Hook and Aperture Staple Rail Locking Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hammer tackers suffer from wear due to forces during use, lack a reliable locking mechanism for the securing means, and have no means to maintain a consistent gap between the staple rail and the stapler's front edge.
Innovation Solution
The use of a hook means firmly attached to the staple rail and an aperture in the magazine that lockingly engage, with an elastic leaf spring pressing them together and a spacing element preventing movement, ensuring the staple rail remains secure and the gap consistent.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a snap fitting with elastic means is used to secure the staple rail, then the staple rail can be easily attached, but the securing means is readily worn by forces during use and loses its function
Solution Approach 1:
The securing means is divided into two separate components: a hook means attached to the staple rail and an aperture in the magazine. This segmentation allows each component to be simpler and more durable, avoiding the wear issues of a complex snap fitting while maintaining easy attachment capability.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a snap fitting where the elastic means pushes a retainer into place, the invention inverts the approach by using a hook that positively engages with an aperture. The elastic means simply maintains engagement rather than forcing it, reversing the traditional snap-fit mechanism to improve durability.
2Reliability
If a snap fitting securing means is used, then the staple rail can be secured, but it lacks a locking function to prevent loss of securing function when the magazine moves into the body
Solution Approach 1:
The hook means is preliminarily positioned to engage with the aperture before the magazine moves into the body. The elastic means is pre-loaded to maintain continuous engagement, ensuring that the securing function is established before any movement occurs and remains stable throughout the operating cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic means acts as an intermediary element that maintains constant pressure between the hook means and the aperture. This intermediary force ensures continuous engagement and provides a locking function that prevents the hook from disengaging during magazine movement into the body.
3Ease of manufacture
If the staple rail is freely fitted to the magazine, then assembly is simple, but the gap between the staple rail and the front edge of the tacker changes during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic means automatically maintains the correct gap by continuously pressing the staple rail against the magazine. This self-regulating mechanism eliminates the need for complex adjustment mechanisms while ensuring consistent gap dimensions throughout operation, as the elastic force naturally compensates for position variations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design prevents wear and maintains secure engagement of the staple rail, ensuring consistent performance and reliable operation by using a leaf spring to press the hook and aperture together and a spacing element to prevent the hook from disengaging.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic means presses the hook means and the aperture together to engage with one another
Implementation Method 2
the elastic means also causes the staple rail to move forwards
Data Source
AI summary
Hammer tacker (1) for driving staples (7) into a workpiece, which tacker comprises a body (2) and a magazine (5) which is pivotably connected by connecting element (6) to the body in such a way that at the front edge of the tacker the magazine can move into and out of the body, and which magazine is provided with an endpiece (9) containing an elongate staple rail (10) which in the longitudinal direction of the magazine is slidably fitted to the magazine and is secured to the magazine by securing elements (13,14) and which, when fitted, leaves a gap (23) between its front edge (16) and the tacker's front edge (22), whereby the securing elements (13,14) take the form of a hook (13) integral with the staple rail/magazine (10, 5) and an aperture (14) on the magazine/staple rail (5, 10) and lockingly engage with one another when the staple strip is fitted to the magazine.