End machine

Abstract

To provide a binding machine which can properly feed a staple when a new connected body is supplied.SOLUTION: A binding machine 10 includes: a driver 30 which moves a first position to a second position so as to push out a staple 80 toward a bag BG; a clincher 400 which sandwiches the staple 80 pushed out with the driver 30 to deform the staple 80; and a feed member 280 which feeds a connected body 800, formed by connecting the staples 80 to each other, to a predetermined position in a movable range of the driver 30. The driver 30 is provided with an inclined surface 33 for applying a force directed to the first position side to the staple 80 placed closest to the predetermined position side along an arrangement direction of the connected body 800 when the driver 30 returns from the second position to the first position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 18

Description

Technical Field

[0004] , , , ,

[0005] , , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a binding machine for binding an object to be bound.

Background Art

[0002] A binding machine is a device for binding, for example, the entrance part of a bag containing fruits and vegetables using staples. The binding machine includes a driver that operates to push out staples toward the object to be bound, and a clincher that sandwiches and deforms the staples together with the driver. A plurality of staples are pre-connected to each other so that the object to be bound can be continuously bound, and are sequentially fed into a predetermined position in the binding machine. Patent Document 1 below describes a binding device capable of repeatedly binding using staples (chain clips) in a connected state. A plurality of staples connected to each other are also referred to as a "connector" below.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The number of staples included in the connector is finite. Therefore, when the number of staples decreases, it is necessary to feed in a new connector continuously following the connector that has been fed in so far. However, at the boundary between two connectors, a pair of adjacent staples are not connected to each other. Due to this, the feeding of staples in the binding machine may not be properly performed. For example, a situation may occur where two staples are simultaneously pushed out by the driver and a part of the staples gets jammed inside the binding machine.

[0005] The present invention aims to provide a stapling machine that can properly feed staples even when new connecting members are added. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The fastening machine according to the present invention is a fastening machine that fastens objects to be fastened with staples, and comprises a driver that moves from a first position to a second position to push staples toward the objects to be fastened, a clincher that deforms staples by gripping them together with the driver after they have been pushed out, and a feeding mechanism that feeds a connected body, in which a plurality of staples are connected toward each other, toward a predetermined position within the movable range of the driver. The driver is provided with an action part that, when returning from the second position to the first position, applies a force toward the first position toward the staple that is closest to the predetermined position along the direction of alignment of the connected body.

[0007] In the fastening machine with the above configuration, when the driver returns from the second position to the first position, a force directed toward the first position is applied to the leading staple by the driver's action part. This corrects the position of the staple so that it is aligned in a straight line with the multiple staples included in the joined assembly. As a result, when the driver next moves toward the second position, only the leading staple is pushed out by the driver, so that staples can continue to be fed properly. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, a stapling machine is provided that can properly feed staples even when a new connecting body is added. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows the external appearance of a strapping machine according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows the external appearance of the strapping machine according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3]Figure 3 shows the external appearance of the strapping machine according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows the bundled items with their entrances secured. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows the configuration of the staples. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows the configuration of a connected body in which multiple staples are linked together. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows the external appearance of the strapping machine according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows the configuration of the part that guides the connecting body in the binding machine according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows the internal configuration of the strapping machine according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] Figure 10 shows the internal configuration of the strapping machine according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] Figure 11 shows the driver configuration. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a diagram illustrating the operation of each part of a stapler according to a comparative example when staples are fed out by the driver. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a diagram illustrating the operation of each part of a stapler according to a comparative example when staples are fed out by the driver. [Figure 14] Figure 14 is a diagram illustrating the operation of each part of a stapler according to a comparative example when staples are fed out by the driver. [Figure 15] Figure 15 is a diagram illustrating the operation of each part of a stapler according to a comparative example when staples are fed out by the driver. [Figure 16] Figure 16 is a diagram illustrating the operation of each part of a stapler according to a comparative example when staples are fed out by the driver. [Figure 17] Figure 17 is a diagram illustrating the operation of each part of a stapler according to a comparative example when staples are fed out by the driver. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a diagram for explaining the operations of respective parts when staples are sent out by a driver in the bundling machine according to the first embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a diagram for explaining the operations of respective parts when staples are sent out by a driver in the bundling machine according to the first embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a diagram for explaining the operations of respective parts when staples are sent out by a driver in the bundling machine according to the first embodiment. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a diagram showing the configuration of a driver of the bundling machine according to the second embodiment. [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a diagram for explaining the operations of respective parts when staples are sent out by a driver in the bundling machine according to the second embodiment. [Figure 23] FIG. 23 is a diagram for explaining the shape of staples.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. For ease of understanding the description, the same reference numerals are attached to the same components in each drawing as much as possible, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0011] The first embodiment will be described. The bundling machine 10 according to the present embodiment is a device for bundling the entrance part of a bag containing fruits and vegetables or the like, and is used, for example, in the backyard of a supermarket or the like. FIGS. 1 to 3 show the appearance of the bundling machine 10.

[0012] Figure 4 shows a bag BG after it has been bound using the binding machine 10. The bag BG contains fruits and vegetables inside, and its opening is bound with staples 80. The staples 80 are, for example, roughly rod-shaped members made of resin. The staples 80 are wrapped around the opening of the bag BG by the binding machine 10, thereby binding the opening. The object to be bound may be a bag BG as in this embodiment, but it may also be something else. The configuration of the binding machine 10 described below can also be applied to binding machines for bundling multiple members together, for example.

[0013] Figure 5 shows the shape of the staple 80 in its initial state before fastening. As shown in the figure, the staple 80 has a shape in which a pair of legs 81 are connected by a connecting part 82, and the whole thing is roughly U-shaped. On the opposite side of the connecting part 82, there is an open space between each of the legs 81. Thus, the staple 80 has a pair of legs 81 that are spaced apart from each other at the tip side (downward side in Figure 5).

[0014] To enable continuous fastening by the fastening machine 10, multiple staples 80 are arranged in a line along the depth direction of the paper in Figure 5, with each staple connected to the others via connecting parts 83. In other words, the entire assembly is molded as a single unit so that multiple staples 80 are connected to each other via connecting parts 83 to form a single string. The multiple staples 80 that are connected to each other to form a string will also be referred to as the "connecting body 800" below. The connecting body 800 is held by the connecting body holding part 170 (see Figure 1) of the fastening machine 10 while wound around a bobbin 700 as shown in Figure 6.

[0015] The configuration of the strapping machine 10 will be explained with reference to Figure 1 and other figures. In Figure 1, the direction from left to right on the page is defined as the x-direction, and the x-axis is set along this direction. The direction perpendicular to the x-direction, from the back of the page to the front of the page, is defined as the y-direction, and the y-axis is set along this direction. Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to both the x-direction and the y-direction, from the bottom of the page to the top of the page, is defined as the z-direction, and the z-axis is set along this direction. In the other figures, the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis are set to correspond to those in Figure 1. In the following explanation, the terms "x-direction," "y-direction," and "z-direction" will be used as appropriate. Figure 1 is a view of the strapping machine 10 from the y-direction side, Figure 2 is a view of the strapping machine 10 from the -y-direction side, and Figure 3 is a view of the strapping machine 10 from the x-direction side.

[0016] First, let me explain the components of the strapping machine 10 that are visible externally. The strapping machine 10 comprises a main frame 100, a connecting body holding part 170, a motor unit 20, a battery unit 60, and a cutter unit 500.

[0017] The main frame 100 is the main body portion of the strapping machine 10 and holds each component of the strapping machine 10. The main frame 100 is constructed by combining multiple substantially flat plate-shaped members, etc., which are parallel to the plane of the paper in Figure 1. A handle 150 is provided at the upper end of the main frame 100 for gripping by the user of the strapping machine 10.

[0018] A guide groove 110 is formed in the main frame 100 so as to extend downward from its upper end. A switch member 111 is provided at the lower end of the guide groove 110. The user of the strapping machine 10 passes the portion of the bag BG to be strapped through the guide groove 110 and lowers the bag BG along the guide groove 110. When the bag BG hits the switch member 111 and rotates the switch member 111, an internal driver 30 (not shown in Figure 1, see Figure 9) etc. operates as will be explained later, and the opening portion of the bag BG is strapped with staples 80.

[0019] The connecting body holder 170 is the part that holds the bobbin 700 around which the connecting body 800 is wound. The connecting body holder 170 is formed as a rod-shaped shaft extending along the y-direction (i.e., the width direction of the strapping machine 10), and its rear end in Figure 1 is connected to the main frame 100. As shown in Figure 6, a through hole 701 is formed in the center of the bobbin 700. As shown in Figure 1, the bobbin 700 is attached to the strapping machine 10 by passing the through hole 701 through the connecting body holder 170. As a result, the connecting body 800 is held wound around the connecting body holder 170. When the strapping machine 10 is in use, as shown in Figure 7, the connecting body 800 pulled out from the bobbin 700 extends to the roller 161 and guide rail 162, but this is omitted from the illustration in Figures 1 to 3.

[0020] The roller 161 and the guide rail 162 are both components that guide the connecting body 800, which has been pulled out from the bobbin 700 as described above, to a predetermined position on the main frame 100. As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the roller 161 and the guide rail 162 are provided at positions on the y-direction side of the main frame 100.

[0021] Figure 8 shows an enlarged view of the roller 161, guide rail 162, and their vicinity from Figure 3, along with the connecting body 800 that they guide. In Figure 8, some of the structures shown in Figure 3 have been omitted to make the connecting body 800 easier to see.

[0022] The roller 161 is a roughly cylindrical rotating body positioned with its axis of rotation aligned with the z-direction. The connecting body 800 is pulled out from the bobbin 700 and generally towards the x-direction, and then guided along the side of the roller 161 to change direction generally towards the -y-direction. As shown in Figure 8, the connecting body 800 is guided by the roller 161 with the connecting portions 82 of each staple 80 facing inward and the tips of the leg portions 81 facing outward.

[0023] As shown in Figure 1, the guide rail 162 is positioned slightly to the x-direction of the roller 161. As shown in Figure 8, the guide rail 162 extends linearly from the vicinity of the roller 161 toward the -y-direction. The guide rail 162 is a generally flat plate-shaped member, positioned with its normal direction aligned with the z-direction.

[0024] The connecting body 800 is configured such that the guide rail 162 is inserted from the x-direction side between the pair of legs 81 of the staple 80. This holds the connecting body 800 in a state where it can slide along the guide rail 162 in the -y-direction. The staple 80 at the very front of the connecting body 800 is positioned in the area of ​​the main frame 100 through which the driver 30 (described later) passes (i.e., within the range of motion of the driver 30), and is used to fasten the bag BG in the next operation. The guide rail 162 can be said to guide the connecting body 800, which has been pulled out from the connecting body holding part 170, into the range of motion of the driver 30 along the width direction (y-direction).

[0025] As shown in Figure 8, a feed member 280 is provided on the upper side of the guide rail 162, and a check member 290 is provided on the lower side of the guide rail 162.

[0026] The feed member 280 is a plate-shaped member with a feed claw 282 formed at its tip. The feed member 280 is attached to the link member 270 via a shaft 281. The feed member 280 is rotatable around the shaft 281 and is biased in the clockwise direction in Figure 8 by a spring (not shown).

[0027] The link member 270 is a member that is operably attached to the main frame 100. The portion of the link member 270 to which the feed member 280 is attached is biased toward the -y direction by a spring (not shown). The feed member 280 is biased toward the -y direction as described above, with the feed claw 282 inserted into a part of the connecting body 800. Therefore, the connecting body 800 is also biased toward the -y direction by the force from the feed claw 282.

[0028] When the binding is performed by the binding machine 10, the staple 80 that was at the very tip of the connecting body 800 disappears, and the force from the feed claw 282 feeds the connecting body 800 toward the -y direction. Subsequently, the link member 270 moves toward the y direction by a mechanism not shown. As the feed claw 282 moves toward the y direction together with the link member 270, it detaches from the connecting body 800 once, and then re-enters a part of the connecting body 800 at a position one step further toward the y direction than before.

[0029] The check valve member 290 is a plate-shaped member with a check claw 292 formed at its tip. The check valve member 290 is attached to the base member 102 via a shaft 291. The base member 102 is a member attached to the main frame 100. The check valve member 290 is rotatable around the shaft 291 and is biased in the counterclockwise direction in Figure 8 by a spring (not shown). The check valve member 290 is in a state where the check claw 292 is inserted into a part of the connecting body 800.

[0030] When the binding machine 10 performs the binding, the feed claws 282 operate as described above, and the connecting body 800 is fed in the -y direction. The check member 290 is a member that prevents the connecting body 800 from moving in the reverse direction at that time, by the check claws 292.

[0031] As described above, when the driver 30 operates for fastening, the link member 270 and feed claw 282, etc., operate in conjunction, feeding the connecting body 800 into the main frame 100. The roller 161, guide rail 162, feed member 280, link member 270, and check member 290 constitute a mechanism for feeding the connecting body 800, in which multiple staples 80 are connected to each other, toward a predetermined position within the movable range of the driver 30. This mechanism corresponds to the "feeding mechanism" in this embodiment.

[0032] The feed claw 282 contacts only one of the pair of legs 81 of the staple 80 and applies force to feed it in as described above. For the sake of explanation, the leg 81 to which force is directly applied by the feed claw 282 will also be referred to as "leg 81A" below. The other leg 81 to which force is not applied by the feed claw 282 will also be referred to as "leg 81B" below.

[0033] Let's return to Figure 1 and continue the explanation. The motor unit 20 houses the electric motor 50 and other components inside. The electric motor 50 is a rotating electric machine provided as a drive source for operating the binding machine 10. The electric motor 50 operates by receiving power from the battery unit 60 and drives the driver 30, which will be described later. Inside the motor unit 20, in addition to the electric motor 50, there is also a control board (not shown) for controlling the operation of the binding machine 10.

[0034] The motor unit 20 is located on the lower part of the main frame 100, on the y-direction side. A switch 25 is provided on the y-direction side of the motor unit 20. When the user operates the switch 25, the control board is activated, and the bundling machine 10 enters standby mode.

[0035] The battery unit 60 is a unitized system combining a battery (e.g., a lithium-ion battery) for storing the power necessary for the operation of the strapping machine 10 with a control board 62 (see Figure 3) for controlling the charging and discharging of the battery. The battery unit 60 is pre-charged by an external charger and then installed in the battery mounting section 600 of the strapping machine 10. The power supplied from the battery unit 60 via the battery mounting section 600 is supplied to the electric motor 50 and also to the control board for controlling the operation of the strapping machine 10. As shown in Figure 3, a display unit 61 is provided on the outer surface of the battery unit 60. The display unit 61 displays information such as the remaining battery charge by the illumination status of LEDs.

[0036] In this embodiment, the battery mounting section 600 is provided on the bundling machine 10 as part of the motor unit 20. Specifically, the portion of the motor unit 20 that is on the x-direction side and the -y-direction side is configured as the battery mounting section 600. As shown in Figure 3, a space for arranging the battery unit 60 is formed between the battery mounting section 600 and the main frame 100. The user can attach the battery unit 60 to the battery mounting section 600 by sliding the battery unit 60 towards the -x direction while facing the battery mounting section 600 from the -y-direction side. The battery unit 60 is held by the battery mounting section 600 with its internal control board 62 perpendicular to the y-direction (width direction).

[0037] The cutter unit 500 is used to cut off the excess portion of the bag BG beyond the staples 80 after the bag BG has been secured. The cutter unit 500 has a straight groove 501 formed therein, and a blade 510 is provided along the inner surface of the groove 501.

[0038] Once the bag BG is secured, the user can pull the bag BG up along the guide groove 110, then move the bag BG inside the groove 501, and cut off the excess portion of the bag BG with the blade 510. Alternatively, the bag BG may be configured to automatically cut off after the securing is complete by a mechanism not shown.

[0039] The internal configuration of the strapping machine 10 will be explained with reference primarily to Figure 9. As shown in the figure, the strapping machine 10 includes reduction gears 210 and 220, a cam gear 230, a crank 240, a coupling link 250, a driver 30, and a clincher 400. All of these are located inside the main frame 100 and are held in place by the main frame 100.

[0040] The reduction gears 210 and 220 are a pair of gears that mesh with each other, and they transmit the rotation of the drive shaft 51 of the electric motor 50 to the cam gear 230, which will be described later, while reducing its speed. The drive shaft 51 is provided with its longitudinal direction aligned with the width direction (y direction), and a part of it is embedded inside the main frame 100. The portion of the drive shaft 51 embedded inside the main frame 100 is equipped with a gear that meshes with the reduction gear 210, but this gear is not shown in Figure 9.

[0041] The cam gear 230 rotates upon receiving force from the reduction gear 220 and is a component that operates the crank 240. The crank 240 is rotatably mounted to the vicinity of the outer circumference of the cam gear 230 via a shaft 231. As the cam gear 230 rotates, the crank 240 reciprocates along the x-axis, changing its angle as appropriate. Figure 9 shows the state when the crank 240 is furthest towards the -x direction, and Figure 10 shows the state when the crank 240 is furthest towards the x direction. In the standby state before binding is performed, the state is as shown in Figure 9.

[0042] The connecting link 250 is a component that connects the crank 240 and the driver 30. One end of the connecting link 250 is rotatably attached to the end of the crank 240 opposite to the shaft 231 via the shaft 251. The other end of the connecting link 250 is rotatably attached to the end of the driver 30 on the -x direction side via the shaft 261. Force from the crank 240 is transmitted to the driver 30 via the connecting link 250.

[0043] The driver 30 is a component for pushing the staple 80 toward the bag BG (object to be stapled) which is passed through the guide groove 110. Inside the main frame 100, a pair of guide members 121 and 122 are provided, facing each other along the z direction, and a part of the driver 30 is sandwiched between them. The guide members 121 and 122 hold the driver 30 in a state where it can move only in the direction along the x axis. In other words, the direction of movement of the driver 30 is along the x axis. The position where the guide members 121 and 122 are provided is the position where the tip portion of the driver 30 on the x-direction side is sandwiched from above and below in the state shown in Figure 9, and corresponds to the position of the guide rail 162 mentioned earlier.

[0044] When the crank 240 is operated by the driving force of the electric motor 50, the driver 30 moves from the position in Figure 9 to the position in Figure 10. At this time, the x-side end of the driver 30 strikes the staple 80 at the very front (i.e., the -y side) of the connecting body 800, pushing the staple 80 toward the x-side. After the staple 80 is separated from the other staples 80 by the cutting of the connecting portion 83, it moves toward the x-side together with the tip of the driver 30. The position of the driver 30 shown in Figure 9 corresponds to the "first position" in this embodiment. The position of the driver 30 shown in Figure 10 corresponds to the "second position" in this embodiment.

[0045] The clincher 400 is a component that deforms the staple 80 by clamping it together with the driver 30 as described above. As shown in Figure 9, the position where the clincher 400 is provided is opposite the tip of the driver 30 from the x-direction side, and is further towards the x-direction than the guide groove 110. On the -x-direction side surface of the clincher 400, that is, the clinching surface opposite the tip of the driver 30, a groove (not shown) is formed to guide the deformation of the leg portion 81 of the staple 80.

[0046] The staple 80 is pushed out in the x-direction by the driver 30 with the tip of its leg portion 81 facing the clincher 400. When the driver 30 reaches the second position, which is the furthest in the x-direction within its range of motion, the tip of the leg portion 81 contacts the clinching surface of the clincher 400 and deforms into a predetermined shape while being guided by the groove on the clinching surface. At this time, the opening portion of the bag BG is sandwiched between the legs 81. Therefore, the opening portion of the bag BG is fastened by the deformed staple 80, resulting in the state shown in Figure 4.

[0047] Inside the main frame 100, in addition to the driver 30 and clincher 400 described above, a convergence member 300 and a link member 260 are further provided.

[0048] The converging member 300 is a member used to pre-converge the portion of the bag BG (object to be bound) that passes through the guide groove 110 so that it is sized to be sandwiched between the legs 81 of the staple 80 before binding. The converging member 300 is a substantially flat plate parallel to the xz plane. One end of the converging member 300 along its longitudinal direction is provided with a pressing portion 320 that abuts against and presses against the bag BG. The other end of the converging member 300 along its longitudinal direction has a rotating hole through which the shaft 311 passes. The shaft 311 is a cylindrical shaft extending along the y direction, and its y-direction end is attached to the main frame 100. The converging member 300 is supported in a state that allows it to rotate around the shaft 311.

[0049] The convergent member 300, which is roughly flat, has an elongated hole 312 that penetrates it in the y-direction. The elongated hole 312 is a long, narrow hole formed to extend from the shaft 311 side toward the pressing part 320 side. The shaft 262, provided on the link member 260 described later, is inserted through the elongated hole 312. The convergent member 300 rotates around the shaft 311 due to the force it receives from the shaft 262. In the standby state before the binding operation is performed (Figure 9), the convergent member 300 is in standby position at the most clockwise position within its range of motion due to the force from the spring 351. In this state, the entire convergent member 300 does not overlap with the guide groove 110, and the pressing part 320 is positioned above the guide groove 110.

[0050] The link member 260 is a component for operating the converging member 300 in conjunction with the operation of the driver 30. The link member 260 is held in a state in which it can be moved parallel only in the direction along the x-axis. Like the converging member 300, the link member 260 is a substantially flat plate parallel to the xz plane. One end of the link member 260 along its longitudinal direction overlaps a part of the converging member 300 from the y-direction side. The shaft 262 described above is provided in this portion, and this shaft 262 is inserted through the elongated hole 312.

[0051] A circular hole is formed in the other end of the link member 260 along its longitudinal direction, and a shaft 261 is inserted through this hole. As mentioned earlier, the shaft 261 is the shaft that rotatably connects the coupling link 250 and the driver 30.

[0052] In the configuration described above, when the driver 30 moves in the x-direction, the link member 260 also moves in the x-direction along with the driver 30. The shaft 262 of the link member 260 moves in the x-direction while remaining inserted through the elongated hole 312 of the converging member 300. The converging member 300 rotates in the counterclockwise direction in Figure 9, resisting the force of the spring 351 due to the force that the edge of the elongated hole 312 receives from the link member 260. As a result, the pressing portion 320 of the converging member 300 moves downward along the guide groove 110, reaching the state shown in Figure 10.

[0053] The sequence of operations when the strapping machine 10 straps the bag BG will now be explained again. When the user passes the bag BG through the guide groove 110 and lowers it, and rotates the switch member 111, the electric motor 50 is driven. The driving force of the electric motor 50 causes the cam gear 230 and crank 240 to operate, moving the driver 30 in the x direction. The driver 30 moves from the first position, which is the standby state shown in Figure 9, to the second position, which is the strapping completed state shown in Figure 10.

[0054] Simultaneously, the link member 260 moves toward the x-direction along with the driver 30, causing the converging member 300 to rotate counterclockwise. The pressing portion 320 of the converging member 300 moves downward along the guide groove 110, and its tip comes into contact with the bag BG. The portion of the bag BG that passes through the guide groove 110 is deformed by the pressure from the pressing portion 320, and becomes pre-converged before the staples 80 reach it.

[0055] As described above, the driver 30 moves toward the x-direction, pushing the staple 80 that was at the tip of the connector 800 toward the x-direction. The staple 80 moves toward the bag BG located toward the x-direction, with the tip of its leg portion 81 pointed toward the clincher 400.

[0056] By the time the staple 80 reaches the position of the bag BG, the bag BG has converged due to being pressed by the pressing part 320 as described above, and is small enough to be sandwiched between the legs 81. Therefore, the staple 80 reaches the position of the clincher 400 while inserting the bag BG between the legs 81. After that, the staple 80 is deformed by being sandwiched between the driver 30 and the clincher 400, and the bag BG is fastened together.

[0057] Even after the binding is complete, the electric motor 50 continues to operate. The driver 30 moves from the second position in Figure 10 toward the -x direction. Consequently, the converging member 300 rotates clockwise. Finally, each member returns to the standby position shown in Figure 9, at which point the electric motor 50 stops operating. During the period from when the electric motor 50 starts operating for binding until it stops, the cam gear 230 rotates 360 degrees.

[0058] The driver 30 and its surrounding area will now be described in more detail. As shown in Figure 11, the y-direction side of the driver 30, that is, the side 31 facing the connecting body 800 that is fed along the guide rail 162, has a recess 32 that recedes toward the -y direction (i.e., the side opposite to the connecting body 800). The recess 32 is formed to extend linearly along the x direction. The depth of the recess 32 is less than the thickness of the staple 80.

[0059] The inner surface that defines the recess 32, specifically the end surface on the x-direction side (i.e., the surface on the clincher 400 side), is inclined, as shown in Figure 18 and other figures. This surface will also be referred to as the "inclined surface 33" below. Hereinafter, "inclined surface" means a surface that is neither parallel nor perpendicular to the x-direction. In other words, the inclined surface 33 is formed such that its normal direction is neither perpendicular to the direction of movement of the driver 30 (i.e., the x-direction) nor parallel to the direction of movement of the driver 30.

[0060] To explain the advantages of the above-described configuration of the driver 30, we will first describe the operation of the comparative example. Figure 12 shows the standby state of the binding machine 10 according to the comparative example. This comparative example differs from this embodiment only in that the surface 31 of the driver 30 does not have a recess 32 or an inclined surface 33 formed thereon.

[0061] As shown in Figure 12, in this comparative example, as in this embodiment, the connecting body 800 is fed toward the -y direction by the guide rail 162, etc. Also, the staple 80 of the connecting body 800 that is closest to the -y direction is positioned at a predetermined position within the movable range of the driver 30. Note that the reference numeral "163" in Figure 12 indicates a member positioned opposite the guide rail 162 and used to guide the connecting body 800 together with the guide rail 162. This member will also be referred to as the "guide member 163" below. As shown in Figure 18 and later, the guide member 163 is also provided in the binding machine 10 according to this embodiment.

[0062] Figure 13 shows the state immediately after the driver 30 begins to move in the x-direction from the standby state shown in Figure 12. The staple 80, which was in the predetermined position, is separated from the connecting body 800 by contact with the tip of the driver 30 and begins to move in the x-direction along with the driver 30. When the staple 80 is separated from the connecting body 800, the connecting portion 83 is severed, and a force is applied to the remaining connecting body 800 in the x-direction. The connecting body 800 moves slightly in the x-direction due to this force and comes into contact with the guide rail 162.

[0063] After Figure 13, once the driver 30 reaches the second position and the binding is complete, the driver 30 moves toward the original first position in the -x direction. The connecting body 800 is subjected to a force toward the -y direction by the link member 270 and the feed member 280. As a result, the driver 30 moves toward the -x direction while the connecting body 800 remains pressed against the surface 31 from the y direction. A frictional force is applied to the connecting body 800 from the driver 30 toward the -x direction.

[0064] Figure 14 shows the state immediately after the driver 30 has returned to its original position (first position). Because the driver 30 is no longer present at the end of the connecting body 800, the connecting body 800 moves in the -y direction due to the force from the link member 270 and the feed member 280. As a result, the staple 80 at the end of the connecting body 800 is once again positioned in a predetermined position within the movable range of the driver 30.

[0065] Furthermore, the connecting body 800 moves slightly toward the -x direction due to the frictional force when the driver 30 returns to the second position. As a result, as shown in Figure 14, the connecting body 800 is in contact with the guide member 163.

[0066] The operations shown in Figures 12 to 14 are repeated, resulting in continuous bundling of the bags BG. As bundling is repeated, the number of staples 80 contained in the bundling body 800 gradually decreases. When the number of staples 80 decreases to a few, the bobbin 700 attached to the bundling body holder 170 is replaced with a new one, and another bundling body 800 is replenished from the bobbin 700 along the guide rail 162.

[0067] For the sake of clarity, the previously used connecting unit 800 with a reduced number of staples 80 will be referred to as "connecting unit 800A" below. The newly replaced connecting unit 800 will be referred to as "connecting unit 800B" below.

[0068] Figure 15 shows the situation immediately after a new connector 800B is added, when the number of staples 80 in connector 800A in the standby state comparison becomes 2. In the state shown in Figure 15, connector 800B is positioned in a linear position along the y-direction relative to connector 800A. In other words, connectors 800A and 800B are positioned without any displacement from each other in the x-direction. In Figure 15, the hatching applied to the cross-sections of connectors 800A and 800B is different from that of other figures from Figure 16 onward.

[0069] Figure 16 shows the state immediately after the driver 30 begins to move in the x-direction from the standby state shown in Figure 15. The staple 80 that was at the -y-direction end of the connector 800A has separated from the connector 800A and has begun to move in the x-direction along with the tip of the driver 30. The remaining staple 80 of the connector 800A (there is only one in this example) has moved slightly in the x-direction due to the force when the connection part 83 is severed and is now in contact with the guide rail 162. This is the same state as shown in Figure 13.

[0070] However, in the example shown in Figure 16, the entire coupling body 800 being fed along the guide rail 162 is not a single unit, and coupling body 800A and coupling body 800B are separated. Therefore, only coupling body 800A moves due to the frictional force from the driver 30, and coupling body 800B does not move in the x-direction. As a result, as shown in Figure 16, coupling body 800A and coupling body 800B are misaligned with each other in the x-direction.

[0071] After Figure 16, once the driver 30 reaches the second position and the binding is complete, the driver 30 moves toward the -x direction toward its original first position. At this time, a frictional force is applied to the connecting body 800A from the driver 30 toward the -x direction. Therefore, it would seem that the connecting body 800A would move toward the -x direction due to the frictional force and become aligned linearly with the connecting body 800B. However, in reality, as shown in Figure 17, even when the driver 30 returns to the first position and the binding machine 10 enters standby mode, the connecting bodies 800A and 800B remain misaligned with each other in the x direction.

[0072] Let me explain the reason. Of the connecting body 800, the staples 80 at the ends along the direction of alignment have protrusions formed on them, which are the remnants of the cut connecting portion 83. In the state in which the connecting body 800 is attached along the guide rail 162 as shown in Figure 17, the protrusions formed on the -y-direction side of the staples 80 will hereafter be referred to as "protrusions 831". Also, the protrusions formed on the y-direction side of the staples 80 will hereafter be referred to as "protrusions 832". Protrusions 831 can also be said to be protrusions formed on the staples 80 as part of the connecting portion 83.

[0073] As shown in Figure 16, when the connecting body 800A and the connecting body 800B are offset from each other in the x-direction, the projection 832 on the connecting body 800A side and the projection 831 on the connecting body 800B side are in contact with each other at the boundary portion between the connecting body 800A and the connecting body 800B, while being offset from each other in the x-direction.

[0074] If the entire projection 832 is located on the x-direction side of projection 831, the projections will come into contact with each other on their sides. In this case, even if a frictional force is applied to the connector 800A from the driver 30 toward the -x direction, the connector 800A cannot move toward the -x direction due to the interlocking of the projections.

[0075] Furthermore, the tip surfaces of each projection are often not flat. Therefore, even if the tip surfaces of projection 832 and projection 831 are in contact with each other (slightly offset in the x-direction), the connecting body 800A cannot move toward the -x direction with a force of frictional force alone. Moreover, even in this case, the impact when the driver 30 is removed and the connecting body 800 moves toward the -y direction often causes the connecting bodies 800A and 800B to become significantly misaligned, as shown in Figure 17. Furthermore, even if projections 831 were not formed on the staple 80, the frictional force acting between adjacent staples 80 could hinder the movement of the connecting body 800A, potentially causing the connecting bodies 800A and 800B to remain misaligned. In particular, if a curved portion is formed on the surface of the staple 80, the partial resistance, such as frictional force, tends to be larger in that curved portion.

[0076] For the reasons stated above, even after the driver 30 returns to the first position, the connectors 800A and 800B remain misaligned with each other in the x-direction, as shown in Figure 17.

[0077] For the sake of explanation, the staple 80 at the -y-direction end of the connecting body 800B will also be referred to as "staple 80B" below. The distance along the y-direction between staple 80B and connecting body 800A is shorter than the distance between adjacent staples 80 in a single connecting body 800. This is because the connecting portion 83 is cut between staple 80B and connecting body 800A, and the projections 831 and 832 are offset from each other.

[0078] Therefore, in the standby state shown in Figure 17, the position of staple 80B is further to the -y direction than usual, and a portion of staple 80B is within the range of motion of the driver 30. Consequently, when the driver 30 moves to the x direction during the next binding operation from the standby state shown in Figure 17, staple 80 of the connecting body 800A and staple 80B of the connecting body 800B, which were in their predetermined positions, will be pushed out simultaneously by the driver 30. As a result, one or both staples 80 may become jammed inside the binding machine 10.

[0079] Therefore, in the strapping machine 10 according to this embodiment, the driver 30 is given the shape shown in Figure 11, thereby resolving the above-mentioned problems.

[0080] The effects of forming an inclined surface 33 on the driver 30 will now be explained. Figure 18 shows the state immediately after the binding operation has started in the binding machine 10 according to this embodiment, after the connecting body 800B has been replenished in advance, similar to Figure 15. In other words, it is the state of this embodiment that corresponds to Figure 16 of the comparative example.

[0081] In this embodiment, as in the comparative example, immediately after the staple 80 is fed out by the driver 30, the connecting body 800A and the connecting body 800B are offset from each other in the x-direction. In this embodiment, the connecting body 800A is positioned inside the recess 32 formed in the driver 30. Even after the connecting body 800A is positioned inside the recess 32, the connecting body 800A and the connecting body 800B remain offset from each other.

[0082] After Figure 18, the driver 30 moves further in the x-direction. Even when the driver 30 reaches the second position and the binding is complete, the connecting body 800A remains inside the recess 32. In other words, the length of the recess 32 along the x-direction is sufficiently ensured so that this state is maintained even when the binding is complete.

[0083] Once the driver 30 reaches the second position and the fastening is complete, the driver 30 moves toward the -x direction toward its original first position. Figure 19 shows the state in which the driver 30 is in the process of moving toward the -x direction, just before the inclined surface 33 at the end of the recess 32 strikes the staple 80 of the connecting body 800A.

[0084] As the driver 30 moves further in the -x direction from the state shown in Figure 19, the inclined surface 33 contacts the staple 80 of the connecting body 800A, and the staple 80 receives a force from the inclined surface 33. The inclined surface 33 is such that it slopes toward the y direction as it moves toward the x direction. Therefore, the staple 80 is lifted toward the y direction along the moving inclined surface 33 while receiving a force toward the -x direction. As a result, the entire connecting body 800A (in this example, a single staple 80) moves toward the -x direction and comes into contact with the guide member 163, similar to the connecting body 800B. In other words, the misalignment between the connecting body 800A and the connecting body 800B is eliminated, and the two become aligned in a straight line along the y direction. Subsequently, when the driver 30 moves further toward the -x direction and returns to the first position, it reaches the state shown in Figure 20.

[0085] In the state shown in Figure 20, the misalignment between the connecting body 800A and the connecting body 800B has been eliminated, so the staple 80B at the end of the connecting body 800B is not within the range of motion of the driver 30. Therefore, when the driver 30 moves in the x-direction during the next fastening operation, only one staple 80 of the connecting body 800A is fed out by the driver 30, and the jamming described above does not occur.

[0086] As described above, in the stapling machine 10 according to this embodiment, when the driver 30 returns from the second position to the first position, the inclined surface 33 of the driver 30 contacts the staple 80 that is closest to the -y direction, applying a force toward the -x direction (i.e., the first position side), thereby forcibly moving the staple 80 toward that direction. The inclined surface 33 of the driver 30 that functions in this way corresponds to the "acting part" in this embodiment. Because the inclined surface 33 is provided, the feeding mechanism such as the feeding member 280 can appropriately feed the staple 80 toward a predetermined position within the movable range of the driver 30.

[0087] The inclined surface 33 adjusts the position of the staple 80 that is closest to the -y direction by applying force after the driver 30 has started to move from the second position toward the -y direction, but before the driver 30 returns to the first position. This operation is achieved by the fact that the distance along the x-direction from the x-side tip of the driver 30 to the inclined surface 33 is shorter than the distance the driver 30 moves from the first position to the second position.

[0088] The "acting part" provided on a part of the surface 31 of the driver 30 may be formed as an inclined surface 33 as in this embodiment, but it may also be formed as another surface. For example, the acting part may be formed as a surface whose normal direction is parallel to the direction of movement of the driver 30 (i.e., a surface perpendicular to the x direction). In any case, any surface whose normal direction is not perpendicular to the direction of movement of the driver 30 can be made to function as an acting part similar to the inclined surface 33. The direction of the force applied to the staple 80 by the acting part only needs to be in a direction that is not perpendicular to the direction of movement of the driver 30. However, in order to prevent damage to the staple 80 and to move the staple 80 smoothly toward the -x direction, it is preferable to provide the acting part as an inclined surface 33 as in this embodiment. The inclination angle of the inclined surface 33 may be uniform throughout the entire inclined surface 33, but it may vary depending on the location of the inclined surface 33. For example, a part of the inclined surface 33 may be curved.

[0089] Furthermore, the working part may apply force by directly contacting the staple 80 on the -y side, as in this embodiment, but it may also apply force by contacting, for example, the projection 831 of the staple 80. For example, if the width of the recess 32 (in this case, the z-direction dimension) is made narrow enough that the entire staple 80 cannot fit inside, and only the projection 831 fits inside the recess 32, then the working part will apply force by contacting only the projection 831 and will not contact the body of the staple 80. In such a configuration, since the force from the working part is not directly applied to the body of the staple 80, deformation or damage to the staple 80 can be reliably prevented. In addition, even if the length of the remaining projection 831 changes when the connecting part 83 is cut, the force from the working part will reliably act on the projection 831, which is another advantage.

[0090] The second embodiment will now be described. The following will primarily focus on the differences from the first embodiment, while common points will be omitted as appropriate.

[0091] In this embodiment, the shape of the driver 30 differs from that of the first embodiment. As shown in Figure 21, in this embodiment as well, a recess 32 is formed on the surface 31 facing the connecting body 800. However, in this embodiment, the recess 32 is formed in the area of ​​the surface 31 that extends to the end on the z-direction side.

[0092] The staple 80 shown in Figure 21 is a staple 80 located at the end of the connecting body 800, and is in contact with the surface 31 of the driver 30 when the driver 30 is operating. As shown in the figure, only one leg 81A of the staple 80 fits inside the recess 32, while the other leg 81B does not fit inside the recess 32. In other words, the range of the recess 32 is adjusted so that the staple 80 at the end of the connecting body 800 is in this state.

[0093] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 8, the connecting body 800 is formed such that the direction from leg portion 81A to leg portion 81B is inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction of the connecting body 800 (i.e., the direction in which the multiple staples 80 are lined up). As shown in Figures 8 and 21, in the connecting body 800 when attached to the binding machine 10, near the end on the staple 80 side, leg portion 81B is positioned slightly to the -y direction than leg portion 81A of the same staple 80. Of the surface 31, the portion on the -z direction side of the recess 32 is inclined so that it moves towards the -y side as it moves towards the -z direction, so as not to interfere with the staple 80 of the shape described above.

[0094] Figure 22 shows the driver 30 in the process of moving toward the -x direction, from the same viewpoint as in Figure 19 of the first embodiment. However, the cross-section in Figure 22 is slightly toward the z direction than the cross-section in Figure 19, and represents the cross-section obtained when each part is cut by a plane including the central axis of the leg portion 81A.

[0095] Figure 22, like Figure 19, shows the state just before the inclined surface 33 strikes the staple 80 of the connecting body 800A. However, in this embodiment, the entire length of the leg portion 81A is recessed into the recess 32, so immediately after Figure 22, the inclined surface 33 (i.e., the working part) strikes the tip portion 810 of the leg portion 81A of the staple 80 of the connecting body 800A. The force that the tip portion 810 of the leg portion 81A receives from the inclined surface 33 causes the staple 80 of the connecting body 800A to move toward the -x direction, and the misalignment between the connecting body 800A and the connecting body 800B is eliminated.

[0096] The above operation is achieved by configuring the driver 30 so that the inclined surface 33 (i.e., the working part) moves beyond the position of the tip 810 as it moves from the first position (Figure 9) to the second position (Figure 10).

[0097] Thus, in this embodiment, the inclined surface 33, which is the working part, is configured to apply force to the staple 80 by contacting the tip 810 of the leg portion 81A of the staple 80 located at the end of the connecting body 800.

[0098] Figure 23 shows a cross-section of the staple 80 similar to that shown in Figure 22. Point P0 in Figure 23 is the point on the x-side of the cross-section of the leg portion 81A. The outer shape of the cross-section of the leg portion 81A is curved in a certain range including point P0. Points P1 and P2 in Figure 23 indicate the ends of this range.

[0099] The "tip portion 810 of the leg portion 81A" with which the inclined surface 33 abuts does not refer only to the single point on the leg portion 81A that is closest to the x-direction (i.e., point P0), but rather to point P0 or any portion in its vicinity. For example, it is preferable that the inclined surface 33 abuts against any portion of the cross-sectional shape shown in Figure 23, from point P1 through point P0 to point P2.

[0100] By configuring the inclined surface 33 to come into contact with the tip 810 of the leg portion 81A, the magnitude of the force that the staple 80 receives from the inclined surface 33 can be kept approximately constant, compared to the case where the inclined surface 33 comes into contact with the projection 831 as in the first embodiment.

[0101] Furthermore, if a certain amount of force can be applied to the staple 80 at the end of the connecting body 800 in the -x direction, the configuration may be such that the inclined surface 33 contacts the part of the leg portion 81A other than the above-mentioned portion.

[0102] As mentioned earlier, the leg portion 81A to which force is applied by the inclined surface 33 is the leg portion 81 to which force is applied in the -y direction by the feed claw 282. By applying the force from the inclined surface 33 to this leg portion 81A rather than to leg portion 81B, the force in the -x direction applied to the staple 80 from the inclined surface 33 can be increased. This makes it possible to more reliably eliminate the misalignment between the connecting body 800A and the connecting body 800B.

[0103] By changing the shape of the recess 32 and the inclined surface 33, force from the inclined surface 33 may be applied to both the leg portion 81A and the leg portion 81B. In addition, force from the inclined surface 33 may also be applied to the projection 831 in addition to the leg portion 81.

[0104] The configuration described above, which applies force from the inclined surface 33 to the leg portion 81, can also be applied when the direction from leg portion 81A to leg portion 81B is not inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction of the connecting body 800 (i.e., it is perpendicular). The overall shape of the driver 30, including the inclined surface 33, can be appropriately modified to match the shape of the staple 80 included in the connecting body 800.

[0105] The embodiments have been described above with reference to specific examples. However, this disclosure is not limited to these specific examples. Modifications made to these specific examples by those skilled in the art are also included within the scope of this disclosure, as long as they retain the features of this disclosure. The elements, their arrangement, conditions, shapes, etc., of each of the aforementioned specific examples are not limited to those illustrated and can be modified as appropriate. The elements of each of the aforementioned specific examples can be combined in different ways as appropriate, as long as no technical inconsistencies arise. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0106] 10: Binding machine 30: Driver 32: Recess 33: Inclined surface 80: Staples 81, 81A, 81B: Legs 810:Tip 83: Connection part 162: Guide rail 270: Link member 280: Feed member 282: Feed Claw 290: Check valve 400: Clincha 800: Concatenation 831: Protrusion BG: Bag

Claims

1. A binding machine that binds objects to be bound together using staples, A driver that moves from a first position to a second position to push the staple toward the object to be fastened, A clincher that deforms the staple by clamping it together with the driver after it has been pushed out, The system comprises a feeding mechanism that feeds a connected body, in which multiple staples are linked together, toward a predetermined position within the movable range of the driver, The aforementioned driver includes: When returning from the second position to the first position, an action part is provided for applying a force toward the first position to the staple that is closest to the predetermined position along the direction of alignment of the connecting body. The operating portion is a part of the driver that faces the connecting body when it moves to the second position, A stapling machine in which the direction of the force applied to the staple by the working part is not perpendicular to the direction of movement of the driver.

2. The binding machine according to claim 1, wherein the working part is an inclined surface formed such that the direction of the force applied to the staple is neither perpendicular to the direction of movement of the driver nor parallel to the direction of movement of the driver.

3. On the side of the driver facing the connecting body, a recess is formed that recedes toward the opposite side from the connecting body. The binding machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the working portion is a surface formed at the position of the recess that is closest to the clincher.

4. In the aforementioned connecting body, adjacent staples are connected by connecting parts. The binding machine according to claim 1, wherein the acting part applies force to the staple connected to the projection by contacting the projection formed on the staple as part of the connecting part.

5. The staple has a pair of legs that are spaced apart from each other at the tip end. The binding machine according to claim 1, wherein the acting part applies force to the staple by contacting the leg portion of the staple.

6. The system further includes a feed claw that, by applying force to one of the legs, feeds the connecting body toward a predetermined position within the movable range of the driver, The binding machine according to claim 5, wherein the working part applies force to the staple by contacting the leg of the staple that is subjected to force by the feed claw.

7. The fastening machine according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the working part applies force to the staple by contacting the tip of the leg portion of the staple.

8. The binding machine according to claim 1, wherein the distance from the tip of the driver to the working part is shorter than the distance the driver moves from the first position to the second position.

9. The binding machine according to claim 7, wherein the working part moves beyond the position of the tip part while the driver is moving from the first position to the second position.

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