Magazine assembly and a stapler including the same

• US 10,639,779 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2017
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2017
• 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): Chukwurah, Nathaniel C
• Application Number:
  US15/668,219
• Publication Number:
  US 20190039223A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• Field of Search: 227 63109, 227120, 227130, 227131, 227134
• 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 5/161 employing a spring-loaded puller
• CPC Class Codes: B25C 5/1651 of T-shaped staples or nails
• CPC Class Codes: B25C 5/1696 Staple support displaceable relative to the tool to allow re-loading
• CPC Class Codes: B27F 7/38 Staple feeding devices

Abstract

A magazine assembly and a stapler including the same are provided. The magazine assembly includes a base and a rail assembly. The base has a first end portion and a second end portion. A direction from the second end portion toward the first end portion is defined as a first direction. The rail assembly is disposed on the base and adapted for a staple unit to movably abut thereagainst along the first direction. The rail assembly includes a first rail and a second rail which are separate. A first side wall of the first rail has at least one guiding portion extending in the first direction. Each guiding portion is adapted for a head of a T-shaped staple to slidably engage therewith along the first direction. The second rail is adapted for a U-shaped staple to abut thereagainst.

Claims

1. A magazine assembly, configured to be assembled to a stapler, including:

a base, having a first end portion and a second end portion, a direction from the second end portion toward the first end portion being defined as a first direction;

a rail assembly, disposed on the base and adapted for a staple unit to movably abut thereagainst along the first direction, including a first rail and a second rail which are separate, the staple unit including a T-shaped staple and a U-shaped staple;

wherein a distance between a top of the first rail and the base is substantially equal to a distance between a top of the second rail and the base; and

wherein the U-shaped staple defines two straight sections and a curve section, as viewed in the first direction, the two straight sections are symmetrically arranged by a center line of U-shaped staple, the curve section is divided equally by the center line, the second rail has two guiding portions, the two guiding portions are adapted for abutting against an inner wall of the U-shaped staple and being located by two sides of the center line of the second rail, each of the guiding portions has a first end point, a second end point and a successive segment, the first end point is closer to the center line than the second end point, and the first end point is farther away the base than the second end point, and the successive segment is connected with the first end point and the second end point;

wherein the first and the second end points are adapted for abutting against an inner wall of the curve section, and the successive segment does not contact the inner wall of the curve section.

2. The magazine assembly of claim 1, wherein the first rail has at least one groove portion extending along the first direction is disposed on a first side wall facing in a direction away from the second rail, the at least one groove portion is adapted for a head of the T-shaped staple to slidably engage therewith along the first direction.

3. The magazine assembly of claim 2, wherein the first rail further has a second side wall facing the second rail, the second side wall has at least one rib portion extending along the first direction, the at least one rib portion corresponds to the at least one groove portion, and the at least one rib portion protrudes toward the second rail for being abutted against laterally by the U-shaped staple.

4. The magazine assembly of claim 1, wherein as viewed in the first direction, the two guiding portions are symmetrically arranged and slant relative to the center line, and the successive segment is an inclined face.

5. The magazine assembly of claim 4, wherein the second rail further has a connection portion connected with the two guiding portions, the connection portion is between a phantom line and the base, and the phantom line is between the first end points of the two guiding portions.

6. The magazine assembly of claim 5, wherein as viewed in the first direction, the U-shaped staple defines a datum line passing through two joins of the two straight sections and the curve section, and the two guiding portions and the connection portion are located between the datum line and the curve section.

7. The magazine assembly of claim 6, wherein the connection portion is connected with the two guiding portions along a direction in which the phantom line extends, the connection portion and the two guiding portions are configured to be a part of a trapezoid;

the first rail has at least one groove portion extending along the first direction is disposed on a first side wall facing in a direction away from the second rail, the at least one groove portion is adapted for a head of the T-shaped staple to slidably engage therewith along the first direction;

the first rail further has a second side wall facing the second rail, the second side wall has at least one rib portion extending along the first direction, the at least one rib portion corresponds to the at least one groove portion, and the at least one rib portion protrudes toward the second rail for being abutted against laterally by the U-shaped staple;

the second rail further includes two main bodies which are separate, each of the two main bodies is connected with one of the two guiding portions and the base, a join of the base and one of the two guiding portions is a rounded corner and defined as the second end point, each join of the guiding portions and the connection portion is a rounded corner and defined as the first end point;

the first rail further includes a top portion and a bottom portion which are connected with the first side wall and the second side wall, the bottom portion is connected with the base, the top portion has an inclined face, the inclined face extends slantly from the second side wall toward the first side wall and the base, and the inclined face is for being abutted against by the head of the T-shaped staple;

the magazine assembly further includes a pushing mechanism, the pushing mechanism has a pushing member, two slide tracks, and at least one constant torque spring which rolls back normally, the pushing member covers the rail assembly, the two slide tracks respectively penetrate the first and second rails, the constant torque spring is rollably attached to the pushing member, and a free end of the constant torque spring is positioned at the first end portion so as to normally bias the pushing member to move toward the first end portion;

the second rail covers the constant torque spring;

the magazine assembly further includes a cover covering the rail assembly, the cover has a top plate and two side plates, the rail assembly is between the top plate and the base, as viewed in the first direction, the top plate has a raised portion and two smooth sections connected with two sides of the raised portion, the two smooth sections are located in a same plane, the raised portion protrudes away from the rail assembly.

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

a machine assembly, including a pressing member, a shell and an impact plate, the shell having a magazine portion receiving the magazine assembly, the magazine assembly and the shell defining a discharge opening therebetween, the discharge opening being adapted for corresponding to part of the staple unit, the pressing member and the impact plate being comovable, wherein when the pressing member is moved relative to the shell, the pressing member drives the impact plate to move toward the discharge opening to discharge the part of the staple unit.

9. A magazine assembly, configured to be assembled to a stapler, including:

a base, having a first end portion and a second end portion, a direction from the second end portion toward the first end portion being defined as a first direction;

a rail assembly, disposed on the base and adapted for a staple unit to movably abut thereagainst along the first direction, including a first rail and a second rail which are separate, the staple unit including a T-shaped staple and a U-shaped staple;

wherein a distance between a top of the first rail and the base is substantially equal to a distance between a top of the second rail and the base;

wherein the U-shaped staple defines two straight sections and a curve section, as viewed in the first direction, the two straight sections are symmetrically arranged by a center line of U-shaped staple, the curve section is divided equally by the center line, the second rail has two guiding portions, the two guiding portions are adapted for abutting against an inner wall of the U-shaped staple and being located by two sides of the center line of the second rail, each of the guiding portions has a first end point, a second end point and a successive segment, the first end point is closer to the center line than the second end point, and the first end point is farther away the base than the second end point, and the successive segment is connected with the first end point and the second end point;

wherein as viewed in the first direction, the successive segment of one of the two guiding portions is an inclined face and approximates to the first rail, and the successive segment of the other of the two guiding portions is stepped and away from the first rail.