Binder device releasably engaging aperture or notch of sheet – Sheet retainer with releasable keeper
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-20
2004-05-25
Wellington, A. L. (Department: 3722)
Binder device releasably engaging aperture or notch of sheet
Sheet retainer with releasable keeper
C024S06700R, C024S067110, C024S067500, C024S067700, C024S506000, C024S517000, CD18S034600, CD19S086000, CD19S088000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06739783
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a binder, and more particularly to a binder capable of releasing, by an extremely simple operation, an operating member from a locked state when a pressing member is set in a binding position.
2. Related Art
As a conventional binder, for example, a type as shown in
FIG. 55
is known. In this binder
200
, a metal member is formed as a forming material. The binder
200
comprises a base
202
fixed inside of a cover sheet
201
, a pressing member
204
supported on this base
202
through a plurality of coupling shafts
203
, and an operating member
206
coupled to the pressing member
204
through a coil spring
205
.
The base
202
is composed of a setting plane
210
contacting with the inside of the cover sheet
201
, a support wall
211
standing upward from one end of this setting plane
210
, and a plurality of intermediate walls
212
formed by raising part of the setting plane
210
and disposed substantially parallel to the support wall
211
. The support wall
211
has a plurality of round holes
211
A. and a square hole
211
B for locking the operating member
206
.
The pressing member
204
is shaped with a downward C-shaped cross section. Specifically, it comprises a rectangular flat plane
204
A and a pair of side planes
204
B extending from both longitudinal side edges of the flat plane
204
A and having holes
204
C in a plurality of locations.
The coil spring
205
is provided around a pin
213
disposed between the support wall
211
and one of the intermediate walls
212
. One end side of the coil spring
205
penetrates through the hole
204
C located in substantially the center of the pressing member
204
, while the other end side is disposed so as to extend to the free end side at the lower side position of the operating member
206
. When the operating member
206
is in the prone position illustrated, the pressing member
204
applies a pressing force to paper P, whereas the operating member
206
always applies force in an upward or rising direction.
The coupling shaft
203
is in crank shaped, with one end side penetrating and extending through the holes
204
C located in both sides in the longitudinal direction of the pressing member
204
, and the other end side disposed between the support wall
211
and intermediate wall
212
. Accordingly, when the pressing member
204
moves closer to or away from the setting plane
210
of the base
202
, it is able to move while remaining parallel with the setting plane
210
.
One end side of the operating member
206
is supported on the pin
213
, penetrating through the coil portion of the coil spring
205
. In the side portion of the free end side of the operating member
206
, toward the front or nearer side in the drawing, a protrusion
214
corresponding to the location where a square hole
211
B is provided, and this protrusion
214
is hooked in the square hole
211
B so that the operating member
206
is maintained in a locked position.
In this binder
200
, however, when unlocking the operating member
206
, while pressing the free end side of the operating member
206
to the setting plane
210
side, a force must be also applied in a horizontal direction away from the support wall
211
(horizontal direction to the right side in FIG.
55
), thus requiring operation in two directions, thereby complicating the simple operation. In particular, if a large number of sheets are bound, the spring force of the coil spring
205
is strong such that applying operating force in two directions results in the pressing force being distributed, and it may be difficult to unlock. Such operation causes torsion in the operating member
206
so that the load on the base side is heavy, causing and the operating member
206
to deform or malfunction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is devised in light of such inconvenience, and it is hence an object thereof to provide a binder capable of locking and unlocking an operating member by applying force to the operating member in one direction only.
It is another object of the invention to provide a binder capable of locking and unlocking the operating member only by displacing a part of locking means.
To achieve these objects, the invention provides a binder comprising an operating member having one end supported on a base and the other end provided movably as a free end, a pressing member movable selectively toward and away from the base by the movement of the operating member, a spring member disposed between the pressing member and the operating member, and locking means for locking the operating member when the pressing member is set in a binding position, in which, when being selectively locked and unlocked, the operating member can be selectively locked and unlocked without changing the direction of the operating force during operation so that the convenience of operation is obtained.
Further, when being selectively locked and unlocked, the operating member can be selectively locked and unlocked without changing the direction of the operating force applied against the bias force of the spring member during operation, or the operating member can be locked and unlocked without changing the rotational trajectory of the operating member.
Moreover, the operating member of the invention has first and second operating spots(area, region or portion), in which the operating member is locked and the pressing member is held in the binding position when the first operating spot is operated in a specified direction, and the locking is released to move the pressing member away from the base when the second operating spot is operated in the specified direction. Such a configuration is convenient because the locking can be released by only operating the second operating spot in the same direction as the operating direction applied to the first operating spot. That is, unlike the related art, it is not necessary to apply pressing force and horizontal force simultaneously to the operating member. This enables operating force to be securely applied to the operating member. It relieves distortion from torsion and the like in the operating member.
The first and second operating spots in the invention can be divided by forming a slit in the operating member. As a result, the operating member may be formed in an extremely simple structure.
The operating member may be also composed by assembling a separate part for forming the second operating spot in the main body having the first operating spot. At this time, the separate part may be made of a piece member housed within the main body, with this piece member preferred to be provided movable in the unlocking direction but held so as not to fall out. In such a configuration, the operating force applied to the first and second operating spots is completely independent so that the accuracy of operation can be enhanced.
Further, the locking means comprises an extended shaft portion extending to the spring member and extending to the first and second operating spots, and a hook portion provided in the base selectively hooking the extended shaft portion, in which, when the first operating spot is pressed, the extended shaft portion engages on the hook portion so as to lock, and when the second operating spot is pressed, the axial position of the extended shaft portion is displaced to so as to release the lock. At this time, in the second operating spot, preferably, a contact member contacting a part of the extended shaft portion is provided so that the extended shaft portion can be displaced in the unlocking direction with the displacement of the contact member when the second operating spot is pressed. In such a configuration, a locking mechanism making use of an existing spring member may be employed, and deformation of the operating member can be reliably prevented as the extended shaft portion displaces the axial position by operation of the second operating spot.
The operating member may also have a guide portion for keeping the trajecto
Higashino Takayoshi
Izumi Kenichi
Koike Seiichi
Henderson Mark
Kokuyo Co. Ltd.
Lowe Hauptman & Gilman & Berner LLP
Wellington A. L.
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