Binding Device

The present invention relates to a binding device which causes legs of a bind member to pass through punched holes formed in sheets to be bound, and forms the legs into a ring-like shape, thereby binding the sheets.

For example, plural copied sheets are bound and then distributed during a meeting or presentation. Generally, staples are used as a means for binding sheets. However, this means has a disadvantage in that a spread portion of the bound sheets is difficult to see. Means for bonding together end faces of sheets using a hot melt adhesive is also known. However, the means which uses a hot melt adhesive in binding has a problem in that the adhesive must be cooled after beating and hence the binding process requires a prolonged time period.

A binding device which allows sheets to be completely spread and in which the binding process can be rapidly performed is known. In the device, as shown in FIG. 12(a), a bind member 22 is used in which plural U-like pieces 21 perpendicularly project from a straight portion 20 at regular intervals. The U-like pieces 21 are passed through punched holes 24 which are previously formed along edges of sheets 23, respectively. The portions projecting from the punched holes 24 are bent by a bending device as shown in FIG. 12(b) to form the pieces into a ring-like shape, whereby the sheets 23 are bound. When sheets are bound by such a binding device, facing pages can be spread 180 degrees, and the whole face of each page can be seen.

However, the binding device has problems as follows. The bind member 22 itself has the plural U-like pieces 21 which are previously shaped, and the length of the member is chosen to correspond to a length of a side of a particular size sheet 23 (for example a B5 size, A4 size, or the like). Therefore, each bind member is bulky. When multiple bind members are prepared, a large space is required, and the bind members may become entangled with one another and hence difficult to handle. Furthermore, the production cost of one bind member is high. Therefore, the work of binding a number of sheets while grouping the sheets into many sets is cumbersome and costly.

It is an object or the invention to provide a binding device which can solve the above-discussed problems and can perform multiple binding operations easily and at a low cost.

It is another object of the invention to provide a binding device in which a bind member is formed into a ring-like shapes and sheets are bound via the bind member, and the bind member thus shaped can be easily removed with the sheets from the binding device.

In order to attain this object, the binding device of the invention comprises: a bind member in which parallel legs extend perpendicularly from a straight portion; a driver plate which drives the straight portion of the bind member toward the legs; curved shaping guide grooves which are formed to respectively correspond to the legs; and a fulcrum member which is disposed in the vicinity of and inside one end of each of the shaping guide grooves, and which constitutes shaping fulcrums, the shaping fulcrums respectively engaging with side faces of the legs of the bind member which is driven out toward the one end of each of the shaping guide grooves, thereby bendingly shaping the legs, and, during a period after the bind member is driven and before the legs are formed into ring-like shapes by the fulcrum member and the shaping guide grooves, the legs are passed through punched holes formed in an edge portion of each of sheets.

Instead of the curved shape, the shaping guide grooves may have a shape in which the shaping guide grooves are inclined to form an obtuse angle with respect to axes of the legs of the bind member which is driven out by the driver plate.

According to another aspect of the invention, in the binding device described above, the fulcrum member is movable between a forming position, where the fulcrum member serves as a fulcrum when the driver plate drives the bind member, and a retracting position where the fulcrum member retracts from the bind member thus formed after bending.

Preferably, the fulcrum member has an escape portion to prevent the legs of the bind member from hitting the fulcrum.

According to a further aspect of the invention, in the binding device described above, the shaping guide grooves are formed such that an interval between the shaping guide grooves near the legs is smaller that of the root portion of the bind member so that the legs of the bind member is bent inside the root portion thereof.

According to a further aspect of the invention, in the binding device described above, the fulcrum member is movable perpendicular to a direction of movement of the driver plate, the sheets are put on the fulcrum member so that the legs are positioned above the punched holes of the sheets, and the legs pass through the punched holes prior to the shaping guide grooves.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of sheets to be used with a binding device;

FIG. 2(a) is a perspective view of bind members, FIG. 2(b) is a perspective view of a binding device according to an embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 2(c) is a longitudinal section view of the device;

FIG. 3(a) is a diagram showing the principle of the shaping in the binding device, and FIG. 3(b) is a view showing a manner of shaping a bind member;

FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) are diagrams illustrating a manner of operating the binding device where the bind member has not entered the guide grooves and where the bind member has entered the guide grooves, respectively;

FIG. 5(a) is a longitudinal section view and FIG. 5(b) is a perspective view showing the case where a driver plate reaches the lowermost position, respectively;

FIG. 6 is a transverse section view illustrating a manner of guiding the bind member;

FIG. 7(a) is a longitudinal section view and FIG. 7(b) is a perspective view showing the case where the driver plate is upward moved, respectively;

FIG. 8 is a view showing a complete state of the binding;

FIG. 9(a) is a diagram illustrating another example of the configuration of a shaping guide groove, and FIG. 9(b) is a view showing a shaping manner;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a binding device according to another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a manner of guiding a bind member in the binding device;

FIG. 12(a) is a diagram illustrating the insertion of sheets into a conventional binding device, and FIG. 12(b) is a diagram illustrating the shaping of a bind member in a conventional binding device;

FIG. 13(a) is a perspective view of a binding device according to a still further embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 13(b) is a longitudinal section view of the device;

FIGS. 14(a) and 14(b) are diagrams illustrating a manner of operating the binding device where the bind member has not entered the guide grooves and where the bind member has entered the guide grooves, respectively;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing the case where a driver plate reaches the lowermost position;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing the case where a bind member is removed from the binding device;

FIG. 17 shows another example of a fruclum member of a binding device according to a still further embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 18 shows shaping guide grooves of a shaping block of a binding device according to a still further embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 19 shows a bind member bent by the shaping guide grooves of the shaping block; and

FIG. 20 shows the case where the sheets are put on the fulcrum member.

In FIG. 1, sheets 1 are stacked to be bound. Two pairs of punched holes 2 are previously punched in an edge portion of each of the sheets 1 by a punch which is not shown. In FIG. 2(a), a bind member 3 is a U-like metal member in which a pair of parallel legs 3b extend perpendicularly from the ends of a straight portion 3a. Usually, multiple bind members are bonded together so as to form a connected bind member.

FIG. 2(b) is a perspective view of the binding device, and FIG. 2(c) is a section view of the device. The binding device bends the bind member 3 into a ring-like shape, and comprises: a shaping block 5 having a pair of shaping guide grooves 4; a face plate 6 which is disposed above the shaping block 5; and a driver plate 7 which is vertically movable along the rear face of the face plate 6. A supply path 8 for a connected bind member is formed behind the face plate 6. A connected bind member in the supply path 8 are always pressed against the back face side of the face plate 6 (in the forward direction) by pressing means which is not shown, so that the leading bind member 3 is positioned below the driver plate 7.

The shaping block 5 has a substantially J-like section shape. The pair of shaping guide grooves 4 are formed in the inner curved face. As shown in FIG. 3(a), a half-circular shape may be used as a shaping block 14. It is not necessary to form the shaping guide grooves 4 in the half-circular shaping block 14. Also the groove bottom 4a of each shaping guide groove 4 is arcuately formed. The upper ends 4b of the shaping guide grooves 4 are positioned such that the legs 3b of the leading bind member 3 in the supply path 8 are aligned with the shaping guide grooves 4.

The face plate 6 is disposed so as to be vertically movable together with the driver plate 7. The face plate is configured so that it stops its downward movement at an intermediate point of the downward movement of the driver plate 7 and starts its upward movement from an intermediate point of the upward movement of the driver plate. A center area of the lower portion of the face plate 6 is cut away so that a recess 10 is formed. An inclined upper guide face 11 is formed in the upper end face of the recess 10. The inner side portions of projections 12 which are formed on the sides of the recess 10 are inclined so as to form side guide faces 13.

The principle of forming the bind member 3 into a ring-like shape in the above-mentioned configuration will be described. As shown in FIG. 3(a), a shaping fulcrum 15 is disposed in the vicinity of one end of a curved face guide 14 having an arcuate section shape. When a U-like wire member 16 is vertically pressed down between the shaping fulcrum 15 and an end portion of the curved face guide 14, the wire member 16 is not bent until the tip ends of the wire member 16 contacts the curved face guide 14. When the wire member is further pressed down, the tip ends of the wire member are guided along the curved face guide 14. Therefore, the wire member 16 is bent at a location which proceeds the shaping fulcrum 15. As a result, the wire member 16 is formed into a ring-like shape as shown in FIG. 3(b). In this way, the wire member 16 which is originally straight can be formed into a ring-like shape by the combination of the shaping fulcrum 15 and the curved face guide 14.

Next, a manner of using the thus configured binding device will be described. As shown in FIG. 4(a), first, the sheets 1 are placed so that a pair of punched holes 2 are correspondingly positioned directly below the tip ends of the shaping guide grooves 4 of the shaping block 5. When the driver plate 7 is moved downward along the back face of the face plate 6, the face plate 6 is lowered to the predetermined position and then stops there, so that the side projections 12 serve as shaping fulcrums. By contrast, the driver plate 7 contacts the straight portion 3a of the leading bind member 3 and presses down the portion toward the legs 3b. Therefore, the legs 3b of the sides of the bind member 3 pass through the space between the tip end of the driver plate 7 and the shaping guide grooves 4, and the tip ends of the legs bump against the groove bottoms of the shaping guide grooves 4 of the shaping block 5 and, as shown in FIG. 4(b), are then guided by the projections 12 (shaping fulcrums) of the driver plate 7 so as to be bent along the curved faces of the shaping guide grooves 4, with the result that the legs are curved. When the legs thereafter project from the tip ends of the shaping guide grooves 4, the projecting portions are inserted into the respective punched holes 2 of the sheets 1 while maintaining their curved shape, and then pass through the punched holes 2. Thereafter, the projecting portions approach the recess 10 of the face plate 6, and, as shown in FIGS. 5(a), 5(b), and 6, are then inwardly guided by the side guide faces 13 of the face plate 6 and caused by the upper guide face 11 to abut against the side faces of the legs 3b of the bind member 3, respectively. As a result, the pair of legs 3b are formed into one pair of circular ring-like shapes. After the lowermost position, as shown in FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b), the driver plate 7 moves upward and returns to its initial position. At the same time, also the face plate 6 moves upward to return to its initial position, and the projections 12 (shaping fulcrums) of the driver plate 7 retract such that they no longer contact the bind member 3. Consequently, the bind member 3 can be taken out from the shaping block 5. In this way, the pair of legs 3b are formed into one pair of circular ring-like shapes as shown in FIG. 8, and the sheets 1 are bound by the two bind members 3 as illustrated. When the sheets 1 are moved or alternatively the binding device is moved, further bind members 3 can be attached to the sheets 1.

As described above, according to the binding device, the pair of legs 3b of the U-like bind member 3 are formed into ring-like shapes. The bind member 3 itself is small in size and the bind member 3 before the shaping operation has a flat shape. Therefore, the bind member 3 occupies a small space and the production cost of one bind member can be made lower than that of a binding device of the prior art. Furthermore, a large number of bind members 3 can be bonded together so as to be connected to one another. Even in the case of a large number of bind members, therefore, the total space required for the whole of the bind members can be reduced. The legs 3b are not entangled with one another and hence the binding devices are easy to handle.

The binding work can be performed in a similar manner as that of a conventional stapler and hence is easy to do.

The shape of the bind member 3 is not restricted to a linear member having a circular section. For example, the bind member may be a strip-like member. The bind member is not restricted to a member having two legs, and may be a member having three or more legs. The binding device may be of a type in which a straight band member is formed by the device into a U-like shape having two legs and then driven out.

The shaping guide grooves 4 are shown so as to have a semicircular section shape. The shape of the shaping guide grooves is not restricted to this, and may be formed into an arc such as a quadrant or a three-quadrant.

In the illustrated embodiment, the shaping fulcrums are formed on the projections 12 of the face plate 6 and the face plate 6 serves also as the fulcrum member. However, the fulcrum member is not required to be formed integrally with the face plate 6. For example, a fulcrum member (not shown) which is vertically or horizontally movable may be disposed below the face plate.

In place of the arcuate shape, the shaping guide grooves 4 may have a shape in which, as shown in FIG. 9(a), the shaping guide grooves 4 are inclined to form an obtuse angle with respect to the axes of the legs of the bind member 3 which is driven out by the driver plate. In this case, when the bind member 3 is driven out by the driver plate 7 and the tip ends of the legs 3b of the bind member 3 contact the shaping guide grooves 4, the tip end portions which bump against the shaping guide grooves 4 are abruptly guided urged in a direction perpendicular to the axes of the legs 3b because the shaping guide grooves 4 are linearly inclined. Therefore, the legs 3b are bent at the location which contacts the fulcrum member 6a. When the bent portions 17 contact the shaping guide grooves 4, the portions above the bent portions are similarly bent. In this way, as shown in FIG. 9(b), the legs 3b can be formed into polygonal ring-like portions in accordance with the inclination angle of the shaping guide grooves 4.

FIG. 10 shows a further example of the binding device. The binding device comprises: a shaping block 5 having a pair of shaping guide grooves 4; a face plate 6A which is disposed above the shaping block 5; and a driver plate 7 which is vertically movable along the rear face of the face plate 6A; and fulcrum members 12A constituting shaping fulcrums for bendingly shaping legs 3b of a bind member 3 which is driven by the driver plate 7. A supply path 8 for a connected bind member is formed behind the face plate 6A.

The face plate 6A is fixed. The bind member 3 and the driver plate 7 are disposed behind the face plate so as to be vertically slidable.

The fulcrum members 12A are formed by a pair of plate-like members. Fulcrum portions 12a in the form of a projection piece opposingly project from the opposed faces of the fulcrum members 12A. Grooves 19 through which the respective legs 3b of the bind member 3 pass through are formed behind the fulcrum portions 12a. Each fulcrum member 12A is disposed in the vicinity of one end of the corresponding shaping guide groove 4. The fulcrum members 12A are disposed movably in lateral directions perpendicular to the operation directions of the driver plate 7 so as to approach to and separate from each other.

As shown in FIG. 11, sheets 1 are placed on the fulcrum members 12A so that punched holes 2 of the sheets 1 are located between the fulcrum members 12A and the shaping guide grooves 4 and, above the fulcrum members 12A, the punched holes 2 are aligned with the legs 3b of the bind member 3.

Next, a manner of using the thus configured binding device will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 20, the sheets 1 are set on the fulcrum members 12A. When the bind member 3 is driven out by operating the driver plate 7, the legs 3b pass through the respective punched holes 2 of the sheets 1 to engage with the fulcrum portions 12a, and are then guided with using the fulcrum portions as shaping fulcrums so as to be bent along the curved faces of the shaping guide grooves 4, with the result that the legs are formed into a pair of circular ring-like shapes. After reaching the lowermost position, the driver plate 7 moves upward and returns to its initial position. At a substantially same time, the fulcrum members 12A are laterally moved so as to retract from the front of the bind member 3. As a result, the sheets 1 can be removed with the bind member 3.

In this case, the legs 3b pass through the punched holes 2 of the sheets 1 before the tip ends of the legs 3b enter the shaping guide grooves 4 as a result of the operation of driving the bind member. Therefore, the legs 3b of the bind member 3 which are in a straight state pass through the punched holes 2 of the sheets 1, and hence the punched holes 2 are only required to be aligned and are not required to be much larger than the legs of the bind member. Consequently, the sheets 1 can be easily set, and the bound sheets 1 have a play, thereby attaining an effect that the edges are regularly aligned.

The legs 3b are formed into ring-like shapes, and the fulcrum members 12A are then moved so as to retract from the bind member 3. Therefore, the bind member 3 which has been shaped can be easily removed together with the sheets 1 from the binding device.

FIG. 13(a) is a perspective view of a binding device according to a still further embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 13(b) is a longitudinal section view of the device.

This embodiment is similar to the embodiment previously described, but the fulcrum members 12B is different. Each of the fulcrum members 12B is made of a plate member, which is pivoted at a pin 10 of the face plate 6. Fulcrum pieces 11 project from facing surface of the fulcrum members 12B, to face each other. An escape portion 12b is formed above each of the fulcrum pieces 11, in order to prevent the legs 3b of the bind member 3 from contacting the fulcrum members 12B, while the bind member is being bent in circular shape. The fulcrum members 12B are pivotable between a close position where the fulcrum members 12B serve as shaping fulcrums when the driver plate 7 drives the bind member 3 and a open position where the fulcrum members 12B retract, in order to remove the bind member 3 from the binding device when the driver plate 7 returns its initial position (the uppermost position).

Next, a manner of using the thus configured binding device will be described. First, the sheets 1 are set on the fulcrum members 12B, as shown in FIG. 14(a). When the bind member 3 is driven out by operating the driver plate 7, as shown in FIG. 14(b), the legs 3b engage with the fulcrum pieces 11, and are then guided by the fulcrum pieces. The fulcrum pieces act to shape the bind member using the curved faces of the shaping guide grooves 4 then passing through the respective punched holes 2 of the sheets 1, with the result that the legs are formed into a pair of circular ring-like shapes. As shown in FIG. 15, the legs 3b thus bent pass through the escaping portions 12b, and stop at a root portion of the legs 3b, forming the ring-shape. After the lowermost position, the driver plate 7 moves upward and returns to its initial position. At a substantially same time, as shown in FIG. 16, the fulcrum members 12B are pivoted so as to retract from the front of the bind member 3. As a result, the sheets 1 can be removed with the bind member 3 from the binding device.

Fulcrum members are not limited to plate-like shape members. As shown in FIG. 17, a fulcrum member 12C formed in the shape of a cylinder may be used. In this case, the fulcrum member 12C is provided such that the fulcrum member 12C is movable in its axial direction, and retractable from the bind member 3 after the bind member 3 is bent into a ring-shape.

FIG. 18 shows shaping guide grooves of a shaping block of a binding device according to a still further embodiment of the invention. These shaping guide grooves 4 of the shaping block 5 are not parallel to each other, but the shaping guide grooves 4 are formed such that an interval between the shaping guide grooves 4 near the leading ends 17 of the legs 3b is smaller than that of the root portion 18 of the bind member 3.

FIG. 19 shows a bind member 3 bent by the shaping guide grooves 4 of the shaping block 5. Since the interval between the shaping guide grooves 4 near the leading ends 17 of the legs 3b is smaller than that of the root portion 18 of the bind member 3, the leanding ends 17 are simultaneously bent into a circular shape and guided inside the root portion 18. In other words, the legs 3b are bent into a spiral shape.

Non-parallel grooves are not complicated structures, but have a great advantage: The leading ends 17 of the legs 3b are urged towards the interior of the root portion 18, and therefore, projects away from the fulcrum. Consequently, the projections 12 of the face plate 6 which serve as fulcrums are movable without any interference.