GB2437936A

GB2437936A - Staple gun

Info

Publication number: GB2437936A
Application number: GB0609567A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Eric Tsai; Xian-Yao Liao
Original assignee: Apex Mfg Co Ltd
Current assignee: Apex Mfg Co Ltd
Priority date: 2006-05-13
Filing date: 2006-05-13
Publication date: 2007-11-14
Anticipated expiration: 2026-05-13
Also published as: GB0609567D0; GB2437936B

Abstract

A staple gun includes a body and a feeding device 20. The body defines, on a side, a groove for containing staples of various sizes. The feeding device 20 includes a rail 21 and a guiding and pushing element 25. The rail is detachably positioned in the groove 13 for supporting the staples 30, and includes a first lateral strip 21 and a second lateral strip 21 extending parallel to the first lateral strip. The guiding and pushing element 25 is movably installed on the rail 21 for guiding and pushing the staples, and includes a first pushing strip 251, a second pushing stripe 252 extending parallel to the first pushing strip and a guiding lip 253 obliquely extending from the first pushing strip for pushing the staples by the legs on a first side and hence moving the legs of the staples on a second side out of the way of the second lateral strip of the rail regardless of the various sizes of the staples.

Description

1 STAPLE GUN

3 BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

4 1. FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a staple gun and, more particularly, to 6 a staple gun equipped with a feeding device for automatically guiding 7 staples of various sizes.

9 2. RELATED PRIOR ART

Referring to Fig. 9, a conventional staple gun includes a body 1 and a 11 feeding device. The body 1 defmes, on a side, a groove 4 for receiving 12 staples 3 of various sizes. The feeding device is movably positioned in 13 the groove 4. The feeding device includes a rail 2 for supporting the 14 staples 3 and a pushing element 5 for pushing the staples 3. The pushing element 5 is formed with a first pushing strip 6 and a second 16 pushing strip 7.

17 The rail 2 should be positioned between the legs 8 of the staples 3 on 18 both sides. Since the staples 3 are made of various sizes, some of the 19 staples 3 may be positioned in the groove 4 so that their legs 8 on a side get in the way of the rail 2. Hence, a user cannot position the rail 2 21 between the legs 8 of the staples 3 unless he or she tilts the staple gun so 22 as to get the legs 8 of the staples 3 out of the way of the rail 2. This is 23 troublesome.

24 The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least

alleviate the problems encountered in prior art.

1 SUMMARY OF INVENTION

2 According to the present invention, a staple gun includes a body and 3 a feeding device. The body defmes, on a side, a groove for containing 4 staples of various sizes. The feeding device includes a rail and a guiding and pushing element. The rail is detachably positioned in the groove for 6 supporting the staples, and includes a first lateral strip and a second 7 lateral strip extending parallel to the first lateral strip. The guiding and 8 pushing element is movably installed on the rail for guiding and pushing 9 the staples, and includes a first pushing strip, a second pushing strip extending parallel to the first pushing strip and a guiding lip obliquely 11 extending from the first pushing strip for pushing the staples by the legs 12 on a first side and hence moving the legs of the staples on a second side 13 out of the way of the second lateral strip of the rail regardless of the 14 various sizes of the staples.

The primary advantage of the staple gun of the present invention is to 16 enable a user to easily insert the rail into the groove since the guiding lip 17 automatically guides the staples of various sizes out of the way of the rail.

18 Other advantages and features of the present invention will become 19 apparent from the following description referring to the drawings.

21 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

22 The present invention will be described through detailed illustration 23 of two embodiments referring to the drawings.

24 Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a staple gun according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

26 Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the staple gun shown in Fig. 1.

1 Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the staple gun taken along a line 2 3-3inFig.l.

3 Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the staple gun on a first 4 stage of guiding staples shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is another enlarged cross-sectional view of the staple gun on a 6 second stage of guiding the staples shown in Fig. 4.

7 Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the staple gun for feeding staples of 8 another size than shown in Fig. 3.

9 Fig. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the staple gun shown in Fig. 6.

11 Fig. 8 is an exploded view of a staple gun according to the second 12 embodiment of the present invention.

13 Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional staple gun.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

16 Referring to Figs. 1 through 7, there is shown a staple gun according 17 to a first embodiment of the present invention. The staple gun includes 18 a body 10 and a feeding device 20 detachably positioned in the body 10.

19 The feeding device 20 automatically guides staples 30 of various sizes.

Shown in Figs. 3 through 6 are staples 30 of a first size. Shown in Fig. 7 21 are staples 30 of a second size larger than the first size.

22 The body 10 includes a handle 11 formed thereon and a trigger 12 23 installed thereon. When the trigger 12 is operated, the staples 30 will be 24 hammered.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, the body 10 includes two identical halves 26 joined to each other. The body 10 defines, on a side, a groove 13 for 1 receiving the feeding device 20 and the staples 30. A hammer 131 is 2 positioned in the body 10 near an end of the groove 13. The hammer 3 131 is connected to the trigger 12 so that the former hammers the staples 4 30 when the latter is pressed. The interconnection of the hammer 131 and the trigger 12 are not described in detail for not being the spirit of the 6 present invention. A recessed portion 132 is made in the body 10 near 7 an opposite end of the groove 13.

8 The feeding device 20 consists of a rail 28, a retaining element 22, a 9 rod 23, an elastic element 24, a guiding and pushing element 25 and a cover 26.

11 The rail 28 is detachably positioned in the groove 13. The rail 28 12 includes two parallel lateral strips 21 and a middle strip formed between 13 the lateral strips 21. The rail 28 supports the staples 30 so that the rail 14 28 is positioned between the legs 31 of each of the staples 30.

The retaining element 22 is elastically connected to the rail 28. The 16 retaining element 22 includes a protrusion 221 for insertion into the 17 recessed portion 132 of the body 10 so as to retain the rail 28 and the 18 staples 30 in the groove 13.

19 The rod 23 is installed on the rail 28 between the lateral strips 21 of the rail 28. The elastic element 24 is preferably a helical spring installed 21 ontherod23.

22 The guiding and pushing element 25 is movably installed on the rail 23 28. The guiding and pushing element 25 includes a first pushing strip 24 251, a second pushing strip 252, a flat middle strip formed between the pushing strips 251 and 252, a guiding lip 253 extended from the first 26 pushing strip 251 and a tab 254 extended from the middle strip. The 1 guiding lip 253 is inclined from the second pushing strip 252. The tab 2 254 is loaded by the elastic element 24. The tab 254 defines an aperture 3 255. The rod 23 is inserted through the aperture 255 so that the rod 23 4 does not hinder the tab 254.

The cover 26 is connected to the rail 28. The cover 26 includes a 6 restraint 261 formed thereon. The restraint 261 defines an aperture 262.

7 The restraint 261 restrains the staples 30 so that the staples 30 will not be 8 pushed out of the rail 28 by the guiding and pushing element 25. The 9 rod 23 is inserted through the aperture 262.

Referring to Fig. 4, the staples 30 of the first size are positioned on 11 the rail 28. The guiding lip 253 contacts the legs 31 of the staples 30 on 12 a first side. One of the lateral strips 21 of the rail 28 is hindered by the 13 legs 31 of the staples 30 on a second side so that the rail 28 cannot be 14 pushed between the legs 31 of the staples 30 on the first and second sides.

Referring to Fig. 5, the guiding lip 253 pushes the staples 30 by the 16 legs 31 on the first side. Thus, the legs 31 of the staples 30 on the 17 second side are moved out of the way of the lateral strip 21 of the rail 28 18 on the second side. The staples 30 do not hinder the rail 28. That is, 19 the rail 28 can be moved between the legs 31 of the staples 30 on the first and second sides.

21 Referring to Fig. 6, the rail 28 is moved between the legs 31 of the 22 staples 30 to an intended position in the groove 13 50 that the protrusion 23 221 of the retaining element 22 can be inserted in the recessed portion 24 131 of the body 10.

Referring to Fig. 7, the staples 30 of the second size are positioned on 26 the rail 28. The guiding lip 253 pushes the staples 30 by their legs 31 on 1 the first side and therefore ensures that the legs 31 of the staples 30 on the 2 second side are out of the way of the lateral strip 21 of the rail 28 on the 3 second side.

4 Referring to Fig. 8, there is shown a staple gun according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The second embodiment is like 6 the first embodiment except including a guiding and pushing element 27 7 instead of the guiding and pushing element 25. The guiding and 8 pushing element 27 is like the guiding and pushing element 25 except 9 including a hump middle strip instead of the flat middle strip.

The staple gun according to the present invention exhibits at least one 11 advantage that the guiding lip 253 automatically guides the staples 30 of 12 various sizes out of the way of the rail 28 so that a user can easily insert 13 the rail 28 into the groove 13 without having to tilt the staple gun for 14 moving the staples 30 to a side like he or she would with a conventional staple gun.

16 The present invention has been described through the description of 17 the embodiments. Those skilled in the art can derive variations from the 18 embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention.

19 Therefore, the embodiments shall not limit the scope of the present invention defined in the claims.

Claims

1 CLAIMS 2 1. A staple gun comprising: 3 a body (10) defining, on a

side, a groove (13) for containing staples 4 (30) of various sizes; and a feeding device (20) comprising a rail (28) detachably positioned in 6 the groove for supporting the staples and a guiding and pushing 7 element (25) movably installed on the rail for guiding and pushing 8 the staples, the guiding and pushing element comprising a guiding 9 lip (253) for pushing the staples by their legs (31) on a first side and hence moving the legs of the staples on a second side out of the 11 way of the rail regardless of the various sizes of the staples.

12
2. The staple gun according to claim 1 wherein the rail comprises a first 13 lateral strip (21) and a second lateral strip (21) extending parallel to 14 the first lateral strip.

3. The staple gun according to claim 2 wherein the guiding and pushing 16 element comprises a first pushing strip (251) and a second pushing 17 strip (252) extending parallel to the first pushing strip, wherein the 18 guiding lip obliquely extends from the first pushing strip for pushing 19 the staples by the legs on the first side and hence moving the legs of the staples on the second side out of the way of the second lateral strip 21 of the rail.

22 4. The staple gun according to claim 3 wherein the first and second 23 pushing strips of the guiding and pushing element are joined to each 24 other by a middle strip.

5. The staple gun according to claim 2 wherein the feeding device 26 comprises a rod (23) installed between the first and second lateral 1 strips of the rail and an elastic element (24) installed on the rod (23) 2 for biasing the guiding and pushing element.

3 6. The staple gun according to claim 5 wherein the elastic element is a 4 helical spring.

7. The staple gun according to claim 5 wherein the guiding and pushing 6 element comprises a tab (254) in contact with the elastic element.

7 8. The staple gun according to claim 7 wherein the tab of the guiding 8 and pushing element defines an aperture (255) through which the rod 9 is inserted.

9. The staple gun according to claim 1 wherein the feeding device 11 comprises a cover (26) attached to the rail for covering the groove of 12 the body.

13 10. The staple gun according to claim 9 wherein the cover comprises a 14 restraint (261) for restraining the staples on the rail.

11. The staple gun according to claim 10 wherein the restraint of the 16 cover defmes an aperture through which the rod is inserted.

17 12. The staple gun according to claim 1 wherein the feeding device 18 comprises a retaining element (22) installed on the rail for engaging 19 with the body, thus retaining the rail in the groove of the body.

13. The staple gun according to claim 12 wherein the retaining element 21 comprises a protrusion (221) formed thereon, wherein the body 22 comprises a recessed portion (132) for receiving the protrusion of the 23 retaining element.