Hoglinga

Abstract

To provide a hog ringer that allows a single hog ring to be crimped onto objects of different thicknesses using a common hog ring. [Solution] The hog ringer for binding objects comprises a device body having a magazine, an upper jaw 24A and a lower jaw 24B rotatably supported on the device body and having a crimping section 25, a feeder blade 40 for loading hog rings supplied from the magazine into the crimping section 25, and a latch 50 for preventing the hog rings loaded into the crimping section 25 from retracting. The crimping section 25 has an arc-shaped guide groove 25a on which the hog ring can slide, and when crimping the hog ring, the upper jaw 24A and the lower jaw 24B rotate to continuously change the crimping diameter from a first rotation angle where the crimping diameter is maximum to a second rotation angle where the crimping diameter is minimum, while maintaining the hog ring in a pseudo-annular shape that contacts the outer circumference of the object to be bound at at least three points.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a hog ring applicator that crimps hog rings onto an object to be fastened.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a hog ring applicator, there is known one including a device body, a magazine that sequentially supplies hog rings to the device body, a pair of jaws that hold a hog ring at a fastening portion at the tip and fasten it to an object to be fastened, a feeder blade that sends the hog ring to the fastening portion of the jaw, and a latch that prevents the sent hog ring from retreating (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The hog ring applicator described in Patent Document 1 fastens an object to be fastened by deforming a hog ring into a single-diameter spiral shape according to the thickness of the object to be fastened by a pair of jaws. For this reason, with the conventional hog ring applicator, it was not possible to fasten objects to be fastened with different thicknesses with a single hog ring applicator.

[0005] Therefore, when the thickness of the object to be fastened changes, it was necessary to prepare another hog ring applicator having jaws for deforming the hog ring into a single-diameter spiral shape according to the thickness of the object to be fastened, or to prepare a hog ring according to the thickness of the object to be fastened after the change. Thus, conventionally, it was necessary to prepare various sizes of hog ring applicators and hog rings according to the thickness of the object to be fastened.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the circumstances described above, and aims to provide a hog ringer that can crimp a common hog ring to objects of different thicknesses using a single hog ringer. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The hog ringer according to the present invention crimps the hog ring by multiple A hog ringer for binding objects to be bound, comprising: a device body having a magazine in which the hog rings are set; a pair of jaws rotatably supported by the device body and having a crimping section into which the hog rings are loaded and crimped; a feeder blade for loading the hog rings supplied from the magazine into the crimping section; and a latch for preventing the hog rings loaded into the crimping section from retracting, wherein the crimping section is slidable Na Ga A groove is formed, and the pair of jaws, when crimping the hog ring, move the hog ring from a first rotation angle where the crimping diameter is maximum to a second rotation angle where the crimping diameter is minimum, around the outer circumference of the object to be crimped. to touch situation It rotates to continuously change the crimping diameter while maintaining the position. The latch is configured such that the tip of the latch facing the hog ring loaded into the crimping section is positioned at a distance from the contact area where the hog ring loaded into the crimping section and the guide groove are in contact, in the backward direction opposite to the loading direction in which the hog ring is loaded, and the pair of jaws crimp the hog ring such that the annular center of the hog ring moves in the backward direction when the jaws rotate from the first rotation angle to the second rotation angle. , has a configuration. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, a hog ringer can be provided that allows a single hog ring to be crimped to objects of different thicknesses using a common hog ring. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a right side view of a hoglinger according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a left side view of a hoglinger according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view of a Hoglinger according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4]Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the main components of a hoglinger according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows a hog ring used in a hoglinger according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows the shape of a hog ring used in a hog ringer according to one embodiment of the present invention when it is crimped at its maximum crimping diameter, where (a) is a side view and (b) is a front view. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows the shape of a hog ring used in a hog ringer according to one embodiment of the present invention when it is crimped with the minimum crimping diameter, where (a) is a side view and (b) is a front view. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a diagram showing the loading operation of a hog ring in a hog ringer according to one embodiment of the present invention, where (a) shows the supply from the magazine and (b) shows the initial stage of the loading operation. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows the loading operation of a hog ring in a hog ringer according to one embodiment of the present invention, where (a) shows the initial stage of the bending operation and (b) shows the first half of the bending operation. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a diagram showing the loading operation of a hog ring in a hog ringer according to one embodiment of the present invention, where (a) shows the latter half of the bending operation and (b) shows the final stage of the bending operation. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a diagram showing the hog ring crimping operation by a hog ringer according to one embodiment of the present invention, where (a) shows the standby state and (b) shows the start of crimping. [Figure 12] Figure 12 shows the crimping operation of hog ring by a hog ringer according to one embodiment of the present invention, where (a) shows the completion of crimping at the maximum diameter and (b) shows the completion of crimping at the minimum diameter. [Figure 13] Figure 13 shows the results when the amount of compression during crimping is increased in a conventional hoglinger. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Hereinafter, a hogringer according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the hogringer 1 according to this embodiment includes a device main body 2 and various members attached to the device main body 2. The hogringer 1 is a tool for binding, for example, a wire and a wire, a spring and a frame wire, and a wire and a binding object such as a fabric or plastic by clamping a hogring R described later.

[0012] [Device main body] The device main body 2 includes a housing 10 and an air drive unit 20.

[0013] (Housing) The housing 10 is formed as an integrally molded product in which a main body portion 11 having a hollow shape in which two cylindrical shapes of different sizes are arranged side by side and communicate with each other inside is integrally molded with a grip 12 in which an air passage (not shown) is formed inside, using a molding material such as plastic or light alloy.

[0014] A coupler 13 to which an air hose (not shown) is detachably connected is attached to the lower part of the grip 12. The coupler 13 is connected to an air passage formed inside the grip 12.

[0015] The housing 10 is configured to be connected to an air hose (not shown) via the coupler 13 and receive the supply of compressed air (air) from the outside.

[0016] In addition, a handle 3 that is gripped by the user when the hogringer 1 is used is attached to the housing 10.

[0017] The main body portion 11 is formed in a shape having a substantially cylindrical cylinder 14 disposed facing the front side (the right side in FIG. 1), which is the tip side where the hogringer 1 is used, and a substantially cylindrical valve housing portion 15 disposed side by side in the same direction at a lower portion on the tip side of the cylinder 14.

[0018] The valve housing 15 is a smaller cylindrical shape than the cylinder 14 and is formed to communicate with the cylinder 14 internally. The air passage within the grip 12 described above is connected to the valve housing 15.

[0019] (Air-driven section) As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the air drive unit 20 is composed of multiple metal parts and includes a pair of left and right side plates 21L and 21R, a magazine 22, a piston 23, a pair of jaws, an upper jaw 24A and a lower jaw 24B, a trigger 26, and a valve 27. The air drive unit 20 functions as a drive source for driving the feeder blade 40, which will be described later. Note that the drive source for driving the feeder blade 40 is not limited to the air drive unit 20; for example, an electric actuator such as an electric motor may be used. The feeder blade 40 may also be driven by human power via a power assist mechanism. In this embodiment, as described above, an example in which the air drive unit 20 is used as the drive source will be explained.

[0020] The left and right side plates 21L and 21R are each attached to the front of the cylinder 14 of the housing 10 by sandwiching them from both sides, and are attached so that they extend side by side in a single unit from the front of the cylinder 14 in the forward direction.

[0021] The magazine 22 is formed in an elongated shape in the front-to-back direction along the side of the cylinder 14 of the housing 10 described above, and its front side (left side in Figure 2) is bent into an L-shape and curved shape.

[0022] The front end of the magazine 22 is attached to the side plate 21L via the magazine head 22a, magazine shoe 22b, and magazine head base 22c (see Figure 4), and multiple hog rings R for replenishment can be loaded (set) in the aforementioned elongated section.

[0023] Magazine 22 is configured to load multiple hog rings R for replenishment in a straight line along their extending direction, similar to a stapler's staple loading device, with a spring bias applied to them at all times in a direction that feeds them toward the tip. Therefore, similar to the staple feeding structure of a stapler, each time the front sides of the upper jaw 24A and lower jaw 24B are closed and then opened, one hog ring R at the tip of Magazine 22 is supplied between the crimping section 25 (described later) and the feeder blade 40 (described later) by a feeding mechanism (not shown) connected to the piston 23 of the air drive unit 20.

[0024] The piston 23 is reciprocally housed within the cylinder 14 of the housing 10. The piston 23 is connected to one end of the piston rod 23a. A roller mounting portion 23b is attached to the other end of the piston rod 23a.

[0025] Two rollers 24, arranged vertically, are rotatably mounted on the roller mounting section 23b. This pair of rollers 24 are designed to contact the upper jaw 24A and the lower jaw 24B, respectively, as will be described later.

[0026] Furthermore, a feeder blade 40 is attached to the roller mounting portion 23b. Therefore, the feeder blade 40 supports a pair of rollers 24 via the roller mounting portion 23b.

[0027] The feeder blade 40 moves forward or backward in conjunction with the reciprocating motion of the piston 23, and when moving forward, it presses against the hog ring R supplied from the magazine 22 to load it into the crimping section 25.

[0028] The feeder blade 40 has a pair of contact ends 41 that are spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction, with a latch 50 (described later) in between, when in the forward position, i.e., when the hog ring R is loaded into the crimping section 25.

[0029] The pair of contact ends 41 are configured to contact and press the hog rings R in the forward direction as the feeder blade 40 moves forward to load the hog rings R supplied from the magazine 22 into the crimping section 25. The pair of contact ends 41 have inclined surfaces 41a that are inclined to move away from each other as they approach the hog rings R.

[0030] The piston 23 moves within the cylinder 14 in either a forward direction (hereinafter also referred to as the "forward direction") or a backward direction (hereinafter also referred to as the "backward direction") by switching the state of compressed air filling the cylinder 14 according to the operation state of the trigger 26.

[0031] Specifically, when the trigger 26 is pulled, compressed air is filled into the cylinder 14 in a direction that moves the piston 23 backward. As a result, the piston 23 moves backward, and in conjunction with this, the feeder blade 40 also moves backward.

[0032] Conversely, when the trigger 26 is released, that is, when the pulled trigger 26 is returned to its original position, compressed air is filled into the cylinder 14 in a direction that moves the piston 23 forward. As a result, the piston 23 moves forward, and in conjunction with this, the feeder blade 40 also moves forward.

[0033] The state of compressed air filling the cylinder 14, as described above, can be switched depending on whether or not the stem 27a connected to the valve 27 is pressed by the trigger 26.

[0034] The valve 27 is housed within the valve housing 15 described above and consists of a switching valve that switches the state of compressed air filling into the cylinder 14 by switching the supply path of compressed air supplied into the cylinder 14 from an air hose (not shown).

[0035] The valve 27 is configured to switch the compressed air supply path as the stem 27a, which is provided to protrude forward from within the valve housing 15, is pushed in or returned in response to the operation of pulling the trigger 26.

[0036] Specifically, in the initial state before the trigger 26 is pulled, the valve 27 is switched to a supply path in which compressed air pressure is applied in a direction that causes the piston 23 to move forward within the cylinder 14. At this time, the valve 27 also switches the compressed air discharge path so that the compressed air pushed out as the piston 23 moves forward within the cylinder 14 is discharged to the outside through a check valve 27b located at the rear of the valve housing 15.

[0037] In response, when the trigger 26 is pulled, the valve 27 switches to a supply path in which compressed air pressure is applied in a direction that causes the piston 23 to move backward within the cylinder 14. At this time, the valve 27 also switches the compressed air discharge path so that the compressed air pushed out as the piston 23 moves backward within the cylinder 14 is discharged to the outside through the check valve 12a located at the bottom of the grip 12.

[0038] As shown in Figure 4, both the upper jaw 24A and the lower jaw 24B are sandwiched between the side plate 21L and the side plate 21R, and are rotatably supported by these side plates 21L and 21R.

[0039] Specifically, the upper jaw 24A and the lower jaw 24B each consist of a long member in the front-to-back direction, and a through hole 24a for passing the collar 28 is formed near the center in the longitudinal direction.

[0040] The upper jaw 24A and lower jaw 24B are rotatably connected to the side plates 21L and 21R, respectively, by jaw bolts 29 that pass through collars 28. Therefore, the upper jaw 24A and lower jaw 24B can open and close their respective ends in the height direction by rotating around the axis of the collar 28 as the pivot point.

[0041] The upper jaw 24A and lower jaw 24B are provided with crimping sections 25 into which hog rings R are loaded. The crimping section 25 consists of an opposing surface 25A at the tip of the upper jaw 24A that faces the tip of the lower jaw 24B, and an opposing surface 25B at the tip of the lower jaw 24B that faces the tip of the upper jaw 24A.

[0042] The opposing surfaces 25A and 25B each have arc-shaped guide grooves 25a formed therein, on which the loaded hog ring R can slide.

[0043] The upper jaw 24A and lower jaw 24B rotate so that their respective ends, i.e., opposing surfaces 25A and 25B, move closer together, causing the crimping section 25 to rotate so that it forms a circular shape. As a result, the hog ring R loaded into the crimping section 25 is crimped into a ring shape.

[0044] The upper jaw 24A and the lower jaw 24B are each provided with a contact surface 24b at the rear end opposite the pivot point described above, which contacts a pair of rollers 24 that move in the forward or backward direction in conjunction with the feeder blade 40.

[0045] Each contact surface 24b is formed on the side facing the pair of rollers 24 at the rear end of the upper jaw 24A and the lower jaw 24B, respectively.

[0046] The upper jaw 24A and lower jaw 24B are constantly biased by a torsion spring 30, which acts as a biasing member, to rotate in the opposite direction to the direction that crimps the hog ring R, i.e., the direction in which the tips of the upper jaw 24A and lower jaw 24B approach each other (clockwise and counterclockwise in Figure 8). Note that the biasing member is not limited to a torsion spring.

[0047] As the feeder blade 40 moves backward, the upper jaw 24A and lower jaw 24B rotate in a direction away from each other, as the pair of rollers 24 contact their respective contact surfaces 24b and move along the contact surfaces 24b, against the biasing force of the torsion spring 30. At this time, the front ends of the upper jaw 24A and lower jaw 24B rotate toward each other, that is, so that the hog ring R loaded in the crimping section 25 is crimped.

[0048] Furthermore, as the feeder blade 40 moves forward, the upper jaw 24A and lower jaw 24B release contact between their respective contact surfaces 24b and the pair of rollers 24, causing their rear ends to rotate toward each other. At this time, the front ends of the upper jaw 24A and lower jaw 24B rotate toward each other.

[0049] A latch 50 is provided between the tip end of the upper jaw 24A and the tip end of the lower jaw 24B to prevent the hog ring R loaded in the crimping section 25 from retracting.

[0050] The latch 50 is connected to a latch spring 52 via a latch plate 51. The latch spring 52 is fastened to a side plate 21R. The latch spring 52 is made of an elastic material, such as a leaf spring, and constantly biases the latch 50 toward the area between the tip of the upper jaw 24A and the tip of the lower jaw 24B. In other words, the latch 50 is constantly biased by the latch spring 52 toward the path through which the hog ring R loaded into the crimping section 25 passes.

[0051] When a hog ring R is loaded into the crimping section 25, the latch 50 is designed so that its side surface 50a is pushed in the opposite direction to the direction in which it is normally biased by the hog ring R. In other words, the hog ring R supplied from the magazine 22 moves forward against the biasing force of the latch spring 52 while contacting the side surface 50a of the latch 50, and is loaded into the crimping section 25.

[0052] The latch 50 is designed to release the pressure exerted by the hog ring R when the hog ring R is loaded into the crimping section 25, and return to its original position. The latch 50 is formed in a V-shape with its tip 50b, which faces the hog ring R loaded into the crimping section 25, bent in the retraction direction. The V-shaped tip 50b of the latch 50 prevents the hog ring R loaded into the crimping section 25 from retracting.

[0053] As shown in Figure 11(a), the latch 50 is positioned at a location in the retraction direction that is separated from the contact area C where the hog ring R loaded in the crimping section 25 contacts the guide grooves 25a of the upper jaw 24A and the lower jaw 24B.

[0054] (About Hog Rings) The hog ring R used in the hog ringer 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 7.

[0055] As shown in Figure 5, the hog ring R set in the magazine 22 is a so-called C-ring, and is made of a metal wire shaped into a C letter. Examples of metal wires include galvanized iron wire, zinc-aluminum alloy wire, PVC-coated iron wire, and stainless steel wire, and the size varies depending on the application.

[0056] The hog rings R are connected in groups (for example, around 100) using a flexible material such as tape, and are set into the magazine 22 as a series of connected units A (see Figure 3).

[0057] The hog ring R has an open end 60 that is located on the front side when loaded into the crimping section 25, a latch-side linear section 61 that is located on the latch 50 side opposite the open end 60, and a pair of curved sections 62 located between the latch-side linear section 61 and the open end 60.

[0058] Furthermore, the hog ring R has a slight bend in the opposite direction to the open end 60 at the center of the latch-side linear portion 61 (the center in the vertical direction in Figure 5). As a result, when loading the hog ring R supplied from the magazine 22 into the crimping portion 25, as will be described later, this bend acts as a trigger for the bending action by the feeder blade 40.

[0059] Before being set in the magazine 22, the hog ring R has a slight bend in the center of the latch-side linear portion 61, as described above, but the degree of bend is small. This degree of bend in the hog ring R is set so that the connecting body A of the hog ring R can pass through the L-shaped and curved section of the magazine 22. If this degree of bend is large, the connecting body A will not be able to pass through the L-shaped and curved section of the magazine 22.

[0060] In this embodiment, an example is described in which a hog ring R has a shape in which the center of the latch-side linear portion 61 is bent. However, the invention is not limited to this, and a conventional C-ring in which the center of the latch-side linear portion 61 is not bent may also be used as the hog ring R.

[0061] Here, the hog ring R is crimped in a pseudo-annular shape by the hog ringer 1 according to this embodiment, contacting the outer circumference of the object to be bound at at least three points. Furthermore, the crimping diameter of the hog ring R crimped by the hog ringer 1 according to this embodiment is variable and can be continuously changed from the maximum crimping diameter Dmax (see Figure 6) to the minimum crimping diameter Dmin (see Figure 7) according to the thickness of the object to be bound. The crimping diameter refers to the diameter of the hog ring R crimped in a pseudo-annular shape to the object to be bound.

[0062] (Regarding Hoglinga's operation) Next, with reference to Figures 8 to 12, the loading and crimping operations of the Hoglinger 1 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0063] Figures 8(a) to 11(a) show the loading operation, and Figures 11(a) to 12(b) show the crimping operation.

[0064] As shown in Figure 8(a), in the hog ring 1 according to this embodiment, when a hog ring R is supplied from the magazine 22 between the feeder blade 40 and the crimping section 25, the pair of rollers 24 contact the rearmost ends of the upper jaw 24A and lower jaw 24B, rotating the upper jaw 24A and lower jaw 24B to a state where their front ends are closest together. This state is the same as when the hog ring R is crimped with the minimum crimping diameter Dmin, and the trigger 26 is pulled.

[0065] Next, when the trigger 26 is released from the state shown in Figure 8(a), the supply path of compressed air supplied into the cylinder 14 is switched, and as shown in Figure 8(b), the pair of rollers 24 move forward while contacting the respective contact surfaces 24b of the upper jaw 24A and lower jaw 24B. As a result, the upper jaw 24A and lower jaw 24B rotate in the clockwise and counterclockwise directions in Figure 8(b) so as to separate their tip ends.

[0066] At this time, the feeder blade 40 comes into contact with the hog ring R as the pair of rollers 24 move forward. Specifically, the contact end 41 of the feeder blade 40 comes into contact with the latch-side linear portion 61 of the hog ring R.

[0067] Then, as the pair of rollers 24 move further forward on the contact surfaces 24b of the upper jaw 24A and lower jaw 24B in the order of Figures 9(a), 9(b), 10(a), and 10(b), the upper jaw 24A and lower jaw 24B rotate so as to further separate their tip ends, and the contact end 41 of the feeder blade 40 presses the latch-side linear portion 61 of the hog ring R in the forward direction.

[0068] At this time, the open end 60 side of the hog ring R moves toward each other along the guide surfaces 24c formed on the opposing sides (hereinafter referred to as "inside") of the upper jaw 24A and the lower jaw 24B.

[0069] As a result, as shown in Figure 10(b), the latch-side linear portion 61 of the hog ring R is bent into a V-shape so that its apex faces the latch 50 side, that is, so that its apex faces the receding direction, due to the pressure from the feeder blade 40 and the movement of the open end 60 along the guide surface 24c.

[0070] Here, the aforementioned guiding surface 24c is designed so that no sharp edges are formed on the sliding surface, so that the hog ring R can slide smoothly without snagging. Specifically, the guiding surface 24c is made up of a smooth surface with no irregularities and low friction, and is shaped so that the edge portion of the open end 60 of the hog ring R does not come into contact with it.

[0071] In the loading operation described above, the hog ring R moves forward against the biasing force of the latch spring 52 while contacting the side surface 50a of the latch 50.

[0072] Then, as shown in Figure 11(a), as the pair of rollers 24 move further forward, the ends 24d of the upper jaw 24A and the lower jaw 24B come into contact with each other, and the front ends of the upper jaw 24A and the lower jaw 24B are separated to their greatest extent. As a result, the contact between the pair of rollers 24 and the respective contact surfaces 24b of the upper jaw 24A and the lower jaw 24B is released, and the upper jaw 24A and the lower jaw 24B are supported by the curved portion 62 of the hog ring R in a direction in which their front ends are spread apart.

[0073] As the hog ring R moves forward while maintaining this state, the curved portion 62 of the hog ring R fits into the guide grooves 25a of the upper jaw 24A and the lower jaw 24B, and the pressure of the hog ring R on the side surface 50a of the latch 50 is released, completing the loading of the hog ring R into the crimping portion 25.

[0074] In this embodiment, the inclination angle of the inclined surface 41a is defined such that the angle θf between the imaginary line L, which is parallel to the direction of movement of the feeder blade 40, and the inclined surface 41a is acuter than the angle θr between the latch-side linear portion 61 of the bent hog ring R and the imaginary line L.

[0075] Next, with the hog ring R loaded into the crimping section 25 (as shown in Figure 11(a)), when the trigger 26 is pulled, the supply path of compressed air supplied into the cylinder 14 is switched, and as shown in Figure 11(b), the pair of rollers 24 move in the backward direction, and move further backward while contacting the respective contact surfaces 24b of the upper jaw 24A and lower jaw 24B.

[0076] As a result, the upper jaw 24A and the lower jaw 24B rotate in the counterclockwise and clockwise directions in Figure 11(b) so that their tip ends are brought closer together, and the crimping operation of the hog ring R begins. At this time, the hog ring R is prevented from retracting in the backward direction by the latch 50.

[0077] As the crimping operation of the hog ring R progresses and the tips of the upper jaw 24A and lower jaw 24B move closer together, the hog ring R is crimped at a crimping diameter between the maximum crimping diameter Dmax and the minimum crimping diameter Dmin, corresponding to the thickness of the object to be crimped (for example, the outer diameter of the object to be crimped).

[0078] If the thickness of the objects to be bundled is equal to the thickness of the crimping diameter Dmax, the crimping operation will end at the crimping diameter Dmax, as shown in Figure 12(a), and the crimping of the objects to be bundled by the hog ring R will be completed.

[0079] Furthermore, if the thickness of the objects to be bundled is equal to the crimping diameter min, the crimping operation will be completed at the crimping diameter Dmin, as shown in Figure 12(b), and the crimping of the objects to be bundled by the hog ring R will be completed.

[0080] From the crimping diameter Dmax to the crimping diameter min, the upper jaw 24A and lower jaw 24B rotate to continuously change the crimping diameter, maintaining the hog ring R in a pseudo-annular shape that contacts the outer circumference of the object to be crimped at at least three points, from the first rotation angle where the crimping diameter Dmax is reached (the state shown in Figure 12(a)) to the second rotation angle where the crimping diameter min is reached (the state shown in Figure 12(b)).

[0081] At this time, as shown in Figures 12(a) and 12(b), the upper jaw 24A and lower jaw 24B crimp the hog ring R such that the annular center Or of the hog ring R moves in the backward direction when they rotate from the first rotation angle to the second rotation angle.

[0082] As described above, once the crimping of the hog ring R is completed with a crimping diameter corresponding to the thickness of the items to be bundled, the next hog ring R is supplied from the magazine 22, returning to the initial state of the loading operation shown in Figure 8(a), and the loading operation is performed again. After that, when the trigger 26 is pulled, the crimping operation is performed again.

[0083] [Effects and Effects] As described above, in this embodiment, the hog ringer rotates the upper jaw 24A and lower jaw 24B to continuously change the crimping diameter while maintaining the hog ring R in a pseudo-annular shape that contacts the outer circumference of the object to be bound at at least three points, from a first rotation angle (shown in Figure 12(a)) where the crimping diameter is maximum (crimping diameter Dmax) to a second rotation angle (shown in Figure 12(b)) where the crimping diameter is minimum (crimping diameter min), when crimping the hog ring R. Therefore, a single hog ringer can be used to crimp a common hog ring R to objects to be bound of different thicknesses.

[0084] Furthermore, when the crimping diameter of the hog ring R is changed, it can be maintained in a pseudo-annular shape with at least three points of contact with the outer circumference of the object to be bound, regardless of the crimping diameter. This avoids problems such as large gaps forming between the hog ring and the object, which would prevent the object from being properly bound.

[0085] Traditionally, when attempting to fasten objects of different thicknesses together using a single hog ring (conventional C-ring) with a single hog ringer, the following problems arise.

[0086] For example, as shown in Figure 13, if you try to fasten a thin object (thin) that is not compatible with the hog ringer using a hog ringer designed for fastening thick objects (thick), a pair of jaws (not shown) compress the hog ring Rc in a roughly vertical direction, causing the hog ring Rc to be crimped to the thin object (thin) in an elliptical shape.

[0087] In this case, a large gap is created between the hog ring Rc and the object to be bound (thin), and for example, the smaller of the objects to be bound (thin) is not held down properly and is not bound well.

[0088] Thus, with conventional hog rings, even if one attempts to fasten objects of different thicknesses using a common hog ring Rc with a single hog ring, it is not possible to crimp the hog ring Rc onto objects of different thicknesses.

[0089] In contrast, the hog ring crimper according to this embodiment is configured such that when the upper jaw 24A and lower jaw 24B rotate from a first rotation angle (the state shown in Figure 12(a)) to a second rotation angle (the state shown in Figure 12(b)), the annular center Or of the hog ring R moves in the backward direction. In other words, the hog ring crimper according to this embodiment rotates the upper jaw 24A and lower jaw 24B in a backward direction more than conventional hog rings, so even if the crimping diameter is reduced, the hog ring R is not crimped into an elliptical shape, and the hog ring R can be crimped while maintaining a pseudo-annular shape.

[0090] Furthermore, in the hog ringer according to this embodiment, the latch 50 is positioned at a distance from the contact area C where the hog ring R loaded into the crimping section 25 and the guide groove 25a come into contact, in the retraction direction opposite to the loading direction in which the hog ring R is loaded. This allows the latch-side linear portion 61 of the hog ring R to be bent into a V-shape when the hog ring R is loaded into the crimping section 25. As a result, two-point contact with the object to be bound can be achieved at the latch-side linear portion 61 of the hog ring R, and three or more points of contact with the object to be bound can be achieved in combination with other parts of the hog ring R.

[0091] Furthermore, in the Hog Ringer according to this embodiment, when loading the Hog Ring R into the crimping section 25, the pair of contact ends 41 of the feeder blade 40 press against the latch-side linear portion 61 of the Hog Ring R, causing the latch-side linear portion 61 to bend into a V-shape with its apex facing the latch 50. Therefore, even if the Hog Ring R set in the magazine 22 is not already bent into a V-shape, the Hog Ring R can be bent into a V-shape before the crimping operation.

[0092] If the Hog Ring R set in Magazine 22 is bent into a V-shape, it becomes difficult for the Hog Ring R to pass through the L-shaped, curved section of Magazine 22.

[0093] In the Hog Ringer according to this embodiment, as described above, when the Hog Ring R is loaded into the crimping section 25, the Hog Ring R is bent into a V-shape, so that the Hog Ring R can move smoothly through the magazine 22.

[0094] Furthermore, in the hog ringer according to this embodiment, the latch 50 is formed in a V-shape with its tip facing the hog ring R loaded in the crimping section 25 bent in the retraction direction. This allows the latch 50 to support the hog ring R in a shape that follows the V-shape of the latch-side linear portion 61 of the hog ring R, preventing, for example, the latch-side linear portion 61 from bulging outward (towards the retraction direction) during crimping.

[0095] Furthermore, in the hog ringer according to this embodiment, the upper jaw 24A and the lower jaw 24B are constantly biased by the torsion spring 30 in the direction opposite to the direction in which the hog ring R is crimped. This prevents contact between the upper jaw 24A and the lower jaw 24B and the feeder blade 40, thereby preventing wear on the feeder blade 40.

[0096] Conventionally, when the feeder blade was moved forward, the tip of the feeder blade came into contact with a pair of jaws, causing the pair of jaws to open. Therefore, conventionally, the contact angle between the tip of the feeder blade and the pair of jaws was shallow, and wear countermeasures were not essential.

[0097] However, in the Hoglinger according to this embodiment, as described above, the upper jaw 24A and lower jaw 24B are rotated to be pulled in the backward direction more than in a conventional Hoglinger. Therefore, in the conventional method of opening the jaws by contact with the tip of the feeder blade, the contact angle between the tip of the feeder blade 40 and the upper jaw 24A and lower jaw 24B becomes deeper, which may cause the feeder blade 40 to wear down easily.

[0098] Therefore, in the Hoglinger according to this embodiment, the upper jaw 24A and lower jaw 24B are opened by the torsion spring 30 as described above, so that wear of the feeder blade 40 can be avoided.

[0099] Furthermore, in the hog ring according to this embodiment, the pair of contact ends 41 of the feeder blade 40 have inclined surfaces 41a, and the angle θf between the imaginary line L parallel to the direction of movement of the feeder blade 40 and the inclined surface 41a is acuter than the angle θr between the latch-side linear portion 61 of the bent hog ring R and the imaginary line L. Therefore, the two contact points of the feeder blade 40 with the latch-side linear portion 61 of the hog ring R can be separated. This makes it possible to avoid the phenomenon in which the hog ring R comes off the crimping portion 25 due to the springback effect during the crimping operation of the hog ring R.

[0100] While embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. All such modifications and equivalents are intended to be included in the following claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0101] 1 Hoglinger 2. Main unit of the device 10 Housing 11 Main body 12 Grips 12a Check valve 13 Couplers 14 cylinders 15 Valve housing 20 Air drive unit 21L, 21R Side Plates 22 Magazine 22a Magazine Head 22b Magazine Shoe 22c Magazine Head Base 23 pistons 23a Piston rod 23b Roller mounting section 24 Laura 24A Appajo 24B Roajo 24a through hole 24b Contact surface 24c induction surface 25 Fastening part 25A Opposite side 25B Opposite surface 25a Guide groove 26 Triggers 27 valves 27a Stem 27b Check valve 28 colors 30 Torsion springs 40 feeder blades 41 Contact end 41a Slope 50 latches 50a Side 50b tip 51 Latch Plate 52 Latch Spring 60 Open end 61 Latch-side linear portion 62 Curved section R Hogling

Claims

1. A hog ringer that fastens multiple objects together by crimping a hog ring, The device body includes a magazine in which the hog ring is set, A pair of jaws rotatably supported on the main body of the device, each having a crimping section into which the hog ring is loaded and crimped, A feeder blade that loads the hog rings supplied from the magazine into the crimping section, The crimping portion includes a latch that prevents the hog ring loaded into the crimping portion from retracting, The crimping portion is provided with a guide groove on which the hog ring can slide. The pair of jaws are configured to rotate to continuously change the crimping diameter while maintaining contact between the hog ring and the outer circumference of the object to be crimped, from a first rotation angle where the crimping diameter is maximum to a second rotation angle where the crimping diameter is minimum. The latch is positioned such that the tip facing the hog ring loaded into the crimping section is separated from the contact area where the hog ring loaded into the crimping section and the guide groove are in contact, in a retraction direction opposite to the loading direction in which the hog ring is loaded. A hog ringer in which the pair of jaws crimp the hog ring such that the annular center of the hog ring moves in the retraction direction when it rotates from the first rotation angle to the second rotation angle.

2. The aforementioned feeder blade is The latch is positioned spaced apart from each other and has a pair of contact ends that contact the hog ring, The hog ringer according to claim 1, wherein when loading the hog ring into the crimping section, the pair of contact ends press against the latch-side linear portion facing the open end of the hog ring, thereby bending the latch-side linear portion into a V-shape so that its apex faces the latch side.

3. The hog ringer according to claim 1, wherein the latch is formed in a V-shape with its tip facing the hog ring loaded in the crimping portion bent in the retraction direction.

4. The hog ringer according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the pair of jaws, when crimping the hog ring, continuously change the crimping diameter while maintaining the hog ring in an annular shape having a bent portion, so as to contact the outer circumference of the group of objects to be bound, which consists of a plurality of cylindrical objects, at least at three points from the first rotation angle to the second rotation angle.

5. The feeder blade has a pair of rollers that contact each of the pair of jaws, The pair of jaws are provided with a contact surface that contacts the pair of rollers at the rear end opposite the pivot point to the tip where the crimping portion is provided. The pair of jaws mentioned above are The hog ring is constantly biased by a biasing member in the direction opposite to the direction in which it is crimped. The hog ringer according to claim 1, wherein as the feeder blade moves in the backward direction, the pair of rollers move on the contact surface, causing them to rotate in a manner that crimps the hog ring against the biasing force of the biasing member.

6. The pair of contact ends have inclined surfaces that are inclined in a direction that moves them apart from each other as they approach the hog ring. The hog ringer according to claim 2, wherein the angle between the imaginary line parallel to the direction of movement of the feeder blade and the inclined surface is acuter than the angle between the latch-side linear portion of the bent hog ring and the imaginary line.

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