Electric Stapler Head Portion Segmentation for Binding Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric staplers face issues with large size, high operation weight, noise, and instability in binding due to the need for a wide binding space and the movement of heavy staple storage and head portions, leading to potential staple feed problems and varying binding positions.
Innovation Solution
The electric stapler design separates the staple storage portion from the head portion, allowing only the head portion to move vertically, reducing operation weight and maintaining a constant center of gravity, thus stabilizing the binding process and reducing the size of the clamp mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the binding space is spread widely to accommodate about fifty sheets of paper, then the binding capacity is improved, but the size of the stapler and the weight of the movable portion increase
Solution Approach 1:
The driver unit is divided into a stationary staple storage portion and a movable head portion. Only the head portion moves vertically during operation, while the staple storage portion remains fixed. This segmentation reduces the weight of the movable portion from including the entire driver unit to only the head portion, thereby reducing the load on the drive mechanism and allowing for a more compact overall design while maintaining the capacity to bind about fifty sheets of paper
2Ease of operation
If the whole driver unit is moved down to clamp the sheets of paper, then the clamping function is achieved, but the apparatus size becomes large
Solution Approach 1:
The driver unit is segmented into a stationary staple storage portion and a movable head portion. Only the head portion is moved vertically by the drive mechanism to achieve clamping, while the staple storage portion remains fixed. This reduces the apparatus size by eliminating the need to move the entire driver unit, making the overall structure more compact while maintaining effective clamping capability
3Quantity of substance
If the movable portion is heavy, then the staple storage capacity is sufficient, but the noise generated during operation becomes loud
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the staple storage portion (which remains stationary and can hold sufficient staples) from the head portion (which moves and is kept lightweight), the patent reduces the weight of the movable portion. This reduction in moving mass decreases the noise generated during vertical movement and driving operations, while the stationary staple storage portion maintains adequate storage capacity for about fifty sheets of paper
4Stability of the object's composition
If the center of gravity of the moving portion varies due to staple consumption, then the binding process becomes unstable, but separating the staple storage from the head portion maintains constant center of gravity
Solution Approach 1:
The driver unit is divided into a stationary staple storage portion and a movable head portion. Since only the head portion moves vertically during operation, its center of gravity remains constant regardless of staple consumption in the stationary storage portion. This segmentation isolates the variable mass (staples) from the moving components, ensuring stable and consistent binding performance throughout the staple supply cycle
Solution Approach 2:
The variable mass element (staples in the storage portion) is extracted from the moving portion and placed in a stationary location. This extraction ensures that the center of gravity of the moving head portion remains constant during operation, maintaining binding stability without requiring complex compensation mechanisms
Data Source
AI summary
An electric stapler is provided with: a driver unit including a driver for striking out a staple to be penetrated through sheets of paper; and a clincher unit including a clincher for bending leg portions of the staple penetrated through the sheets of paper. The driver unit is provided with: a staple storage portion for storing therein a large number of connected staples; a head portion for striking out the staple; a drive portion configured to drive said driver provided slidably in the head portion; and a head raise/lower mechanism configured to relatively move the head portion with respect to the staple storage portion toward the clincher unit to thereby clamp the sheets of paper.