Stapler module and multi-function peripheral having the same

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to a stapler module and a multi-function peripheral having the same, in particular, to a movable stapler module a multi-function peripheral having the same.

2. Description of Related Art

In the informationization society, automatic apparatuses such as scanners, photocopiers or printers are set in the office. Users may process documents by using the automatic apparatuses. It is mentionable that much space is necessary if a number of said automatic apparatuses are all set up in the office. Therefore, a multi-function peripheral (MPF) integrating functions of copying, printing, and scanning is developed for resolving said problems.

Users usually place a stack of papers on the multi-function peripheral while copying, printing, or scanning. Meanwhile, the multi-function peripheral may further include a stapler module for stapling the papers after the papers are copied or printed. In general, the stapler module at least has a stapler and an anvil, and a proper gap is between the stapler and the anvil for placing the papers therebetween. While the copied or printed papers are transmitted to the gap between the stapler and the anvil and held by the anvil, the stapler staples the papers. The gap between the stapler and the anvil must be small enough, such that the stapler can staple the papers on the anvil properly. However, since the gap is too small, the papers are likely to contact the stapler or the anvil, such that the papers are not fed smoothly when the papers are fed to the gap between the stapler and the anvil.

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a stapler module for feeding papers in a smooth manner.

The present invention is further directed to a multi-function peripheral having stapler module for making the feeding of the papers more fluent.

The present invention provides a stapler module for stapling a plurality of papers. The stapler module comprises a fixing structure, a driving set, two staplers, and two anvils. The driving set comprises a motor, a transmitting structure, and two connecting parts. The motor is fixed to the fixing structure. The transmitting structure is coupled to the motor. The two connecting parts are respectively coupled to two ends of the transmitting structure. The two staplers are respectively connected to the two connecting parts. The anvils are fixed to the fixing structure and respectively correspond to the two staplers. The two connecting parts are driven by the motor to move toward or away from the two anvils through the transmitting structure, such that a first distance or a second distance longer than the first distance is between each of the staplers and the corresponding anvil. The two staplers staple the papers while the first distance is between each of the staplers and the corresponding anvil, and the papers are moved along a paper feeding path defined between the two staplers and the two anvils while the second distance is between each of the staplers and the corresponding anvil.

The present invention further provides a multi-function peripheral comprising a main body and a stapler module. The stapler module is used for stapling a plurality of papers. The stapler module comprises a fixing structure, a driving set, two staplers, and two anvils. The fixing structure is disposed in the main body. The driving set comprises a motor, a transmitting structure and two connecting parts. The motor is fixed to the fixing structure. The transmitting structure is coupled to the motor. The two connecting parts are respectively coupled to two ends of the transmitting structure. The two staplers are respectively connected to the two connecting parts. The anvils are fixed to the fixing structure and respectively correspond to the two staplers. The two connecting parts are driven by the motor to move toward or away from the two anvils through the transmitting structure, such that a first distance or a second distance longer than the first distance is between each of the staplers and the corresponding anvil. The two staplers staple the papers while the first distance is between each of the staplers and the corresponding anvil, and the papers are moved along a paper feeding path defined between the two staplers and the two anvils while the second distance is between each of the staplers and the corresponding anvil.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the transmitting structure comprises a worm gear, a bevel gear, a driving rod, and two connecting rod sets. The worm gear is connected to the motor. The bevel gear is engaged to the worm gear. The driving rod is connected to the bevel gear. The two connecting rod sets are respectively connected to two ends of the driving rod and respectively coupled to the two connecting parts, wherein the motor is used for driving the worm gear and the bevel gear to rotate, such that the driving rod respectively drives the two connecting parts to move toward or away from the two anvils through the two connecting rod sets while the bevel gear is rotated.

In an embodiment of the present invention, each of the two ends of the driving rod has a spiral portion respectively corresponding to the two connecting rod sets, and each of the connecting rod sets comprises a first rod, a second rod, and a third rod. The first rod has a threaded hole, wherein an end of the first rod is coupled to the corresponding spiral portion through the threaded hole. The two first rods move away from or toward each other along an extending direction of the driving rod while the driving rod drives the two connecting parts to move toward or away from the two anvils through the two connecting rod sets, respectively. The second rod has a first pivoting portion, a second pivoting portion, and a third pivoting portion between the first pivoting portion and the second pivoting portion, wherein the first pivoting portion and the second pivoting portion are respectively coupled to another end of the first rod and the connecting part. The third rod has a fourth pivoting portion, a fifth pivoting portion, and a sixth pivoting portion respectively coupled to the connecting parts, the third pivoting portion, and the fixing structure.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the fixing structure comprises a cover covering at least a part of the driving set.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the paper feeding path is substantially vertical to a moving direction of each of the staplers.

In view of the above, the stapler of the stapler module of the multi-function peripheral according to the present invention can be moved toward or away from the anvils by driving the driving set. The stapler staples the papers while the stapler moves toward the anvil and a shorter distance is between the stapler and the anvil. The probability that the papers contact the stapler or the anvil when the papers are fed to a gap between the stapler and the anvil is reduced while the stapler moves away from the anvil and a longer distance is between the stapler and the anvil, and the papers are fed more smoothly.

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a multi-function peripheral of an embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a 3D view of the stapler module in FIG. 1 .

FIG. 3 is a 3D view of a partial structure of the stapler module in FIG. 1 .

FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B schematically show the actions of the stapler module in FIG. 1 .

FIG. 5 is a side view of FIG. 4B along a direction I.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the driving set of FIG. 2 .

Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a multi-function peripheral of an embodiment according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a 3D view of the stapler module in FIG. 1 . FIG. 3 is a 3D view of a partial structure of the stapler module in FIG. 1 . Referring to FIG. 1 , FIG. 2 , and FIG. 3 , a multi-function peripheral 1000 of this embodiment comprises a main body 1100 and a stapler module 1200 . The stapler module 1200 comprises a fixing structure 1210 , a driving set 1220 , two staplers 1230 , and two anvils 1240 . In this embodiment, the fixing structure 1210 may comprise a cover 1212 covering at least a part of the driving set 1220 for avoiding structural damage caused by an external force.

The fixing structure 1210 is disposed in the main body 1100 . The driving set 1220 comprises a motor 1222 , a transmitting structure 1224 , and two connecting parts 1226 . The motor 1222 is fixed to the fixing structure 1210 . The transmitting structure 1224 is coupled to the motor 1222 . The two connecting parts 1226 are respectively coupled to two ends of the transmitting structure 1224 . The two staplers 1230 are respectively connected to the two connecting parts 1226 . The anvils 1240 are fixed to the fixing structure 1210 and respectively correspond to the two staplers 1230 .

FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B schematically show the actions of the stapler module in FIG. 1 . FIG. 5 is a side view of FIG. 4B along a direction I. Referring to FIG. 3 , FIG. 4A , FIG. 4B , and FIG. 5 , the two connecting parts 1226 are driven by the motor 1222 to move toward or away from the two anvils 1240 through the transmitting structure 1224 , such that a first distance D 1 (as shown in FIG. 4A ) or a second distance D 2 (as shown in FIG. 4B ) longer than the first distance D 1 is between each of the staplers 1230 and the corresponding anvil 1240 . The two staplers 1230 staple papers 50 while the first distance D 1 is between each of the staplers 1230 and the corresponding anvil 1240 , and the papers 50 are moved along a paper feeding path R defined between the two staplers 1230 and the two anvils 1240 while the second distance D 2 is between each of the staplers 1230 and the corresponding anvil 1240 . In this embodiment, the paper feeding path R is substantially vertical to a moving direction V 3 of each of the staplers 1230 .

In other words, according to this embodiment, the staplers 1230 can move away from or toward the anvils 1240 . Therefore, a longer distance D 2 between the staplers 1230 and the anvils 1240 can be obtained so as to reduce the probability that the papers 50 contact the staplers 1230 or the anvils 1240 when the papers 50 are moved along the paper feeding path R, and the papers 50 are fed more smoothly. A smaller distance D 1 between the staplers 1230 and the anvils 1240 can be obtained while the papers 50 are fed to a gap between the staplers 1230 and the anvils 1240 and held by the anvils 1240 for better stapling the papers 50 .

FIG. 6 is a side view of the driving set of FIG. 2 . Referring to FIG. 6 , in detail, according to this embodiment, the transmitting structure 1224 comprises a worm gear 1224 a , a bevel gear 1224 b , a driving rod 1224 c , and two connecting rod sets 1224 d . The worm gear 1224 a is connected to the motor 1222 . The bevel gear 1224 b is engaged to the worm gear 1224 a . The driving rod 1224 c is connected to the bevel gear 1224 b . The two connecting rod sets 1224 d are respectively connected to two ends of the driving rod 1224 c and respectively coupled to the two connecting parts 1226 . The motor 1222 is used for driving the worm gear 1224 a and the bevel gear 1224 b to rotate, such that the driving rod 1224 c respectively drives the two connecting parts 1226 to move toward or away from the two anvils 1240 (shown in FIG. 3 ) through the two connecting rod sets 1224 d while the bevel gear 1224 b is rotated.

In more detail, each of the two ends of the driving rod 1224 c has a spiral portion W respectively corresponding to the two connecting rod sets 1224 d , and each of the connecting rod sets 1224 d comprises a first rod S 1 , a second rod S 2 , and a third rod S 3 . The first rod S 1 has a threaded hole H, wherein an end E 1 of the first rod S 1 is coupled to the corresponding spiral portion W through the threaded hole H. The two first rods S 1 move away from or toward each other along an extending direction V 1 of the driving rod 1224 c while the driving rod 1224 c drives the two connecting parts 1226 to move toward or away from the two anvils 1240 through the two connecting rod sets 1224 d , respectively.

The second rod S 2 has a first pivoting portion P 1 , a second pivoting portion P 2 , and a third pivoting portion P 3 between the first pivoting portion P 1 and the second pivoting portion P 2 , wherein the first pivoting portion P 1 and the second pivoting portion P 2 are respectively coupled to another end E 2 of the first rod S 1 and the connecting parts 1226 . The third rod S 3 has a fourth pivoting portion P 4 , a fifth pivoting portion P 5 , and a sixth pivoting portion P 6 respectively coupled to the connecting parts 1226 , the third pivoting portion P 3 , and the fixing structure 1210 (as shown in FIG. 2 ). Each second rod S 2 and each third rod S 3 are driven to rotate along a direction V 2 while the two first rods S 1 are moved toward or away from each other along the extending direction V 1 of the driving rod 1224 c , such that the connecting parts 1226 move along the direction V 3 .

It is notable that the combination of the motor 1222 , the worm gear 1224 a , and the bevel gear 1224 b in FIG. 6 and the combination of the first rod S 1 , the second rod S 2 , and the third rod S 3 of the connecting rod set 1224 d can save effort and reduce the load of the motor 1222 . Meanwhile, the movements of the first rods S 1 at the two ends of the driving rod 1224 c in the direction V 1 are symmetric and contrary to each other, such that the first rods S 1 at the two ends of the driving rod 1224 c can be counteracted to reduce the load of the motor 1222 .

In view of the above, the stapler of the stapler module of the multi-function peripheral according to the present invention can be moved toward or away from the anvil by driving the driving set. The stapler staples the papers while the stapler moves toward the anvil and a shorter distance is between the stapler and the anvil. The probability that the papers contact the stapler or the anvil when the papers are fed to the gap between the stapler and the anvil is reduced while the stapler moves away from the anvil and a longer distance is between the stapler and the anvil, and the papers are fed more smoothly. Meanwhile, the combination of the motor, the worm gear, and the bevel gear or the combination of the first rod, the second rod, and the third rod of the connecting rod set can save effort, reduce the load of the motor, and increase lifespan of the motor.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.