Magazine assembly and stapler including the same

• US 10,639,778 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2017
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apex Mfg. Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Apex Mfg. Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Wang, Jing- Li, Chang, Py-Yi
• Primary Examiner(s): Desai, Hemant
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Jacob A
• Application Number:
  US15/701,996
• Publication Number:
  US 20190077001A1
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 227109, 227120
• CPC Class Codes: B25C 5/0285 Hand-held stapling tools, e.g. manually operated, i.e. not resting on a working surface during operation
• CPC Class Codes: B25C 5/11 operated by manual or foot power
• CPC Class Codes: B25C 5/1617 employing a spring-loaded pusher

Abstract

A magazine assembly and a stapler including the same are provided. The magazine assembly includes a main body and a staple-pushing mechanism. The main body has a seat body and at least one rail, the seat body has a first end portion and a second end portion, a connection of the first and second end portions is defined as a moving path, and the at least one rail is disposed on the seat body. The staple-pushing mechanism is arranged on the main body, the staple-pushing mechanism includes a staple-pushing member and a constant force spring, and the staple-pushing member is driven to move toward the first end portion via the constant force spring.

Claims

1. A magazine assembly, for being disposed in a stapler, the magazine assembly including:

a main body, having a seat body and at least one rail, the seat body having a first end portion and a second end portion, the first end portion being closer to a striking plate of the stapler than the second end portion, the striking plate being used to strike a staple of a staple unit, a connection of the first and second end portions being defined as a moving path, the at least one rail being disposed on the seat body for the staple unit to abut thereagainst and move along the moving path;

a staple-pushing mechanism, having a staple-pushing member, at least one chute, a constant force spring which is rolled up and a connecting portion, the staple-pushing member being movably arranged on the main body and movable along the moving path, the staple-pushing member for abutting against the staple unit, the at least one chute being formed on the main body and extending along the moving path, the connecting portion being connected to the staple-pushing member and slidably arranged in the at least one chute, the constant force spring is rollably positioned in the staple-pushing member;

wherein a free end of the constant force spring is positioned on the first end portion and drives the staple-pushing member to move toward the first end portion normally;

wherein the staple-pushing member is wider than the at least one chute in a direction lateral to the moving path and located entirely outside the at least one chute, the at least one chute is disposed through the at least one rail, and the connecting portion is disposed through the at least one rail and contactable with the at least one rail within the at least one chute;

the shaft member is disposed through the at least one chute and the constant force spring and further positioned on the staple-pushing member;

the staple-pushing member is arranged on the at least one rail, a number of the at least one rail is two, the two rails are respectively a first rail and a second rail which are spacingly arranged, the first rail is for a T-shaped staple of the staple unit to abut thereagainst, the second rail is for a U- shaped staple of the staple unit to abut thereagainst, a number of the at least one chute is three, the three chutes penetrate the first and second rails on a same plane along the assembling direction, and the shaft member is disposed through the three chutes with two ends of the shaft member being respectively positioned on the staple-pushing member.

2. The magazine assembly of claim 1, wherein the staple-pushing mechanism further includes a base portion, the base portion is connected to the staple-pushing member, and the constant force spring is able to be optionally rolled up with the base portion as an axle.

3. The magazine assembly of claim 2, wherein a shaft member is disposed through the constant force spring along an assembling direction, the shaft member is connected to the staple-pushing member to make the staple-pushing member and the constant force spring be in a co-movement relation;

wherein the assembling direction is defined to be perpendicular to the moving path, a part of the shaft member which overlaps with the constant force spring is defined as the base portion, a part of the shaft member which protrudes beyond the constant force spring is the connecting portion, and the shaft member is connected to the connecting portion.

4. The magazine assembly of claim 1, wherein the first rail is substantially slab-shaped, the second rail is substantially U-shaped and defines a receiving space with the seat body, and the constant force spring is received in the receiving space.

5. The magazine assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one guiding portion which extends along the moving path is recessed on a first side wall of the first rail, and each said guiding portion is for a head portion of the T-shaped staple of the staple unit to be slidably engaged and positioned along the moving path.

6. The magazine assembly of claim 5, wherein the first rail further has a second side wall facing the second rail, the second side wall has at least one rib portion which extends along the moving path, the at least one rib portion respectively corresponds to the at least one guiding portion, the at least one rib portion protrudes toward the second rail, and the at least one rib portion is for abutting laterally against the U-shaped staple of the staple unit.

7. The magazine assembly of claim 3, wherein the first rail further has a top portion and a bottom portion which are connected to the first and second side walls, the bottom portion is connected to the seat body, the top portion has an inclined surface, the inclined surface tilts from the second side wall toward the first side wall and the seat body, and the inclined face is for the head portion of the T-shaped staple to optionally abut thereagainst.

8. The magazine assembly of claim 7, wherein as viewed along the moving path, the staple-pushing member is substantially E-shaped and sandwiched by the first and second rails;

the first rail is slab-shaped, the second rail is substantially U-shaped and defines a receiving space with the seat body, and the constant force spring is received in the receiving space;

a width of the constant force spring is substantially equal to a distance between two inner walls of the second rail;

as viewed along the assembling direction, a first side portion of the constant force spring is remote from the seat body, a second side portion of the constant force spring is close to the seat body, the free end is connected to and positioned on the first end portion from the first side portion toward the second side portion;

the first end portion has a hook portion, the constant force spring has a through hole on the free end, and the hook portion is disposed through the through hole to make the free end positioned on the seat body.

9. A stapler, including the magazine assembly of claim 1, further including:

a machine body assembly, including a pressing member, a shell body and a striking plate, the shell body having a magazine area which receives the magazine assembly, the magazine assembly and the shell body defining a staple outlet therebetween, the staple outlet for corresponding to a part of the staple of the staple unit, the pressing member and the striking plate being linked up, when the pressing member is operated from outside and moves relative to the shell body, the striking plate is driven to move toward an opening of the staple outlet and further strike a part of the staple of the staple unit.