Stapler, post-processing apparatus and image forming system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10654190-B2
Application number	US-201615386411-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2016
Priority date	Dec 22, 2015
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

A stapler includes a staple cartridge in which a staple is stored, a storage unit to which the staple cartridge is detachably attached, a staple ejecting unit which ejects the staple to penetrate a paper sheet, a cutting unit which cuts a staple leg of the staple penetrating the paper sheet, a binding unit which bends the staple leg of the staple penetrating the paper sheet to bind the paper sheet, a cut staple storage unit which stores a cut staple that is cut by the cutting unit, a cut staple quantity detection unit which detects a quantity of the cut staple stored in the cut staple storage unit, and a discharge unit through which the cutting unit and the cut staple storage unit communicate with each other to guide the cut staple to the cut staple storage unit. The cut staple storage unit is attachable to and detachable from the stapler.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A stapler comprising:
a staple cartridge in which a staple is stored;
a storage unit to which the staple cartridge is detachably attached;
a staple ejecting unit which ejects the staple to penetrate a paper sheet;
a cutting unit which cuts a staple leg of the staple penetrating the paper sheet;
a binding unit which bends the staple leg of the staple penetrating the paper sheet to bind the paper sheet;
a cut staple storage unit which stores a cut staple that is cut by the cutting unit;
a cut staple quantity detection unit which detects a quantity of the cut staple stored in the cut staple storage unit; and
a discharge unit through which the cutting unit and the cut staple storage unit communicate with each other to guide the cut staple to the cut staple storage unit,
wherein the cut staple storage unit is attachable to and detachable from the stapler, and
wherein the cut staple quantity detection unit detects the presence or absence of a predetermined quantity of the cut staple stored in the cut staple storage unit, based on the presence or absence of light transmission, and the cut staple quantity detection device comprises:
a light emitting unit which emits light,
a light receiving unit which detects the presence or absence of light which is emitted from the light emitting unit and passes through the cut staple storage unit, and
an optical waveguide which forms an optical path that guides light emitted from the light emitting unit to the light receiving unit.

2. The stapler according to claim 1 , wherein the cut staple quantity detection unit detects the quantity of the cut staple in accordance with a loading height of the cut staple displaced in a direction of the cut staple storage unit.

3. The stapler according to claim 1 , wherein the cut staple quantity detection unit detects that the quantity of the cut staple stored in the cut staple storage unit is full, and performs detachment detection of the cut staple storage unit.

4. The stapler according to claim 1 , wherein the cut staple quantity detection unit detects the presence or absence of the cut staple at a plurality of places along a stacking direction of the cut staples stored in the cut staple storage unit.

5. The stapler according to claim 1 , wherein the quantity of the cut staple detected by the cut staple quantity detection unit is reported to a post-processing apparatus.

6. The stapler according to claim 1 , wherein the cut staple storage unit includes a first recovery passage and a second recovery passage, the light emitting unit emits light which passes through the first recovery passage to the optical waveguide, and light from the optical waveguide passes through the second recovery passage to the light receiving unit.

7. The stapler according to claim 6 , wherein the first recovery passage includes a first window and light from the light emitting device passes through the first window to the optical waveguide, and wherein the second recovery passage includes a second window and light passes from the optical waveguide through the second window to the light receiving unit.

8. The stapler according to claim 1 , wherein light passes through the cut staple storage unit between at least one of: the light emitting unit and the optical waveguide, or the optical waveguide and the light receiving unit.

9. The stapler according to claim 8 , wherein the cut staple storage unit includes a first window on an upstream side of the optical waveguide and a second window on a downstream side of the optical waveguide, such that light passes through the cut staple storage unit both between the light emitting unit and the optical waveguide by way of the first window, and the optical waveguide and the light receiving unit by way of the second window.

10. A post-processing apparatus comprising a stapler, the post-processing apparatus performing post-processing on a paper sheet on which an image is formed, the stapler including:
a staple cartridge in which a staple is stored;
a storage unit to which the staple cartridge is detachably attached;
a staple ejecting unit which ejects a staple to penetrate a paper sheet;
a cutting unit which cuts a staple leg of the staple penetrating the paper sheet;
a binding unit which bends the staple leg of the staple penetrating the paper sheet to bind the paper sheet;
a cut staple storage unit which stores a cut staple that is cut by the cutting unit; and
a discharge unit through which the cutting unit and the cut staple storage unit communicate with each other to guide a cut staple to a cut staple storage unit,
wherein the cut staple storage unit is attachable to and detachable from the stapler, and
wherein the post-processing apparatus further comprises a cut staple quantity detection unit which detects a quantity of the cut staple stored in the cut staple storage unit, and wherein the cut staple quantity detection unit comprises:
a light emitting unit which emits light,
a light receiving unit which detects the presence or absence of light which is emitted from the light emitting unit and passes through the cut staple storage unit, and
an optical waveguide which forms an optical path that guides light emitted from the light emitting unit to the light receiving unit.

11. The post-processing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the cut staple quantity detection unit is provided in the stapler.

12. An image forming system comprising:
an image forming apparatus which forms an image on a paper sheet and outputs the image; and
the post-processing apparatus according to claim 10 which is connected to the image forming apparatus and performs post-processing on the paper sheet.

13. The post-processing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the cut staple storage unit includes a first recovery passage and a second recovery passage, the light emitting unit emits light which passes through the first recovery passage to the optical waveguide, and light from the optical waveguide passes through the second recovery passage to the light receiving unit.

14. The post-processing apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the first recovery passage includes a first window and light from the light emitting device passes through the first window to the optical waveguide, and wherein the second recovery passage includes a second window and light passes from the optical waveguide through the second window to the light receiving unit.

15. The post-processing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein light passes through the cut staple storage unit between at least one of: the light emitting unit and the optical waveguide, or the optical waveguide and the light receiving unit.

16. The post-processing apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the cut staple storage unit includes a first window on an upstream side of the optical waveguide and a second window on a downstream side of the optical waveguide, such that light passes through the cut staple storage unit both between the light emitting unit and the optical waveguide by way of the first window, and the optical waveguide and the light receiving unit by way of the second window.

Assignees

• Max Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shimizu Toshio
• Kameda Futoshi
• Chigira Yoshio
• Sugihara Shinpei

Classifications

• G01V8/10

  Detecting, e.g. by using light barriers (by reflection from the object G01S17/00) · CPC title

• B27F7/38

  Staple feeding devices · CPC title

• B27F7/19 Primary

  with provision for bending the ends of the staples on to the work · CPC title

• G01J1/0425

  using optical fibers · CPC title

• B25C5/0207

  Particular clinching mechanisms (B25C5/0271 takes precedence) · CPC title