5B] FIG. 4 is a side view of a removal unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 5C] 5B is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the removed portion of FIG. 5A. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the paper pressing mechanism according to the embodiment. [Figure 7]1 is a perspective view of the inside of a staple removing device including a frame according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a staple removal device including a frame according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9A] 11A and 11B are perspective views illustrating an operation of the staple removing mechanism in the standby position according to the embodiment. [Figure 9B] 11A and 11B are perspective views illustrating the operation of the staple removal mechanism moving to a removal position according to the embodiment. [Figure 10A] 11A to 11C are side views of the main part illustrating the operation of the staple removing mechanism in the standby position according to the embodiment. [Figure 10B] 11A to 11C are side views of the main part illustrating the operation of the staple removal mechanism moving to a removal position according to the embodiment. [Figure 11A] 11A to 11C are side views showing the operation of the staple removing mechanism in the standby position according to the embodiment. [Figure 11B] 11B is a side view of a main part illustrating the operation of the staple-removing mechanism shown in FIG. 11A. [Figure 12A] 11A to 11C are side views showing the operation of the staple removal mechanism moving to a removal position according to the embodiment. [Figure 12B] 12B is a side view of a main part illustrating the operation of the staple-removing mechanism shown in FIG. 12A. [Figure 13A] 5A and 5B are perspective views showing the operation of the paper pressing mechanism in the standby position according to the embodiment. [Figure 13B] 11A and 11B are perspective views showing the operation of the paper pressing mechanism moving to a pressing position according to the embodiment. [Figure 14A] 11 is a side view of a main part showing the operation of the paper pressing mechanism in the standby position according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 14B] 11 is a side view of a main part illustrating the operation of the paper pressing mechanism moving to a pressing position according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 15A] 11A and 11B are side views showing the operation of the staple removing device when removing a staple from a paper stack according to the embodiment. [Figure 15B]11A and 11B are side views showing the operation of the staple removing device when removing a staple from a paper stack according to the embodiment. [Figure 15C] 11A and 11B are side views showing the operation of the staple removing device when removing a staple from a paper stack according to the embodiment. [Figure 15D] 11A and 11B are side views showing the operation of the staple removing device when removing a staple from a paper stack according to the embodiment. [Figure 15E] 11A and 11B are side views showing the operation of the staple removing device when removing a staple from a paper stack according to the embodiment. [Figure 15F] 11A and 11B are side views showing the operation of the staple removing device when removing a staple from a paper stack according to the embodiment. [Figure 15G] 11A and 11B are side views showing the operation of the staple removing device when removing a staple from a paper stack according to the embodiment. [Figure 16A] 11 is an enlarged view of a main part showing the operation of the wedge plate when removing a staple from a paper stack according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 16B] 11 is an enlarged view of a main part showing the operation of the wedge plate when removing a staple from a paper stack according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 16C] 11 is an enlarged view of a main part showing the operation of the wedge plate when removing a staple from a paper stack according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 16D] 11 is an enlarged view of a main part showing the operation of the wedge plate when removing a staple from a paper stack according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 16E] 11 is an enlarged view of a main part showing the operation of the wedge plate when removing a staple from a paper stack according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 17A] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating the state of the wedge plate and the staple when the staple is removed from the paper stack according to the embodiment. [Figure 17B] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating the state of the wedge plate and the staple when the staple is removed from the paper stack according to the embodiment. [Figure 17C]11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating the state of the wedge plate and the staple when the staple is removed from the paper stack according to the embodiment. [Figure 17D] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating the state of the wedge plate and the staple when the staple is removed from the paper stack according to the embodiment. [Figure 17E] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating the state of the wedge plate and the staple when the staple is removed from the paper stack according to the embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of the staple removing device according to another embodiment 1. [Figure 19A] 13A to 13C are explanatory views of the operation of the wedge plate of the staple remover in the standby position according to the alternative embodiment 1. [Figure 19B] 19B is an enlarged view of a main part of the wedge plate and the mounting table shown in FIG. 19A. [Figure 20A] 13A to 13C are explanatory views of the operation of a wedge plate of the staple remover according to the first alternative embodiment, which moves to a removal position. [Figure 20B] 20B is an enlarged view of a main part of the wedge plate and the mounting table shown in FIG. 20A. [Figure 21] FIG. 11 is a side view of a staple removing device according to another embodiment 2. [Figure 22A] 13A to 13C are explanatory views of the operation of the wedge plate of the staple removing device in the standby position according to another embodiment 2. [Figure 22B] 22B is an enlarged view of a main part of the wedge plate and the mounting table shown in FIG. 22A. [Figure 23A] 13A to 13C are explanatory views of the operation of a wedge plate of the staple remover according to another embodiment 2, which moves to a removal position. [Figure 23B] 23B is an enlarged view of a main part of the wedge plate and the mounting table shown in FIG. 23A. [Figure 24] FIG. 11 is a side view of a staple removing device according to another embodiment 3. [Figure 25A] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of a wedge plate of the staple remover in the standby position according to another embodiment 3; [Figure 25B] 25B is an enlarged view of a main part of the wedge plate and the mounting table shown in FIG. 25A. [Figure 26A]13A to 13C are explanatory views of the operation of a wedge plate of the staple remover according to another embodiment 3, which moves to a removal position. [Figure 26B] 26B is an enlarged view of a main part of the wedge plate and the mounting table shown in FIG. 26A. [Figure 27A] FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of a staple removing device according to another embodiment 4. [Figure 27B] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a staple removing device according to another embodiment 4; [Figure 28] FIG. 11 is a side view of a wedge plate according to another embodiment 4. [Figure 29A] FIG. 13 is a side view of a crown support portion and a pressing portion according to the fourth alternative embodiment. [Figure 29B] 13 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the crown part is supported by a crown support part and a pressing part according to another embodiment 4. FIG. [Figure 29C] FIG. 13 is a side view of a fourth alternative embodiment in which a crown support portion and a pressing portion are configured as a single component. [Figure 30A] FIG. 11 is a side view showing the operation of the staple removing device when removing a staple from a paper stack according to another embodiment 4. [Figure 30B] FIG. 11 is a side view showing the operation of the staple removing device when removing a staple from a paper stack according to another embodiment 4. [Figure 30C] FIG. 11 is a side view showing the operation of the staple removing device when removing a staple from a paper stack according to another embodiment 4. [Figure 30D] FIG. 11 is a side view showing the operation of the staple removing device when removing a staple from a paper stack according to another embodiment 4. [Figure 30E] FIG. 11 is a side view showing the operation of the staple removing device when removing a staple from a paper stack according to another embodiment 4. [Figure 30F] FIG. 11 is a side view showing the operation of the staple removing device when removing a staple from a paper stack according to another embodiment 4. [Figure 31A]FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of a staple removing device according to another embodiment 5. [Figure 31B] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a staple removing device according to another embodiment 5. [Diagram 32] FIG. 13 is a side view of a peeling portion and a pressing portion according to another embodiment 5. [Figure 33A] FIG. 13 is a side view showing the operation of the staple removing device when removing a staple from a paper stack according to another embodiment 5. [Figure 33B] FIG. 13 is a side view showing the operation of the staple removing device when removing a staple from a paper stack according to another embodiment 5. [Figure 33C] FIG. 13 is a side view showing the operation of the staple removing device when removing a staple from a paper stack according to another embodiment 5. [Figure 33D] FIG. 13 is a side view showing the operation of the staple removing device when removing a staple from a paper stack according to another embodiment 5. [Figure 33E] FIG. 13 is a side view showing the operation of the staple removing device when removing a staple from a paper stack according to another embodiment 5. [Figure 33F] FIG. 13 is a side view showing the operation of the staple removing device when removing a staple from a paper stack according to another embodiment 5. [Figure 33G] FIG. 13 is a side view showing the operation of the staple removing device when removing a staple from a paper stack according to another embodiment 5. [Figure 34A] FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of a staple removing device according to another embodiment 6. [Figure 34B] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a staple removing device according to another embodiment 6. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0012] [External configuration example of staple removal device 1A] Fig. 1A is a front perspective view of staple removing device 1A, Fig. 1B is a rear perspective view of staple removing device 1A, Fig. 2A is a right-front-left rear perspective view of the interior of staple removing device 1A, and Fig. 2B is a left-front-right rear perspective view of the interior of staple removing device 1A.

[0013] Staple removal device 1A is a device for automatically removing (dismounting) staples from a stack of paper sheets bound with staples, and comprises a roughly rectangular parallelepiped housing 100, a mounting table 102 on which the stack of paper sheets is placed, a removal section 120 located below the mounting table 102 (on the inner side of the housing 100 relative to the mounting table 102) and removing staples from the stack of paper sheets placed on the mounting table 102, a first motor 152 that drives the removal section 120, and a storage section 200 that stores the staples removed by the removal section 120.

[0014] A cover section 104 that covers a part of the mounting table 102 is provided above the mounting table 102 (the side on which the stack of paper sheets is placed relative to the mounting table 102). A predetermined gap is formed between the cover section 104 and the mounting table 102, and the stack of paper sheets is inserted into this gap. An activation switch 106 for operating the staple removing device 1A is provided on the upper surface of the cover section 104. In this embodiment, the side on which the storage section 200 is provided is referred to as the rear-front of the staple removing device 1A, and the opposite side is referred to as the front side of the staple removing device 1A.

[0015] The housing 100 is a box body having a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape with an open top, and includes the removal unit 120, the first motor 152, the storage unit 200, and the like.

[0016] The placement table 102 is provided so as to cover the opening at the top of the housing 100, and has a placement surface 102a on which a stack of paper is placed. An opening 102b is formed in the placement surface 102a so that a part of the removal section 120 can protrude.

[0017] The removal unit 120 has a predetermined length from the tip end 122s to the base end 122k. The removal unit 120 includes the tip end 122s that can be inserted between the paper stack and the staple (the crown portion Sa), and has a wedge plate body 122a that is a first part that removes the staple from the paper stack, a wedge plate base 122f that is a second part that is driven by the driving force of the first motor 152 received by the racks 130 and 131, and a constricted portion 122c that is a third part located between the first and second parts.

[0018] The wedge plate body 122a is made of a long and narrow plate-like member, and at least its tip end 122s is formed in a wedge shape so that it can be easily inserted between the paper stack and the staple and can easily pull out the staple from the paper stack. In this embodiment, the wedge plate body 122a is tapered from the base end 122k to the tip end 122s. Specifically, in a side view, the plate thickness is gradually reduced from the base end 122k to the tip end 122s, and in a top view, the plate width is gradually reduced toward the tip end 122s.

[0019] The wedge plate base 122f supports the wedge plate main body 122a via the constricted portion 122c, and has a role of receiving the power from the first motor 152 at the racks 130, 131 and transmitting it to the wedge plate main body 122a. As shown in FIG. 4 and other figures, the wedge plate base 122f includes a blade holder 124 formed of a flat plate having a substantially U-shaped cross section, and a pair of racks 130, 131 attached to the side of the blade holder 124. The wedge plate main body 122a and the attachment portion 122b extending from the wedge plate base 122f are attached to the upper surface of the blade holder 124. The racks 130, 131 are plate-shaped members having substantially the same length as the longitudinal direction of the blade holder 124, and a plurality of teeth (racks) that mesh with a pinion 158 described later are formed on the lower surface, and receive the driving force of the first motor 152.

[0020] Between the mounting table 102 and the cover section 104, there is provided a paper stack insertion port 108 for setting a paper stack inside the cover section 104. The start switch 106 is provided on the upper surface of the cover section 104 for easy operation by the user, and is composed of a button for operating the staple removal device 1A. The storage section 200 is a box body with an open top, and is configured to be insertable into and removable from an opening 100a formed in the rear end surface of the housing 100. The storage section 200 is disposed in a space portion below and behind the center of the housing 100.

[0021] Here, for convenience, the staple S in a state where a stack of paper-sheets P has been stapled will be described with reference to FIG. 17A described later. The staple S has a crown portion Sa and a pair of legs Sb, Sb formed by bending both longitudinal ends of the crown portion Sa. The stack of paper-sheets P is stapled by penetrating the pair of legs Sb, Sb of the staple S from the bottommost sheet of a plurality of stacked sheets to the topmost sheet, and bending the penetrated legs Sb, Sb inward. The staple position of the staple S is, for example, a corner or edge of the sheets. In this embodiment, the staple S is removed from such a stack of paper-sheets P.

[0022] [Internal configuration example of staple removal device 1A] Next, the internal configuration of the staple removing device 1A will be described. FIG. 2A is a right front perspective view of the inside of the staple removing device 1A when the removing section 120 is in the standby position, FIG. 2B is a left front perspective view of the inside of the staple removing device 1A when the removing section 120 is in the standby position, FIG. 2C is a plan view of the inside of the staple removing device 1A when the removing section 120 is in the standby position, FIG. 2D is a plan view of the first driving section 150 and the like inside the staple removing device 1A, and FIG. 2E is a side view of the inside of the staple removing device 1A when the removing section 120 is in the standby position. FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the inside of the staple removing device 1A when the removing section 120 is in the standby position. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the staple removal mechanism 110. FIG. 5A is a plan view of the removing section 120, FIG. 5B is a side view of the removing section 120, and FIG. 5C is a cross-sectional view of the removing section 120 taken along line AA. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the paper pressing mechanism 160.

[0023] The staple removing device 1A includes a staple removing mechanism 110 that removes the staples S from the paper stack P, a paper pressing mechanism 160 that presses the paper stack P placed on the placement table 102, and the storage section 200 described above.

[0024] [Example of configuration of staple removal mechanism 110] As shown in FIG. 3 etc., the staple removal mechanism 110 is disposed inside the housing 100 below the mounting surface 102a of the mounting table 102, and has a removal section 120 that removes the staples S from the paper stack P by being inserted between the paper stack P and the staples, a pressing section 140 (regulating section), and a first drive section 150 that drives the removal section 120.

[0025] As shown in Figures 5, 9, etc., the removal unit 120 includes a wedge plate 122 that is inserted between the crown portion Sa of the staple S and the stack of paper P, and racks 130 and 131 that move the wedge plate 122 between the crown portion Sa and the stack of paper P.

[0026] In this embodiment, as an example of a configuration of the remover 120, it includes a blade holder 124 to which the wedge plate 122 is attached, a crown holder 126 that supports the crown portion Sa of the staple S, and a holder 128 that regulates the position of the wedge plate 122.

[0027] 4 and 5A to 5C, the wedge plate 122 is configured as an elongated plate-like member and includes a wedge plate body 122a, an attachment portion 122b, and a narrowed portion 122c. The tip portion 122s is configured to be movable along the plane of the placement table 102 between the standby position L1 and the removal position L2, and when the tip portion 122s moves to the removal position L2, the tip portion 122s is inserted between the paper stack P and the staple.

[0028] In this embodiment, the standby position L1 of the removal unit 120 means a position where the tip portion 122s of the removal unit 120 stops before starting the removal operation. The removal position L2 of the removal unit 120 means a position where the removal unit 120 starts the removal operation, the removal unit 120 is inserted between the crown portion Sa of the staple S and the paper stack P, and removal of the staple S from the paper stack P starts.

[0029] The attachment portion 122b is integrally formed on the side of the base end portion 122k of the wedge plate body 122a, and is attached to the upper surface of the blade holder 124. The constricted portion 122c is formed in the approximate center in the longitudinal direction of the wedge plate 122 between the wedge plate body 122a and the attachment portion 122b. As shown in Fig. 5A, the width dimension D1 of at least a part of the constricted portion 122c is narrower than the width dimension D2 of the base end portion 122k of the wedge plate body 122a, and is configured to be narrower than the width dimension D3 (see Fig. 17E) between the legs Sb, Sb of the staple S caused by springback that attempts to return the legs Sb, Sb of the staple S to the state inwardly bent when the staple S leaves the wedge plate 122.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 4 and other figures, the blade holder 124 is configured of a flat plate having a generally U-shaped cross section, and has an attachment portion 122b attached to its upper surface.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 4 and other figures, the crown holder 126 is disposed below the wedge plate 122 with the blade holder 124 interposed therebetween, and supports the crown portion Sa of the staple S to be removed from the paper stack P. The crown holder 126 includes a groove portion 126a for preventing contact with the pressing portion 140 when the wedge plate 122 moves from the front to the rear, and an opening portion 126b for dropping the staple S removed from the paper stack P into the storage portion 200. The opening portion 126b of the crown holder 126 and the narrowed portion 122c of the wedge plate 122 attached to the blade holder 124 are disposed so as to be in the same position in a plan view. The groove portion 126a is cut out from the tip portion to the approximate center portion of the crown holder 126, and has a width slightly wider than the width of the pressing portion 140. The opening 126b is formed in the approximate center of the crown holder 126 in the longitudinal direction and continuous with the base end side of the groove 126a, and has a width at least greater than the length of the crown portion Sa of the staple S.

[0032] A spring 125 is disposed between the lower surface of the other end of the blade holder 124 and the upper surface of the other end of the crown holder 126, and one end of the wedge plate 122 and one end of the crown holder 126 are biased in a direction toward each other by the elastic force of the spring 125. In this embodiment, the one end indicates the front of the staple removing device 1A, and the other end indicates the rear of the staple removing device 1A.

[0033] The holder 128 is configured of a flat plate having a generally U-shaped cross section, and is disposed so as to overlap the upper surface of the blade holder 124. The holder 128 includes an opening 128a for exposing the wedge plate 122, and a support portion 128b for restricting the pressing portion 140 to be positioned lower than the mounting table 102 at least when the removal portion 120 is stopped at the standby position L1.

[0034] 2B and 4, a plate-shaped rack 130 having approximately the same length as the longitudinal direction of the blade holder 124 is disposed on the left side of the blade holder 124. The rack 130 receives the driving force of the first motor 152. A plurality of teeth that mesh with a pinion 158 (described later) are formed on the lower surface of the rack 130.

[0035] 2A and 4, a plate-shaped rack 131 having approximately the same length as the longitudinal direction of the blade holder 124 is disposed on the right side of the blade holder 124. The rack 131 receives the driving force of the first motor 152. A plurality of teeth that mesh with a pinion 159 (described later) are formed on the lower surface of the rack 131.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 4, a sensor 134 for detecting the position of the removal unit 120 is provided on the left side of the rack 130, and a flag mounting plate 132 for detecting the position of the removal unit 120 in the front-rear direction is provided. A first flag 132a for detecting the movement of the wedge plate 122 from the standby position L1 to the removal position L2 is provided on the rear end of the flag mounting plate 132. A second flag 132b for detecting the arrival of the wedge plate 122 at the removal position L2 is provided on the front end of the flag mounting plate 132. The sensor 134 is a transmission type sensor and detects the first flag 132a and the second flag 132b of the rack 130 moving in the front-rear direction. A detection signal detected by the sensor 134 is supplied to a control unit (not shown), and the control unit controls the operation of the first motor 152 and the second motor 192 based on the detection signal supplied from the sensor 134.

[0037] The first drive shaft 136 is located approximately midway between the tip side and base side of the removal part 120, and is engaged with each of the guide groove 113 of the left frame 112 and the guide groove 115 of the right frame 114. The first drive shaft 136 is inserted from the left side to the right side of the housing 100 into openings formed in each of the flag mounting plate 132, the rack 130, the blade holder 124, the crown holder 126, and the rack 131.

[0038] The second drive shaft 138 is located at the base end of the removal unit 120, and is engaged with the guide groove 113 of the left frame 112 and the guide groove 115 of the right frame 114. The second drive shaft 138 is inserted from the left side to the right side of the housing 100 into openings formed in the flag mounting plate 132, the rack 130, the blade holder 124, and the rack 131.

[0039] In this way, the first drive shaft 136 and the second drive shaft 138 assemble the wedge plate 122, blade holder 124, crown holder 126, holder 128, racks 130, 131 and flag mounting plate 132 to form the removal unit 120, which can move forward and backward as a unit.

[0040] 3 and 4, the pressing portion 140 that restricts the movement of the paper stack P and the staples S in the insertion direction is disposed on the rear side of the crown portion Sa at the removal position L2, and is configured to be able to abut against the crown portion Sa pushed in by the wedge plate 122. The width of the pressing portion 140 is selected to be a length that can support the crown portion Sa that moves from the front to the rear by the pushing force of the wedge plate 122, and can be inserted into the groove portion 126a of the crown holder 126, for example.

[0041] The presser holder 142 supporting the presser portion 140 is composed of a flat plate processed into a substantially U-shape when viewed from above, and the rear end side of the presser holder 142 is rotatably supported by a shaft 146. One end of a tension spring 144 is attached further rearward of the shaft 146 of the presser holder 142. The other end of the tension spring 144 is attached to the left frame 112. A protrusion 142a capable of coming into contact with the support portion 128b of the holder 128 is provided at the front upper end of the presser holder 142.

[0042] 2A, 2D, and 4, the first driving unit 150 includes a first motor 152, a gear 153a connected to an output shaft 152a of the first motor 152, and a pair of pinions 158 and 159 provided on both ends of a shaft 156, which is a first pinion unit arranged at a predetermined interval in the width direction of the housing 100 to mesh with the racks 130 and 131. The multiple gears 153a, 153b, 154a, 154b, and 155 form a reduction mechanism.

[0043] The first motor 152 has an output shaft 152a and a motor body 152b, and is composed of, for example, a DC motor or a DC brushless motor. The first motor 152 is driven based on an instruction from a control unit (not shown), and transmits the driving force of the first motor 152 to the removal unit 120 via a reduction mechanism to move the removal unit 120 forward or backward. As shown in Figs. 2C, 2D, and 3, the first motor 152 is disposed below the removal unit 120 when the tip portion 122s of the wedge plate body 122a (first portion) of the removal unit 120 is in the standby position L1, that is, below the second portion in this embodiment. Note that below the removal unit 120 means that at least a part of the first motor 152 including the output shaft 152a is located directly below the removal unit 120.

[0044] The first motor 152 is disposed so that the output shaft 152a is parallel or approximately parallel to the mounting surface 102a of the mounting table 102, as shown in FIG. 2D, FIG.

[0045] Also, they are arranged so as to be perpendicular to the direction of movement of the wedge plate 122 from the front to the rear (the longitudinal direction of the housing 100).

[0046] In this embodiment, the output shaft 152a being parallel to the mounting surface 102a of the mounting table 102 means that the output shaft 152a is completely parallel to the mounting surface 102a of the mounting table 102. Moreover, the term "approximately parallel" includes a range that is slightly different from completely parallel.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 2A, FIG. 2C, FIG. 2D, and FIG. 2E, the gears 153a and 153b are two-stage drive gears, and the diameter of the gear 153a is larger than the diameter of the gear 153b. The gear 153a is connected to the output shaft 152a of the first motor 152. The gear 153b is meshed with the gear 154a. The gears 154a and 154b are two-stage drive gears, and the diameter of the gear 154a is larger than the diameter of the gear 154b. The gear 154a is meshed with the gear 153b, and the gear 154b is meshed with the gear 155. The right end of the shaft 156 extending in the width direction of the housing 100 is attached to the center of the gear 155. A pinion 159 that meshes with the rack 131 is attached to the right end side of the shaft 156 on the gear 155 side, and a pinion 158 that meshes with the rack 130 is attached to the left end side on the opposite side.

[0048] [Configuration example of paper pressing mechanism 160] The paper pressing mechanism 160, which presses the stack of paper P placed on the mounting table 102, includes a paper pressing section 170, at least a portion of which is located above the mounting table 102 and is configured to be movable, as shown in Figures 2A and 6, and a second motor 192 that drives the paper pressing section 170.

[0049] The paper pressing section 170 has a hold lever 172 to which the parts that make up the paper pressing section are attached, a pair of paper pressing racks 174, 175 extending in the forward direction at a predetermined interval in the width direction of the housing 100, and a paper pressing plate 176 which is a pressing section that presses down the stack of paper P placed on the loading platform 102.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 2A, FIG. 2E, FIG. 6, etc., the hold lever 172 is disposed on the rear side of the housing 100, and has a pair of flat plates 172a, 172b disposed at a predetermined interval in the width direction. The lower sides of the flat plates 172a, 172b are disposed inside the housing 100, and the upper sides are disposed so as to be exposed from the mounting table 102 and are covered by the cover part 104. A boss 178 protruding outward is attached to the outer surface of the flat plate 172a. One end of a return spring 180 constituted by a tension spring is attached to the boss 178, and the other end of the return spring 180 is attached to the left frame 112. Similarly, a boss (not shown) is attached to the outer surface of the flat plate 172b, and one end of a return spring 181 is attached to this boss, and the other end of the return spring 181 is attached to the right frame 114.

[0051] Paper pressure rack 174 is provided at the lower front end of flat plate 172a of hold lever 172. Paper pressure rack 174 is roughly fan-shaped and meshes with paper pressure pinion 198. Paper pressure rack 175 is provided at the lower front end of flat plate 172b of hold lever 172. Paper pressure rack 175 is roughly fan-shaped and meshes with paper pressure pinion 199 of second drive unit 190. Paper pressure racks 174, 175 convert the rotational movement of paper pressure pinions 198, 199 into roughly linear movement.

[0052] The paper pressure plate 176 is configured to be able to press the paper stack P placed on the mounting table 102 by moving toward the mounting surface 102a so as to prevent the paper stack P from shifting from the removal position L2 of the mounting table 102 during the staple S removal operation. The paper pressure plate 176 is attached to the flat plates 172a, 172b so as to be parallel or approximately parallel to the mounting table 102. Specifically, the left side surface of the paper pressure plate 176 is supported by a shaft 186, and the right side surface of the paper pressure plate 176 is supported by a shaft 187.

[0053] As shown in Figures 2B, 2C, 2D and 6, the second driving unit 190 has a second motor 192, a gear 193a connected to an output shaft 192a of the second motor 192, and a pair of paper pressure pinions 198, 199 provided at both ends of a shaft 196, which is a second pinion unit arranged at a predetermined interval in the width direction of the housing 100 so as to mesh with the paper pressure racks 174, 175. The multiple gears 193a, 193b, 194a, 194b, 195 form a reduction mechanism. The second motor 192 is located below the removal unit 120 when it is located at the standby position L1.

[0054] The second motor 192 has an output shaft 192a and a motor body 192b, and is composed of, for example, a DC motor or a DC brushless motor. The second motor 192 is driven based on an instruction from a control unit (not shown), and transmits the driving force of the second motor 192 to the paper pressing unit 170 via a reduction mechanism to operate the paper pressing unit 170. As shown in Figs. 2C, 2D, 3, etc., the second motor 192 is located behind the first motor 152 and below the removal unit 120 when the tip 122s of the wedge plate 122 of the removal unit 120 is in the standby position L1, that is, below the second unit in this embodiment. Note that below the removal unit 120 means that at least a part of the second motor 192, including the output shaft 192a, is located directly below the removal unit 120.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 2D, FIG. 3, and the like, the output shaft 192a of the second motor 192 is disposed so as to be parallel or approximately parallel to the mounting surface 102a of the mounting table 102.

[0056] Also, they are arranged so as to be perpendicular to the direction of movement of the wedge plate 122 from the front to the rear (the longitudinal direction of the housing 100).

[0057] Moreover, the output shaft 192a of the second motor 192 is disposed so as to face in the opposite direction to the output shaft 152a of the first motor 152. Specifically, the output shaft 152a of the first motor 152 is disposed so as to face in the right direction, and the output shaft 192a of the second motor 192 is disposed so as to face in the opposite direction, the left direction. The opposite directions include cases where the output shafts 152a and 192a face in 180-degree opposite directions, as well as cases where they face in a range slightly deviated from the 180-degree opposite directions.

[0058] In this embodiment, the output shaft 192a being parallel to the mounting surface 102a of the mounting table 102 means that the output shaft 192a is completely parallel to the mounting surface 102a of the mounting table 102. Moreover, "approximately parallel" means that the output shaft 192a is slightly deviated from completely parallel.

[0059] As shown in FIGS. 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, and 6, gears 193a and 193b are two-stage drive gears, and the diameter of gear 193a is larger than the diameter of gear 193b. Gear 193a is connected to output shaft 192a of second motor 192. Gear 193b meshes with gear 194a. Gears 194a and 194b are two-stage drive gears, and the diameter of gear 194a is larger than the diameter of gear 194b. Gear 194a meshes with gear 193b, and gear 194b meshes with gear 195. The left end of shaft 196 extending in the width direction of housing 100 is attached to the center of gear 195. A paper pressure pinion 198 that meshes with the paper pressure rack 174 is attached to the left end of the shaft 196 on the gear 195 side, and a paper pressure pinion 199 that meshes with the paper pressure rack 175 is attached to the opposite right end.

[0060] [Configuration example of storage unit 200] 2A, 2B, 3, etc., the storage section 200 is located below the removal section 120 when the tip 122s of the wedge plate 122 constituting the removal section 120 is at the removal position L2 so as to be able to store the staples S that drop from the paper stack P. The storage section 200 is also located between the flat plates 172a, 172b of the hold lever 172 constituting the paper pressing mechanism 160, in an empty space below the pressing holder 142 constituting the staple removal mechanism 110.

[0061] [Example of left frame 112, etc.] Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an internal configuration of the staple removing device 1A including the left frame 112, the right frame 114, the front frame 116, and the rear frame 117. Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the staple removing device 1A shown in Fig. 7.

[0062] A left frame 112, a right frame 114, a front frame 116, and a rear frame 117 are erected on the outer periphery of the staple removing mechanism 110 and the paper pressing mechanism 160 so as to surround them.

[0063] The left frame 112 is erected on the left side of the staple removal mechanism 110. A guide groove 113 is formed on the upper part of the left frame 112, extending along the movement direction (longitudinal direction of the housing 100) of the removal unit 120 forward or backward. The guide groove 113 includes a first groove 113a for positioning the tip 122s of the wedge plate 122 of the removal unit 120 waiting at the standby position L1 below the mounting base 102, and a second groove 113b for moving the tip 122s of the wedge plate 122 of the removal unit 120 in a state of protruding from the mounting base 102 from just before the removal position L2 until it passes through the removal position L2. Note that just before the removal position L2 includes a position between the standby position L1 and the removal position L2.

[0064] The first groove 113a is formed in such a shape that the second drive shaft 138 is closer to the mounting table 102 than the first drive shaft 136 when the tip 122s of the removal unit 120 is at least at the standby position L1. The first groove 113a extends parallel to the mounting surface 102a of the mounting table 102 for a predetermined distance from the start of the movement section of the removal unit 120. The second groove 113b is formed at a position slightly lower than the first groove 113a via the step portion 113c. The second groove 113b extends parallel to the mounting surface 102a of the mounting table 102 from the step portion 113c to the end of the movement section of the wedge plate 122. The left ends of the first drive shaft 136 and the second drive shaft 138 of the removal unit 120 are inserted into the guide groove 113. This allows the remover 120 to move along the guide groove 113 and move from the front to the rear along the mounting table 102 .

[0065] The right frame 114 is erected on the right side of the staple removal mechanism 110. A guide groove 115 is formed in an upper portion of the right frame 114, extending along the movement direction (longitudinal direction of the housing 100) of the removal unit 120 forward or backward. The guide groove 115 includes a first groove 115a for positioning the tip portion 122s of the wedge plate 122 of the removal unit 120 waiting at the waiting position L1 below the mounting table 102, and a second groove 115b for moving the tip portion 122s of the wedge plate 122 of the removal unit 120 in a state of protruding from the mounting table 102 from just before the removal position L2 until it passes the removal position L2.

[0066] The second groove 115b is formed in such a shape that the second drive shaft 138 is closer to the mounting table 102 than the first drive shaft 136 when the tip 122s of the removal unit 120 is at least at the standby position L1. The second groove 115b extends parallel to the mounting surface 102a of the mounting table 102 for a predetermined distance from the start of the movement section of the removal unit 120. The second groove 115b is formed at a position slightly lower than the first groove 115a via the step portion 115c. The second groove 115b extends parallel to the mounting surface 102a of the mounting table 102 from the step portion 115c to the end of the movement section of the wedge plate 122. The right ends of the first drive shaft 136 and the second drive shaft 138 of the removal unit 120 are inserted into the guide groove 115. This allows the remover 120 to move along the guide groove 115 and thus allows the remover 120 to move forward and backward along the mounting table 102 .

[0067] The front frame 116 is erected in front of the staple-pulling mechanism 110 , and the rear frame 117 is erected in rear of the paper pressing mechanism 160 .

[0068] [Operation example of staple removal mechanism 110] Next, an example of the operation of the staple removal mechanism 110 when removing the staples S from the paper stack P will be described.

[0069] FIG. 9A is a perspective view showing the operation of the staple removing mechanism 110 in the waiting position L1, and FIG. 9B is a perspective view showing the operation of the staple removing mechanism 110 moving to the removal position L2. FIG. 10A is a side view of the main part showing the operation of the staple removing mechanism 110 in the waiting position L1, and FIG. 10B is a side view of the main part showing the operation of the staple removing mechanism 110 moving to the removal position L2. FIG. 11A is a side view showing the operation of the staple removing mechanism 110 in the waiting position L1, and FIG. 11B is a side view of the main part showing the operation of the staple removing mechanism 110 in FIG. 11A. FIG. 12A is a side view showing the operation of the staple removing mechanism 110 moving to the removal position L2, and FIG. 12B is a side view of the main part showing the operation of the staple removing mechanism 110 in FIG. 12A. For convenience, only the left frame 112 side will be described in FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, but the opposite right frame 114 side can adopt the same operation as the left frame 112 side.

[0070] When the staple removal device 1A is in a standby state, the wedge plate 122 is stopped at the standby position L1 of the housing 100 as shown in Figs. 9A, 10A, and 11A. At this time, the second drive shaft 138 is located in the first groove 113a of the guide groove 113 of the left frame 112, and the first drive shaft 136 is located in the second groove 113b of the guide groove 113 of the left frame 112. Therefore, the mounting portion 122b side of the wedge plate 122 is raised, and the wedge plate body 122a side including the tip portion 122s of the wedge plate 122 is in a lower position than the mounting portion 122b side. As a result, when the tip portion 122s of the removal portion 120 is in the standby position L1, the wedge plate body 122a including the tip portion 122s of the wedge plate 122 is located below the mounting surface 102a of the mounting table 102 as shown in Fig. 11B. This makes it possible to prevent a problem that occurs when the sheet stack P is placed on the placement table 102, in which the wedge plate 122 hits the sheet stack P and separates from the placement table.

[0071] When the start switch 106 of the staple removing device 1A is operated, as shown in Fig. 9B and Fig. 10B, the first motor 152 is driven, and the driving force of the first motor 152 is transmitted to the pinions 158, 159 via a plurality of gears 153a, 153b, 154a, 154b, 155. Accordingly, the pinions 158, 159 rotate clockwise in Fig. 10B, and the racks 130, 131 meshed with the pinions 158, 159 move from the front to the rear along the mounting table 102, whereby the wedge plate 122 moves from the front to the rear.

[0072] At this time, the second drive shaft 138 moves from the first groove 113a to the second groove 113b of the guide groove 113 of the left frame 112, as shown in FIG. 12A. The second drive shaft 138 is parallel to the mounting surface 102a of the mounting table 102 and at the same height as the first drive shaft 136. Therefore, the position of the mounting portion 122b side of the wedge plate 122 is lowered, and the wedge plate body 122a side of the wedge plate 122 is raised with the first drive shaft 136 as a fulcrum. Here, the upper surface of the wedge plate body 122a is structured to protrude slightly from the upper surface of the mounting portion 122b, so that the tip portion 122s of the wedge plate 122 is located above the mounting surface 102a of the mounting table 102, as shown in FIG. 12B. In this embodiment, the wedge plate 122 moves while maintaining a state of protruding from the mounting surface 102a of the mounting table 102 through the opening 102b of the mounting table 102 from just before the removal position L2 until it passes through the removal position L2. This ensures that the tip portion 122s of the wedge plate body 122a is pressed between the paper stack P and the crown portion Sa.

[0073] [Example of operation of paper pressing mechanism 160] Next, an example of the operation of the paper pressing mechanism 160 when removing the staple S from the paper stack P will be described.

[0074] Fig. 13A is a perspective view showing the operation of paper pressing mechanism 160 in the standby position, Fig. 13B is a perspective view showing the operation of paper pressing mechanism 160 moving to the pressing position, Fig. 14A is a side view of the main part showing the operation of paper pressing mechanism 160 in the standby position, Fig. 14B is a side view of the main part showing the operation of paper pressing mechanism 160 moving to the pressing position.

[0075] 13A and 14A, when the staple removal device 1A is in the standby position, the paper pressing plate 176 stops at a position spaced a certain distance from the mounting surface 102a of the mounting table 102. The certain distance is a distance at which the lower surface of the paper pressing plate 176 does not come into contact with the topmost sheet of the paper stack P placed on the mounting table 102.

[0076] When the start switch of the staple remover 1A is turned on, the second motor 192 is driven. The driving force of the second motor 192 is transmitted to the paper pressure pinions 198, 199 via the gears 193a, 193b, 194a, 194b, 195. Accordingly, as shown in Fig. 13B and Fig. 14B, the paper pressure pinions 198, 199 rotate clockwise, and the paper pressure racks 174, 175 meshing with the paper pressure pinions 198, 199 move substantially downward. When the paper pressure racks 174, 175 move substantially downward, the hold lever 172 rotates counterclockwise with the hold lever shaft 182 as a fulcrum against the elastic force of the return spring 180, and the paper pressure plate 176 moves (descends) in a direction approaching the placement table 102. As a result, the stack of sheets P placed on the placement table 102 is pressed by the sheet pressing plate 176 with a constant pressure.

[0077] When the operation of removing the staples S from the stack of paper P is completed, the second motor 192 is driven in reverse rotation, so that the paper pressure plate 176 moves (rises) in a direction away from the stack of paper P and returns to the standby position shown in FIG. 14A etc.

[0078] [Operation example of staple removal device 1A] Next, we will explain the operation of the staple removal device 1A when pulling out the staple S from the paper stack P. Note that the operations of the staple removal mechanism 110 and the paper pressing mechanism 160 are the same as those in Figures 9A and 13A, and therefore detailed explanations will be omitted.

[0079] 15A to 15G are side views showing an example of the operation of staple removing device 1A when pulling out staples S from a stack of paper-sheets P. FIGS. 16A to 16E are enlarged views of the main part showing an example of the operation of wedge plate 122 when pulling out staples S from a stack of paper-sheets P. FIGS. 17A to 17E are diagrams showing the state of wedge plate 122 and staples S when pulling out staples S from a stack of paper-sheets P. Note that in the explanation of FIG. 15A etc., only the operation of the right side of staple removing device 1A will be explained for convenience, but the same operation as the right side can be adopted for the opposite left side.

[0080] As shown in Fig. 15A, when removing the staples S from the stack of paper P, first, the stack of paper P bound with the staples S is placed on the placement table 102. The user aligns the stack of paper P with a mark indicating the removal position L2 provided on the placement table 102, and places the stack of paper P with the crown Sa side of the staples S facing the placement table. As shown in Fig. 17A, the stack of paper P is bound with the staples S. The legs Sb, Sb of the staples S penetrate the stack of paper P in the thickness direction of the paper and are bent inward, digging into the surface of the paper.

[0081] Next, when the user presses the start switch 106 of the staple remover 1A, the second motor 192 starts to be driven. As a result, as shown in Fig. 15B, the paper pressure plate 176 moves (descends) in a direction approaching the placement table 102, and the paper stack P is pressed by the paper pressure plate 176 with a constant pressure force.

[0082] Subsequently, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the second motor 192 started to be driven, the first motor 152 is driven. As a result, the pinion 159 rotates clockwise, and the removal unit 120 including the rack 131 and the wedge plate 122 moves from the front to the rear. When the removal unit 120 starts to move from the front to the rear, the tip 122s of the wedge plate body 122a is located below the mounting surface 102a of the mounting table 102, as shown in FIG. 16A, similar to the standby position L1.

[0083] When the tip side of removal unit 120 moves from front to rear just before removal position L2, second drive shaft 138 of removal unit 120 moves to second groove 115b of guide groove 115, so that tip 122s of wedge plate 122 protrudes from placement surface 102a through opening 102b of placement table 102, as shown in Fig. 16B. Wedge plate 122 moves from front to rear with its upper surface in contact with the back surface of the bottommost sheet of paper stack P and pressing paper stack P.

[0084] When the tip side of the wedge plate 122 moves to the removal position L2, it is pushed between the crown portion Sa and the paper stack P as shown in Fig. 15C and Fig. 16C. At this time, as shown in Fig. 17B, the legs Sb, Sb of the staple S go from a state in which they are biting into the paper surface of the paper stack P to a state in which they are substantially parallel to the paper surface of the paper stack P. When the wedge plate 122 moves further from the front to the rear in this state, the convex portion 142a of the pressing holder 142 comes off the support portion 128b of the holder 128 as shown in Fig. 16D. As a result, the pressing portion 140 rises due to the bias of the tension spring 144 and comes into contact with the crown portion Sa of the paper stack P that moves from the front to the rear due to the pushing force of the wedge plate 122, restricting the rearward movement of the staple S.

[0085] When the tip side of the wedge plate 122 passes the removal position L2, the thickness of the wedge plate 122 pushed between the paper stack P and the crown portion Sa at the removal position becomes thicker as shown in Fig. 15D and Fig. 16E. The pressing portion 140, in contact with the wedge plate 122 and the crown portion Sa, moves down following the thickness direction of the wedge plate 122 due to the extension of the tension spring 144. As a result, as shown in Fig. 17C, the crown portion Sa is pushed by the wedge plate 122 in a direction away from the paper stack P, and the legs Sb, Sb of the staple S, which were bent inward, extend approximately perpendicular to the paper surface of the paper stack P. When the thickness of the wedge plate 122 at the removal position L2 becomes thicker as shown in Fig. 15E, the legs Sb, Sb of the staple S are pulled out of the paper stack P as shown in Fig. 17D. However, the legs Sb, Sb of the staple S are caught on the side surfaces of the wedge plate 122 due to the spring back of the staple S, so that the staple S does not fall at this stage.

[0086] 15F, when the wedge plate 122 moves from the front to the rear to the end position of the moving range, the narrowed portion 122c of the wedge plate 122 is located at the removal position L2. As a result, as shown in FIG. 17E, since the width dimension D1 of the narrowed portion 122c of the wedge plate 122 is narrower than the width dimension D3 between the legs Sb, Sb of the staple S that springs back, the legs Sb, Sb of the staple S separate from the side surface of the wedge plate 122, and the staple S falls into the storage section 200.

[0087] As shown in FIG. 15G, when the removal of the staples S from the paper stack P is completed, the first motor 152 is driven to rotate in the reverse direction. Accordingly, the pinion 159 rotates in the counterclockwise direction, and the removal unit 120 including the rack 131 and the wedge plate 122 moves from the rear to the front along the mounting table 102, and the removal unit 120 returns from the removal position L2 to the standby position L1. In addition, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the reverse rotation of the first motor 152, the second motor 192 is driven to rotate in the reverse direction. Accordingly, the paper pressing pinion 199 rotates in the counterclockwise direction, and the paper pressing rack 175 moves substantially upward, and the paper pressing plate 176 moves in a direction away from the mounting table 102 via the hold lever 172 and returns to the standby position.

[0088] As described above, according to this embodiment, the wedge plate 122 is configured to move linearly along the mounting table 102, and the tip 122s of the wedge plate 122 is moved from just before the removal position L2 until it passes the removal position L2 while protruding from the mounting surface 102a of the mounting table 102. In other words, by providing a certain section in which the tip 122s of the wedge plate 122 moves while protruding from the mounting surface 102a, the removal point for removing the staples S can be made a surface rather than a point. This makes it possible to remove the staples S from the paper stack P by setting the staples S of the paper stack P in a certain range on the mounting table 102, and therefore it is possible to reliably prevent the occurrence of defects during the removal operation. In addition, since it is sufficient to set the staples S in a certain range on the mounting table 102, it is possible to reduce the burden on the user when setting the paper stack P on the mounting table 102.

[0089] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the tip portion 122s of the wedge plate 122 is moved a certain distance while protruding from the mounting surface 102a of the mounting table 102, so that the tip portion 122s of the wedge plate 122 can be reliably inserted between the stack of paper P and the crown portion Sa.

[0090] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when the staple remover 1A is at the standby position and the tip 122s of the wedge plate 122 is at the standby position L1, the tip 122s of the wedge plate 122 is positioned below the mounting surface 102a of the mounting table 102, so that when the paper stack P is set on the mounting table 102, it is possible to prevent the paper or the crown portion Sa from being caught on the tip 122s of the wedge plate 122. This makes it possible to avoid defects in the paper stack P due to damage to the paper, and also to improve the operability for the user when setting the paper stack P on the mounting table 102.

[0091] <Another embodiment 1> In another embodiment 1, a mechanism for adjusting the height of the moving wedge plate 122 is different from that of the above embodiment. Note that other configurations and operations of the staple removing device 1B are common to the staple removing device 1A of the above embodiment, and therefore detailed description of the common parts will be omitted.

[0092] [Configuration example of staple removal device 1B] FIG. 18 is an exploded perspective view of a staple removing device 1B according to another embodiment 1. As shown in FIG.

[0093] A guide groove 213 is formed on the upper portion of the left frame 112, extending along the mounting surface 102a of the mounting table 102. The guide groove 213 is formed parallel to and linearly with respect to the mounting surface 102a from the start to the end of a movement section including the standby position L1 and the removal position L2 (see FIG. 19B) of the wedge plate 122. Right ends of the first drive shaft 136 and the second drive shaft 138 of the removal unit 120 are inserted into the guide groove 213.

[0094] Similarly, a guide groove 215 extending along the mounting surface 102a of the mounting table 102 is formed on the upper part of the right frame 114. The guide groove 215 is formed parallel to and linear with the mounting surface 102a from the start to the end of a moving section including the waiting position L1 and the removal position L2 of the wedge plate 122. The left ends of the first drive shaft 136 and the second drive shaft 138 of the removal unit 120 are inserted into the guide groove 215. With this configuration, the removal unit 120 can move forward and backward parallel to the mounting surface 102a of the mounting table 102 along the guide grooves 213 and 215.

[0095] 5B, a step 122d is provided between the wedge plate body 122a and the narrowed portion 122c. The upper surface of the wedge plate body 122a protrudes beyond the upper surfaces of the attachment portion 122b and the narrowed portion 122c via the step 122d.

[0096] The front end of the blade holder 124 is formed with long holes 124a, 124b through which the second drive shaft 138 is inserted. The long holes 124a, 124b have a long axis extending in the vertical direction. The length of the long axis defines the maximum protrusion amount of the wedge plate 122 protruding from the mounting surface 102a of the mounting table 102. The front end of the blade holder 124 is supported by the second drive shaft 138 and configured to be movable in the vertical direction along the long holes 124a, 124b. As a result, the tip 122s of the wedge plate 122 moves in the vertical direction with the first drive shaft 136 as a fulcrum in accordance with the vertical movement of the rear end of the blade holder 124.

[0097] The wedge plate unit holder 230 is composed of a flat plate bent into a substantially U-shape, and is disposed overlapping the side surface of the blade holder 124 from below. A rack 130 is disposed on the right side of the wedge plate unit holder 230, and a rack 131 is disposed on the left side thereof.

[0098] One end of a wedge plate spring 232 is attached to a mounting portion provided on the underside of the front end of the blade holder 124, and the other end of the wedge plate spring 232 is attached to a mounting portion provided on the upper surface of the front end of the wedge plate unit holder 230. The front end of the blade holder 124 and the front end of the wedge plate unit holder 230 are urged toward each other by the wedge plate spring 232. The spring constant of the wedge plate spring 232 determines the pressing force of the wedge plate 122 protruding upward from the mounting table 102 against the paper stack P.

[0099] [Operation example of staple removal device 1B] Fig. 19A is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the wedge plate 122 of the staple removing device 1B located at the standby position L1, and Fig. 19B is an enlarged view of the main parts of the wedge plate 122 and the mounting table 102 shown in Fig. 19A. Fig. 20A is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the wedge plate 122 of the staple removing device 1B moving to the removal position L2, and Fig. 20B is an enlarged view of the main parts of the wedge plate 122 and the mounting table 102 shown in Fig. 20A. Note that in Figs. 19A and 20A, only the operation of the left side of the staple removing device 1B is described, but the operation of the right side is the same as that of the left side, so a detailed description will be omitted.

[0100] 19A and 19B, when the staple removing device 1B is at the standby position, the tip 122s of the wedge plate 122 is located at the standby position L1. In this case, the upper surface of the wedge plate body 122a (the tip side of the wedge plate 122) comes into contact with the rear surface of the mounting table 102 and is pushed down below the mounting table 102. Accordingly, the rear end of the blade holder 124 is pushed up along the long hole 124b with the first drive shaft 136 as a fulcrum.

[0101] When the staple removing device 1B is started, the first motor 152 is driven, and the pinion 159 rotates via a plurality of gears 153a and the like. As shown in FIG. 20A, when the pinion 159 rotates, the removal section 120 including the rack 131 and the wedge plate 122 moves from the front to the rear, and as shown in FIG. 20B, the step portion 122d of the wedge plate 122 comes off the back surface of the mounting table 102 and moves into the opening 102b. Accordingly, the front end portion of the blade holder 124 is pushed down along the long hole 124b by the bias of the wedge plate spring 232, while the tip portion 122s of the wedge plate 122 is pushed up with the first drive shaft 136 as a fulcrum. As a result, the tip portion 122s of the wedge plate 122 protrudes from the mounting surface 102a of the mounting table 102. In the first alternative embodiment, the tip 122s of the wedge plate 122 moves from just before the removal position L2 until it passes through the removal position L2 while protruding from the mounting surface 102a of the mounting table 102.

[0102] As described above, according to the alternative embodiment 1, similarly to the above-mentioned embodiment, the tip 122s of the wedge plate 122 is moved for a certain distance while protruding from the mounting surface 102a of the mounting table 102, so that the tip 122s of the wedge plate 122 can be reliably inserted between the paper stack P and the crown portion Sa. Also, when the tip 122s of the wedge plate 122 is in the standby position L1, the tip 122s of the wedge plate 122 is positioned below the mounting surface 102a of the mounting table 102, so that when the paper stack P is set on the mounting table 102, the paper or the crown portion Sa can be prevented from being caught by the tip 122s of the wedge plate 122.

[0103] <Another embodiment 2> In another embodiment 2, a mechanism for adjusting the height of the moving wedge plate 122 is different from that of the above embodiment. Other configurations and operations of the staple removing device 1C are common to the staple removing device 1A of the above embodiment, and therefore detailed description of the common parts will be omitted.

[0104] [Configuration example of staple removal device 1C] FIG. 21 is a side view of a staple removing device 1C according to the second alternative embodiment.

[0105] A guide groove 313 extending along the mounting surface 102a of the mounting table 102 is formed on the upper part of the left frame 112. The guide groove 313 is inclined at a certain angle so as to gradually approach the mounting table 102 from the start end to the end end of the movement section of the wedge plate 122. More specifically, the guide groove 313 is formed in a groove shape such that the tip portion 122s of the wedge plate 122 is located below the mounting surface 102a of the mounting table 102 when the tip portion 122s of the wedge plate 122 is stopped at the standby position L1, and protrudes from the mounting surface 102a of the mounting table 102 when the tip portion 122s of the wedge plate 122 passes the removal position L2 from just before the removal position L2.

[0106] Similar to the left frame 112, a guide groove is formed in the upper part of the right frame 114, which is inclined at a certain angle so as to gradually approach the mounting table 102 from the start to the end of the moving section of the wedge plate 122. The guide groove of the right frame 114 is symmetrical to the guide groove 313 of the left frame 112 and has a common configuration, so a detailed description will be omitted.

[0107] [Operation example of staple removal device 1C] Fig. 22A is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the wedge plate 122 of the staple removing device 1C located at the standby position L1, and Fig. 22B is an enlarged view of the main parts of the wedge plate 122 and the mounting table 102 shown in Fig. 22A. Fig. 23A is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the wedge plate 122 of the staple removing device 1C moving to the removal position L2, and Fig. 23B is an enlarged view of the main parts of the wedge plate 122 and the mounting table 102 shown in Fig. 23A. Note that in Figs. 22A and 23A, only the operation of the right side of the staple removing device 1C is described, but the operation of the left side is the same as that of the right side, so a detailed description will be omitted.

[0108] When the staple removal device 1C is in the standby position, as shown in Figures 22A and 22B, the tip 122s of the wedge plate 122 is located at the standby position L1, and the second drive shaft 138 of the removal unit 120 is located at the beginning of the guide groove 113 of the left frame 112. In this case, the tip 122s of the wedge plate 122 is located below the mounting surface 102a of the mounting table 102. This makes it possible to prevent the wedge plate 122 from hitting the paper stack P when the paper stack P is placed on the mounting table 102, which would cause a malfunction.

[0109] When the staple removal device 1C is started, the first motor 152 is driven as shown in Figs. 23A and 23B. The driving force of the first motor 152 is transmitted to the pinion 158 via the gear 153a and the like. As a result, the pinion 158 rotates clockwise, so that the rack 130 moves from the front to the rear, and the wedge plate 122 moves from the front to the rear along the guide groove 313 of the left frame 112. The wedge plate 122 gradually moves along the guide groove 313 in a direction approaching the mounting table 102, and the tip 122s protrudes from the mounting table 102. In another embodiment 2, the tip 122s of the wedge plate 122 protrudes from the mounting surface 102a of the mounting table 102 just before the removal position L2, and maintains the protruding state until it passes the removal position L2.

[0110] As described above, according to the second alternative embodiment, similarly to the above-mentioned embodiment, the tip 122s of the wedge plate 122 is moved for a certain distance while protruding from the mounting surface 102a of the mounting table 102, so that the tip 122s of the wedge plate 122 can be reliably inserted between the paper stack P and the crown portion Sa. Also, when the tip 122s of the wedge plate 122 is in the standby position L1, the tip 122s of the wedge plate 122 is positioned below the mounting surface 102a of the mounting table 102, so that when the paper stack P is set on the mounting table 102, the paper or the crown portion Sa can be prevented from being caught by the tip 122s of the wedge plate 122.

[0111] <Another embodiment 3> [Configuration example of staple removal device 1D] In another embodiment 3, a mechanism for adjusting the height of the moving wedge plate 122 is different from that of the above embodiment. Note that other configurations and operations of the staple removing device 1D are common to the staple removing device 1A of the above embodiment, and therefore detailed description of the common parts will be omitted.

[0112] FIG. 24 is an exploded perspective view of a staple removing device 1D according to another embodiment 3. As shown in FIG.

[0113] Guide pin mounting portions 410, 411 to which guide pins 420, 421 are attached are provided on the underside of the rear end side of the mounting table 102. The guide pin mounting portions 410, 411 are arranged at a predetermined interval in the width direction, specifically at a distance substantially equal to the distance between the left frame 112 and the right frame 114. A pin opening 410a is formed in the guide pin mounting portion 410, and a pin opening 411a is formed in the guide pin mounting portion 411. The pin openings 410a, 411a are formed as elongated holes having a long axis extending in the up-down direction.

[0114] The lower surface of the rear end side of the mounting table 102 is provided with shaft mounting portions 408, 409 through which the fulcrum shaft 418 is inserted. The shaft mounting portions 408, 409 are arranged at a predetermined interval in the width direction, specifically at a distance substantially equal to the distance between the left frame 112 and the right frame 114. The shaft mounting portion 408 has a shaft opening 408a, and the shaft mounting portion 409 has a shaft opening 409a.

[0115] A recess 112d in which a mounting base spring 416 is disposed is provided at a position facing the guide pin attachment portion 410 on the rear end side of the left frame 112. A recess 114d in which a mounting base spring 417 is disposed is provided at a position facing the guide pin attachment portion 411 on the rear end side of the right frame 114. Note that the guide groove 413 formed in the left frame 112 and the guide groove 415 formed in the right frame 114 have the same configuration and function as the guide grooves 213, 215 of the first embodiment, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0116] The guide pin 420 is inserted from the outside into the pin opening 410a on the front end side of the mounting table 102, and attached to the opening 112e of the left frame 112 arranged inside thereof. The guide pin 421 is inserted from the outside into the pin opening 411a on the front end side of the mounting table 102, and attached to the opening 114e of the right frame 114 arranged inside thereof.

[0117] A mounting table spring 416 is disposed between the recess 112d of the left frame 112 and the lower surface of the mounting table 102. Similarly, a mounting table spring 417 is disposed between the recess 114d of the right frame 114 and the lower surface of the mounting table 102. As a result, the mounting table 102 is biased upward by the mounting table springs 416, 417, and is capable of moving up and down depending on the pressure state of the paper pressure plate 176.

[0118] A fulcrum shaft 418 is inserted through the opening 112 f of the left frame 112 , the shaft openings 408 a and 409 a of the mounting table 102 , and the opening 114 f of the right frame 114 .

[0119] With this configuration, the mounting table 102 can move up and down along the pin openings 410a, 411a on the rear end side, with the fulcrum shaft 418 on the front end side as a fulcrum. That is, the mounting table 102 moves up and down relative to the tip 122s of the wedge plate 122, with the fulcrum shaft 418 as a fulcrum, within the range of the length of the long holes of the pin openings 410a, 411a.

[0120] [Example of staple removal device 1D in action] Fig. 25A is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the wedge plate 122 of the staple removing device 1D located at the standby position L1, and Fig. 25B is an enlarged view of the main parts of the wedge plate 122 and the mounting table 102 shown in Fig. 25A. Fig. 26A is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the wedge plate 122 of the staple removing device 1D moving to the removal position L2, and Fig. 26B is an enlarged view of the main parts of the wedge plate 122 and the mounting table 102 shown in Fig. 26A. In Figs. 25A and 26A, only the operation of the right side of the staple removing device 1C is described, but the operation of the left side is the same as that of the right side, so a detailed description will be omitted.

[0121] When staple remover 1D is at the standby position, as shown in Fig. 25A, paper pressing plate 176 of paper pressing mechanism 160 is stopped at the standby position with a certain distance from mount table 102. Mount table 102 is biased upward by mount table spring 416 as shown in Fig. 25B, so that tip 122s of wedge plate 122 is located below mount table 102.

[0122] When the staple remover 1D is started, as shown in FIG. 26A, the second motor 192 is driven, and the paper pressure plate 176 descends toward the table 102 via the gear 153a, etc., and the paper stack P on the table 102 is pressed by the paper pressure plate 176. As a result, as shown in FIG. 26B, the table 102 is pressed by the paper pressure plate 176 via the paper stack P, so that the table spring 416 is compressed, and the table 102 is pressed down along the pin opening 410a (see FIG. 24) of the long hole, etc. As a result, the tip 122s of the wedge plate 122 protrudes from the table surface 102a of the table 102. The table 102 abuts against flanges formed on the upper ends of the left frame 112 and the right frame 114, so that the downward movement is restricted. Therefore, the maximum protrusion amount of the tip 122s of the wedge plate 122 can be adjusted by adjusting the height of the flange. In addition, the spring constant and size of the mounting table springs 416 and 417 may be adjusted.

[0123] As described above, according to the third alternative embodiment, similarly to the above-mentioned embodiment, the tip 122s of the wedge plate 122 is moved for a certain distance while protruding from the mounting surface 102a of the mounting table 102, so that the tip 122s of the wedge plate 122 can be reliably inserted between the paper stack P and the crown portion Sa. Also, when the tip 122s of the wedge plate 122 is in the standby position L1, the tip 122s of the wedge plate 122 is positioned below the mounting surface 102a of the mounting table 102, so that when the paper stack P is set on the mounting table 102, the paper or the crown portion Sa can be prevented from being caught by the tip 122s of the wedge plate 122.

[0124] <Another embodiment 4> The staple removing device 1E according to another embodiment 4 is different from the embodiment shown in Fig. 1A etc. in that a crown support part 500 is provided for supporting the crown part Sa between the wedge plate 122E and the staple removing device 1E when removing the staple S. Note that the same components as those of the staple removing device 1A etc. are denoted by the same reference numerals and will not be described again.

[0125] [Configuration example of staple removal device 1E] Fig. 27A is an exploded perspective view of a staple removing device 1E according to another embodiment 4, and Fig. 27B is a perspective view of the staple removing device 1E. Fig. 28 is a side view of a wedge plate 122E according to another embodiment 4. Fig. 29A is a side view of a crown support portion 500 and a pressing portion 140 according to another embodiment 4, and Fig. 29B is a view for explaining a state in which the crown support portion 500 and the pressing portion 140 support the crown portion Sa.

[0126] As shown in Figs. 27A and 30A, the staple removal device 1E includes a mounting table 102 (see Fig. 1A) on which a stack of paper-sheets P stapled with a staple S including a crown portion Sa and a pair of legs Sb can be mounted with the crown portion Sa facing downward, and a leading end portion 122s that is movable along the mounting table 102 from a standby position (first position) L1 to a removal start position (second position) L2a via a removal completion position (third position) L3. When the leading end portion 122s moves from the standby position L1 to the removal start position L2a, the leading end portion 122s is inserted between the stack of paper-sheets P and the staple S, and is further moved from the removal start position L2a to the removal completion position L3. 3 to start pulling out the staple S from the paper stack P, a pressing portion (regulating portion) 140 that is pulled out of the paper stack P by the inclined portion 122i and abuts against the crown portion Sa of the staple S engaged with (hooked on, wrapped around) the inclined portion 122i from the removal completion position L3 side to regulate the movement of the staple S together with the inclined portion 122i in the direction of the removal completion position L3, and a crown support portion 500 that is positioned below the crown portion Sa of the staple S while the pressing portion 140 regulates the movement of the staple S.

[0127] In another embodiment 4, the standby position L1 is the position of the tip 122s at the initial position where the inclined portion 122i stops before starting the removal operation. The removal start position L2a is the position where the tip 122s of the inclined portion 122i is inserted between the paper stack P and the staple S (crown portion Sa) on the mounting table 102, in other words, the position of the staple S (crown portion Sa) of the paper stack P mounted on the mounting table 102. The removal completion position L3 is the position of the tip 122s of the inclined portion 122i when the staple S is completely removed from the paper stack P by the inclined portion 122i (the staple S is completely detached from the paper stack P).

[0128] As shown in Figs. 27A and 28, the wedge plate 122E includes an inclined portion 122i and an attachment portion 122b. The inclined portion 122i includes a wedge plate body 122a and a constricted portion 122c, and includes a base end portion 122o and a tip end portion 122s. The inclined surface 122ac includes a first inclined surface 122a1 and a second inclined surface 122c1. The inclined portion 122i is located between the removal start position L2a and the removal completion position L3, and faces the inclined surface 122ac while the tip end portion 122s moves from the removal start position L2a to the removal completion position L3. The first inclined surface 122a1 is a surface inclined at an angle θ1 with respect to a virtual plane (horizontal plane) VP parallel to the upper surface of the wedge plate body 122a. The second inclined surface 122c1 is a surface that is inclined at an angle θ2 with respect to a virtual surface (horizontal surface) VP that is parallel to the upper surface of the wedge plate body 122a. Note that the first inclined surface 122a1 and the second inclined surface 122c1 are each formed of a continuous surface, but are not necessarily limited to a continuous surface, and can also be formed of an intermittent surface, specifically, a plurality of inclined surfaces having different angles.

[0129] Here, the second inclined surface 122c1 of the constriction portion 122c relative to the imaginary plane VP is larger than the first inclined surface 122a1 of the wedge plate body 122a relative to the imaginary plane VP. In other words, the angle θ2 between the imaginary plane VP and the second inclined surface 122c1 is configured to be larger than the angle θ1 between the imaginary plane VP and the first inclined surface 122a1 of the wedge plate body 122a.

[0130] The reason for this is as follows: A large load is applied to the wedge plate body 122a until the leg Sb of the staple S is raised and the staple S is pulled out of the paper stack P, so the angle θ1 of the first inclined surface 122a1 of the wedge plate body 122a is set small and the length in the front-to-rear direction is set long. In contrast, in the constricted portion 122c, the leg Sb of the staple S is completely removed or almost removed from the paper stack P, and the load applied to the constricted portion 122c is small, so the angle θ2 of the first inclined surface 122a1 of the constricted portion 122c is set large and the length in the front-to-rear direction is set short.

[0131] In the inclined portion 122i shown in FIG. 28, the first inclined surface 122a1 and the second inclined surface 122c1 are configured with different inclination angles, so that the first inclined surface 122a1 supports the crown portion Sa with the linear crown holder 126 arranged along the first inclined surface 122a1, as shown in FIG. 27A. However, the second inclined surface 122c1 has a different inclination angle from the first inclined surface 122a1, so the crown holder 126 cannot support the crown portion Sa with the second inclined surface 122c1. That is, in the portion of the crown holder 126 corresponding to the second inclined surface 122c1, the second inclined surface 122c1 protrudes downward from the first inclined surface 122a1, so that an opening 126c must be provided to avoid this. Therefore, in the opening 126c where the crown holder 126 is not supported, the posture of the staple S pulled out from the paper stack P becomes unstable (for example, it may rotate), and the staple S may not fall into the storage section 200 and may scatter inside the staple removal device 1E. Also, there may be cases where the staple S remains in a state of being caught on the inclined portion 122i. Therefore, in the fourth alternative embodiment, a crown support portion 500 is provided so that the staple S pulled out from the paper stack P can maintain a stable posture on the inclined portion 122i until it falls into the storage section 200.

[0132] 27A, 27B, and 29A, the crown support portion 500 is disposed at a position adjacent to the pressing portion 140 on the removal start position L2a side (the left side in FIG. 30A), and is configured to be able to support the crown portion Sa of the staple S from below. The crown support portion 500 has an attachment portion 502 fixed to the pressing portion 140, and a support portion 504 that can come into contact with the crown portion Sa of the staple S.

[0133] The mounting portion 502 is configured with a flat plate having a generally rectangular shape in a plan view, and is attached to the front surface of the pressing portion 140 on the removal start position L2a side by screws or the like. In this embodiment, the mounting portion 502 is attached in a state of contact with the pressing portion 140, but is not limited to this. For example, the mounting portion 502 may be disposed away from the pressing portion 140 as long as the gap is less than the thickness of the crown portion Sa (the diameter of the staple S).

[0134] The support portion 504 protrudes from the upper end of the mounting portion 502 toward the wedge plate 122E in a convex shape, and the tip side of the support portion 504 is configured to have a tapered shape. By making the tip side of the support portion 504 tapered, the tip side can be supported in a state where it is abutted against the crown portion Sa, so that the posture of the staple S can be stabilized. Note that the shape of the tip side of the support portion 504 may be configured to have a plurality of tapered shapes along the longitudinal direction of the crown portion Sa other than the tapered shape, or may be configured to have an arc shape or a rectangular shape. Also, the support portion 504 may be disposed at a predetermined interval from the crown portion Sa while the pressing portion 140 restricts the staple S from moving toward the removal completion position L3 side with the advancement of the inclined portion 122i. That is, when the posture of the staple S during the removal operation becomes unstable, for example, when only one leg Sb of the staple S caught on the inclined portion 122i comes off and the staple S rotates, etc., the tip side of the support portion 504 may be configured to abut against the crown portion Sa, thereby stabilizing the posture of the staple S. Note that the predetermined interval is an interval at which at least the tip side of the support portion 504 can come into contact with the crown portion Sa to support the staple S even when the staple S caught on the inclined portion 122i becomes unstable.

[0135] As shown in FIG. 29B, the tip of the support portion 504 is formed at a position lower than the tip surface 140a of the pressing portion 140 by at least the thickness T1 of the crown portion Sa so that the crown portion Sa can be supported between the support portion 504 and the inclined portion 122i and the front surface of the pressing portion 140 restricts the crown portion Sa from moving toward the removal completion position L3. The length of the support portion 504 in the front-rear direction is configured to be equal to or greater than the thickness T2 of the crown portion Sa. With this configuration, the tip side of the support portion 504 of the crown support portion 500, the front surface of the pressing portion 140, and the lower surface (first inclined surface 122a1) of the inclined portion 122i can reliably support the crown portion Sa when removing the staple S. The length of the support portion 504 in the front-rear direction is not limited to equal to or greater than the thickness T2 of the crown portion Sa, and may be less than the thickness T2 of the crown portion Sa as long as it can support a part of the crown portion Sa.

[0136] A position restricting portion 506 that protrudes toward the holding portion 140 is provided at the lower end of the mounting portion 502. The position restricting portion 506 engages with the lower end of the holding portion 140 and functions as an alignment portion when the mounting portion 502 and the support portion 504 are attached to the holding portion 140.

[0137] In this embodiment, an example in which the crown support portion 500 and the pressing portion 140 are configured as separate members has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the crown support portion 500 and the pressing portion 140 may be configured as one part (integrally). FIG. 29C is a side view of the crown support portion 500 and the pressing portion 140 configured as one part. As shown in FIG. 29C, by cutting out the upper end side of the pressing portion 140 so as to have a tapered shape as shown in FIG. 27A, for example, the pressing portion 140 can function as the crown support portion 500 that supports the crown portion Sa.

[0138] [Example of staple removal device 1E in action] Next, a description will be given of the operation of staple removing device 1E when pulling out staples S from stack of paper-sheets P. Figures 30A to 30F are side views showing the operation of staple removing device 1E when pulling out staples S from stack of paper-sheets P.

[0139] When a user places a stack of paper P on the mounting table 102 and presses the start switch 106 (see FIG. 1A) of the staple removal device 1E, the stack of paper P is pressed by the paper pressure plate 176, and the stack of paper P is pressed against the mounting table 102, as shown in FIG. 30A.

[0140] Next, as shown in FIG. 30B, when the wedge plate 122E including the inclined portion 122i moves from the waiting position L1 toward the removal start position L2a, the upper surface of the tip portion 122s contacts the back surface of the bottommost sheet of the paper stack P, and by moving from front to rear while pressing the paper stack P, the tip portion 122s is pushed between the crown portion Sa and the paper stack P.

[0141] Furthermore, when the inclined portion 122i moves from the removal start position L2a toward the removal completion position L3, the staple S starts to be pulled out from the paper stack P. As a result, as the inclined portion 122i advances, the leg portion Sb of the staple S gradually rises up against the surface of the top layer of the paper stack P. Also, as shown in FIG. 30B, the convex portion 142a of the pressing holder 142 is released from the holder 128, and the pressing portion 140 and the crown support portion 500 are urged toward the inclined portion 122i (upward) by the tension spring 144 (see FIG. 27A). The pressing portion 140 abuts against the surface of the crown portion Sa on the removal completion position L3 side, which moves from front to rear due to the pushing force of the inclined portion 122i, and restricts the staple S from moving rearward toward the removal completion position L3 side together with the wedge plate body 122a. That is, during the removal operation, the pressing portion 140 presses the crown portion Sa from the removal completion position L3 side so that the staple S does not move from the removal start position L2a to the removal completion position L3 side due to the sliding action of the wedge plate body 122a inserted between the staple S and the paper stack P. Also, in this embodiment, the support portion 504 of the crown support portion 500 abuts against the lower surface of the crown portion Sa, thereby ensuring the stability of the posture of the staple S.

[0142] When the thickness of the inclined portion 122i including the first inclined surface 122a1 inserted between the paper stack P and the crown portion Sa increases with the advancement of the wedge plate 122E, the pressing portion 140 and the crown support portion 500 move down in the thickness direction of the inclined portion 122i while in contact with the inclined portion 122i and the crown portion Sa due to the tension spring 144. In this case, the crown portion Sa is supported by the support portion 504 of the crown support portion 500 and the pressing portion 140.

[0143] As shown in FIG. 30D, when the staple S is positioned on the second inclined surface 122c1 of the inclined portion 122i, the staple S is no longer supported by the crown holder 126, but the crown portion Sa remains supported by the support portion 504 of the crown support portion 500 and the pressing portion 140, thereby preventing the staple S from tilting, rotating, etc.

[0144] As shown in FIG. 30E, as the wedge plate 122E advances, the tip portion 122s moves to the removal completion position L3, and when the staple S is positioned at the narrowed portion 122c which is the thickest portion of the inclined portion 122i, similar to the second inclined surface 122c1, the staple S is no longer supported by the crown holder 126, but the crown portion Sa is supported by the support portion 504 and the pressing portion 140 of the crown support portion 500, ensuring the stability of the posture of the staple S.

[0145] Finally, the wedge plate 122E including the inclined portion 122i moves from the rear of the removal completion position L3 to the front along the mounting table 102 and returns to the standby position L1. As shown in FIG. 30F, as the inclined portion 122i retreats, the staple S moves forward relative to the crown support portion 500, and the crown portion Sa is released from the support of the support portion 504. As a result, the staple S falls into the storage portion 200.

[0146] According to the fourth alternative embodiment, the crown portion Sa of the staple S can be supported by the crown support portion 500 until just before the staple S falls, so that the stability of the posture of the staple S can be ensured until just before the staple S is dropped. This allows the staple S to be reliably dropped into the storage portion 200, and prevents the staple S from scattering into the staple removal device 1E.

[0147] <Another embodiment 5> The staple removal device 1F according to the other embodiment 5 differs from the embodiment shown in Fig. 1A etc. in that a staple abutting portion 600 is provided for pulling off the staple S remaining on the inclined portion 122i of the wedge plate 122E from the inclined portion 122i when the staple S is removed from the paper stack P. Note that the same reference numerals are used to designate substantially the same components as those of the staple removal device 1A etc., and redundant explanations will be omitted. In addition, since the wedge plate 122E described in the other embodiment 4 is used in the other embodiment 5, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same components as those of the other embodiment 4, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0148] [Configuration example of staple removal device 1F] Fig. 31A is an exploded perspective view of a staple removing device 1F according to another embodiment 5, and Fig. 31B is a perspective view of the staple removing device 1F. Fig. 32 is a side view of a staple abutting portion 600 (abutting portion) and a pressing portion 140 according to another embodiment 5.

[0149] As shown in Figs. 31A and 33A etc., staple removal device 1F includes a mounting table 102 on which a stack of paper-sheets P stapled with staples S including a crown portion Sa and a pair of legs Sb is mounted, and a leading end portion 122s is movable along the mounting table 102 between a standby position (first position) L1 and a removal completion position (third position) L3 via a removal start position (second position) L2a. When the leading end portion 122s moves from the standby position L1 to the removal start position L2a, it is inserted between the stack of paper-sheets P and the staples S, and is further moved to the removal start position (third position) L2a. The stapler includes an inclined portion 122i including a wedge plate body 122a that starts pulling out the staple S from the paper stack P by moving from L2a toward the removal completion position L3, and a staple abutment portion 600 that is located between the standby position L1 and the removal start position L2a, faces the first inclined surface 122a1 while the tip portion 122s moves from the removal completion position L3 to the removal start position L2a, and abuts against the crown portion Sa of the staple S engaged with the inclined portion 122i from the standby position L1 side while the tip portion 122s moves from the removal completion position L3 to the removal start position L2a.

[0150] The staple removing device 1F further includes a holding member (holding section) 602 that movably supports the staple abutting section 600 so as to hold the staple abutting section 600 at a distance within a predetermined value from the first inclined surface 122a1 and the second inclined surface 122c1 while the tip end portion 122s moves from the removal start position L2a to the removal start position L2a. The staple removing device 1F further includes a pressing section (regulating section) 140 that is located between the removal start position L2a and the removal completion position L3, faces the inclined surface 122ac while the tip end portion 122s moves from the removal start position L2a to the removal completion position L3, and is pulled out of the paper stack P by the inclined section 122i and abuts against the crown section Sa of the staple S engaged with the inclined section 122i from the removal completion position L3 side, thereby regulating the staple S from moving together with the inclined section 122i toward the removal completion position L3.

[0151] As shown in FIG. 31A and other figures, the staple abutment portion 600 is disposed in front of the waiting position L1 side of the pressing portion 140 in opposition to the staple abutment portion 600 at a predetermined interval, and protrudes in a convex shape from the front upper end of the holding member 602 toward the inclined portion 122i side. When the wedge plate 122E moves from the front to the rear and from the rear to the front, the staple abutment portion 600 is biased toward the inclined portion 122i side by a tension spring 604 so as to be able to abut against the lower surface of the inclined portion 122i. As shown in FIG. 32, the staple abutment portion 600 is inclined in a direction approaching the pressing portion 140 side as it approaches the inclined portion 122i side (upper side), and is configured so that the staple S that has engaged with the staple abutment portion 600 and remains when the wedge plate 122E is retreated can maintain an engaged state with the crown portion Sa until it is separated from the inclined portion 122i. Note that the staple abutment portion 600 does not necessarily need to be inclined, and may be extended in a vertical (perpendicular) direction, for example.

[0152] The height of the staple abutment portion 600 is set to a position slightly lower than the pressing portion 140, for example, taking into consideration the inclination angle of the first inclined surface 122a1 on the lower surface side of the inclined portion 122i. The width of the staple abutment portion 600 is selected to a length that can abut against the crown portion Sa that moves from rear to front as the wedge plate 122E retreats, and can be inserted into the groove portion 126a of the crown holder 126.

[0153] As shown in FIG. 31A etc., the holding member 602 is composed of a flat plate processed into a substantially U-shape when viewed from above, and is disposed in a state of butting against the outside of the pressing holder 142. The rear end side of the holding member 602 is rotatably supported by the shaft 146. One end of a tension spring 604 is attached to the holding member 602 further rearward of the shaft 146. The other end of the tension spring 604 is attached to, for example, the left frame 112 (see FIG. 8). The front upper end of the holding member 602 is provided with a pair of protrusions 602a that can come into contact with the support parts 128b of the holder 128.

[0154] As shown in Figures 31A and 32, the area surrounded by the pressing portion 140, the staple abutting portion 600, and the holding member 602 is an opening 700 through which the staple S, which has been peeled off from the inclined portion 122i by the staple abutting portion 600, passes when it falls. The opening 700 is located above the storage portion 200 (see Figure 3). In the case of a normal staple S removal operation, the staple S, which has been pulled out from the stack of paper P by the advancement of the wedge plate 122E, falls into the storage portion 200 through the opening 700 without being caught by the inclined portion 122i. In other words, the staple S falls into the storage portion 200 without using the staple abutting portion 600.

[0155] [Example of operation of staple remover 1F] Next, there will be described an operation of the staple removing device 1F when pulling out the staple S from the paper-sheet bundle P. Figures 33A to 33G are side views showing the operation of the staple removing device 1F when pulling out the staple S from the paper-sheet bundle P.

[0156] As shown in FIG. 33A, when a user places a stack of sheets P on the mounting table 102 and presses the start switch 106 of the staple removing device 1F, the stack of sheets P is pressed by the paper pressure plate 176, and the stack of sheets P is pressed against the mounting table 102.

[0157] Next, as shown in FIG. 33B, when the wedge plate 122E including the inclined portion 122i moves from the waiting position L1 to the removal start position L2a, the upper surface of the tip portion 122s contacts the back surface of the bottommost sheet of the paper stack P, and by moving from front to rear while pressing the paper stack P, the tip portion 122s is pushed between the crown portion Sa and the paper stack P.

[0158] When the wedge plate 122E further moves from the front to the rear, as shown in Fig. 33C, the convex portion 142a of the pressing holder 142 and the convex portion 602a of the holding member 602 are released from the holder 128, and the pressing portion 140 and the staple abutment portion 600 are urged upward toward the inclined portion 122i by the tension springs 144, 604. As a result, the pressing portion 140 abuts against the rear surface of the crown portion Sa on the removal completion position L3 side, which moves from the front to the rear by the pushing force of the wedge plate 122E, and restricts the staple S from moving toward the removal completion position L3 side together with the wedge plate body 122a. Also, the staple abutment portion 600 abuts against the first inclined surface 122a1 on the lower surface side of the inclined portion 122i.

[0159] As the wedge plate 122E advances, the thickness of the inclined portion 122i, including the first inclined surface 122a1 inserted between the stack of paper P and the crown portion Sa, increases, and the pressing portion 140 and the staple abutment portion 600 move downward in the thickness direction of the inclined portion 122i while abutting against the inclined portion 122i and the crown portion Sa due to the tension springs 144, 604.

[0160] When the staple S is positioned on the second inclined surface 122c1 of the inclined portion 122i, the legs Sb rise up relative to the paper stack P and are pulled out from the paper stack P, and as shown in Fig. 33D, when the tip 122s of the inclined portion 122i moves to the removal completion position L3 and the staple S is positioned at the neck portion 122c, which is the thickest part of the inclined portion 122i, the removal of the staple S from the paper stack P is completed. However, in this embodiment, the staple S remains caught on the side surface of the inclined portion 122i due to the spring back of the legs Sb and does not fall into the storage section 200.

[0161] 33E, the wedge plate 122E including the inclined portion 122i with the staple S caught thereon moves along the placement table 102 from the rear removal completion position L3 toward the front standby position L1. At this time, the staple abutting portion 600 located forward of the staple S abuts against the crown portion Sa of the staple S that has been pulled out of the paper stack P by the wedge plate 122E and remains engaged with, for example, the neck portion 122c, from the standby position L1 side. When removing the staple S wound around the inclined portion 122i, it is not necessary to abut against the staple abutting portion 600 at all times while the removal portion 120 moves from the removal completion position L3 to the removal start position L2a, and the staple abutting portion 600 may be configured to abut in a partial section between the removal completion position L3 and the removal start position L2a.

[0162] As shown in Fig. 33F, when the wedge plate 122E moves further forward, the staple S caught in the staple abutment portion 600 is pulled away from the narrowed portion 122c of the inclined portion 122i. When the wedge plate 122E further retreats, as shown in Fig. 33G, the staple S is completely separated from the narrowed portion 122c of the inclined portion 122i, that is, the engagement state of the staple S with the inclined portion 122i is released, and the staple S falls into the opening 700 and is stored in the storage portion 200 (see Fig. 3) arranged below.

[0163] Conventionally, depending on the combination of the type of staple S and the thickness of the paper stack P, the staple S may easily cling to the narrowed portion 122c of the inclined portion 122i due to the spring back of the legs Sb, Sb of the staple S that are spread by the insertion of the wedge plate 122E, and the staple S may not fall from the inclined portion 122i. A similar case also occurs when the center of the inclined portion 122i in the left-right direction and the center of the crown portion Sa in the longitudinal direction are misaligned when the staple S is set, causing irregular deformation and preventing the staple S from falling from the wedge plate 122E.

[0164] In contrast, according to the fifth alternative embodiment, even if the staple S pulled out from the paper stack P remains in the inclined portion 122i, the crown portion Sa is configured to be caught by the staple abutting portion 600 when the wedge plate 122E retreats, so that the staple S can be reliably peeled off and removed from the inclined portion 122i. This makes it possible to prevent the staple S from becoming jammed and suppress the occurrence of defects during the removal operation.

[0165] In the above example, the configuration in which the staple abutment portion 600 abuts against the lower surface of the inclined portion 122i during the staple S removal operation has been described, but the staple abutment portion 600 does not necessarily have to abut against the lower surface of the inclined portion 122i. For example, when the wedge plate 122E advances and retreats, the staple abutment portion 600 may be disposed at a predetermined interval (predetermined value) from the lower surface of the inclined portion 122i. The predetermined interval is an interval at which the staple abutment portion 600 can be hooked on the crown portion Sa of the staple S remaining on the inclined portion 122i when the wedge plate 122E returns to the standby position L1, for example.

[0166] <Another embodiment 6> The staple removing device 1G according to the sixth alternative embodiment is configured by combining the crown support portion 500 according to the fourth alternative embodiment with the staple abutting portion 600 according to the fifth alternative embodiment. Note that components having substantially the same functional configurations as those of the staple removing device 1A according to the embodiment shown in Fig. 1A etc., the staple removing device 1E according to the fourth alternative embodiment, and the staple removing device 1F according to the fifth alternative embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and will not be described again.

[0167] [Configuration example of staple removal device 1G] FIG. 34A is an exploded perspective view of a staple removing device 1G according to another embodiment 6, and FIG. 34B is a perspective view of the staple removing device 1G.

[0168] As shown in FIGS. 34A and 34B, the staple removing device 1G mainly includes a mounting table 102, a wedge plate 122E including an inclined portion 122i, a pressing portion 140, a crown support portion 500, a staple abutting portion 600, and a holding member 602.

[0169] As shown in Figs. 33C and 34A, the crown support portion 500 is located below the crown portion Sa of the staple S while the pressing portion 140 restricts the movement of the staple S. The crown support portion 500 has an attachment portion 502 fixed to the pressing portion 140 and a support portion 504 capable of contacting the crown portion of the staple S. The attachment portion 502 is formed of a flat plate having a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view, and is attached to the front surface of the pressing portion 140 by a screw or the like. The support portion 504 protrudes in a convex shape from the upper end portion of the attachment portion 502 toward the inclined portion 122iE, and its tip side is formed in a tapered shape.

[0170] As shown in Fig. 33C and Fig. 34A, the staple abutment portion 600 is located between the standby position L1 and the removal start position L2a, and faces the first inclined surface 122a1 while the leading end portion 122s moves from the removal completion position L3 to the removal start position L2a, and is pulled out of the paper stack P by the inclined portion 122i and abuts against the crown portion Sa of the staple S engaged with the inclined portion 122i from the standby position L1 side. The staple abutment portion 600 is disposed in front of the pressing portion 140 and the crown support portion 500 at a predetermined interval, and protrudes in a convex shape from the front upper end portion of the holding member 602 toward the inclined portion 122i side. The area surrounded by the crown support portion 500, the staple abutment portion 600, and the holding member 602 is an opening 700 through which the staple S peeled off from the inclined portion 122i by the staple abutment portion 600 passes when it falls.

[0171] Although the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. Any technical idea that a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field of the present disclosure can come up with various modified or amended examples within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims belongs to the technical scope of the present disclosure. For example, the staple removing device 1A according to the above embodiment can be mounted on an image forming apparatus that forms images on paper. In this case, the staple removing device 1A according to the present embodiment can be disposed adjacent to the operation panel of the image forming apparatus, or can be disposed inside the image forming apparatus or inside a post-processing device connected to the image forming apparatus.

[0172] Note that the following configurations also fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure. (1) a placement table on which a stack of paper sheets bound by a staple including a crown portion and a pair of legs can be placed with the crown portion facing downward; an inclined portion located below the placement table, including a base end and a tip end, and having an inclined surface that is inclined so that the thickness decreases from the base end to the tip end, the tip end being movable along the placement table from a first position via a second position to a third position, the inclined portion being inserted between the paper stack and the staple when moved from the first position to the second position, and further moving from the second position toward the third position to start pulling out the staple from the paper stack; a restricting portion that is located between the second position and the third position, and that faces the inclined surface while the leading end portion moves from the second position to the third position, and that is pulled out of the paper stack by the inclined portion and abuts against the crown portion of the staple that is engaged with the inclined portion from the third position side, thereby restricting the staple from moving together with the inclined portion toward the third position; a crown support portion adjacent to the restricting portion on the second position side and positioned below the crown portion of the staple while the restricting portion restricts the movement of the staple; A staple removing device comprising: (2) When the tip portion moves from the second position to the third position, the crown support portion is biased toward the inclined portion so as to be able to contact the crown portion from below. The staple removing device according to (1) above. (3) The crown support portion has a tapered shape on the crown portion side. The staple removing device according to (1) or (2) above. (4) The crown support portion and the restriction portion are integrally formed. The staple removing device according to any one of (1) to (3) above. (5) a placement table on which a stack of paper sheets bound by a staple including a crown portion and a pair of legs is placed; an inclined portion including a base end and a tip end, and having an inclined surface that is inclined so that the thickness becomes thinner from the base end to the tip end, the tip end being movable along the placement table between a first position and a third position via a second position, the inclined portion being inserted between the paper stack and the staple when the tip end moves from the first position to the second position, and further moving from the second position toward the third position to start pulling out the staple from the paper stack; a contact portion that is located between the first position and the second position, faces the inclined surface while the leading end portion moves from the third position to the second position, is pulled out of the paper stack by the inclined portion, and contacts the crown portion of the staple engaged with the inclined portion from the first position side; A staple removing device comprising: (6) a holding portion that supports the staple contact portion so as to hold the contact portion at a distance within a predetermined value from the inclined surface while the tip portion moves from the third position to the second position; The staple removing device according to (5) above, (7) The holding portion is biased toward the inclined portion so that the abutment portion can abut against the inclined portion. The staple removing device according to (6) above. (8) a restricting portion that is located between the second position and the third position, faces the inclined surface while the leading end portion moves from the second position to the third position, and is pulled out of the paper stack by the inclined portion and abuts against the crown portion of the staple engaged with the inclined portion from the third position side, thereby restricting the staple from moving together with the inclined portion toward the third position, The abutment portion is provided facing the restriction portion on the second position side, and is inclined in a direction approaching the restriction portion as it approaches the inclined portion. The staple removing device according to any one of (5) to (7) above. (9) an opening into which the staple peeled off from the inclined portion by the contact portion falls is provided between the contact portion and the regulating portion; The staple removing device according to (8) above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0173] 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F, 1G Staple removal device 102 Placement table 112 Left frame (support member) 113 Guide groove (guide part) 113a 1st groove 113b 2nd groove 114 Right frame (support member) 115 Guide groove (guide part) 115a 1st groove 115b 2nd groove 120 Removal section 122 Wedge plate 122E wedge plate 122ac slope 122a Wedge plate body 122c Waist 122i Slope 140 Holding part (regulating part) 152 First motor (motor) 500 Crown support (support) 600 Staple contact part (contact part) 602 Holding parts (holding parts) L1 Standby position (1st position) L2 Remove position (2nd position) L2a Excluding the start position (second position) L3 Removal completed position (3rd position) S ステープル P with paper bundle

Claims

1. a placement table on which a stapled stack of paper is placed; a pressing section that presses the paper stack placed on the placement table; a removal section located below the placement table and configured to remove the staple from the paper stack placed on the placement table, the removal section including a tip portion that can be inserted between the paper stack and the staple; A drive unit having a motor that moves the removal unit; Equipped with the mounting table is provided with an opening through which the tip portion can protrude, The tip portion moves linearly along the placement table while maintaining a state of protruding from the placement table through the opening, from just before a removal position where the tip portion is inserted between the staple and the paper stack and removal of the staple is started until the tip portion passes the removal position and the staple is pulled out from the paper stack. Staple removal device.

2. The tip of the removal unit is configured to be movable along the placement table between a first position which is a standby position of the removal unit and a second position which is the removal position, and when the tip moves to the second position, the tip is inserted between the paper stack and the staple. The staple removal device of claim 1.

3. When the tip of the removal unit is in the first position, the tip of the removal unit is located below the mounting table. The staple removal device of claim 2.

4. a support member provided along a moving direction of the removal unit and having a guide portion that guides the removal unit to be movable along the placement table; The removal unit includes: a first shaft provided on a tip end side of the removal portion and engaged with the guide portion; A second shaft is provided on a base end side of the guide portion and engages with the guide portion; having The guide portion is formed in a shape such that, when the removal portion is in the first position, the second axis is closer to the mounting table than the first axis. The staple removing device of claim 2 or 3.

5. The guide portion is formed in a shape such that the first shaft and the second shaft are movable parallel to the mounting table at least during the period from just before the second position until the tip portion of the removal portion passes through the second position. The staple removal device of claim 4.

6. The drive unit has a pair of pinions connected to an output shaft of the motor via at least one gear and arranged at a predetermined interval in the width direction, the removal unit includes a pair of racks extending in a traveling direction at the predetermined interval in the width direction and engaging with the pair of pinions, The pinion rotates and the rack moves along the stage, whereby the tip portion moves linearly along the stage. The staple removing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

Images