Compact electric spring energized desktop stapler

Abstract

A compact, electric, spring energized desktop stapler having a unitized housing providing both an external movable enclosure and a support frame for internal parts is disclosed. The internal power train is preferably elongated with the motor at the rear, a gear set toward the center, and low profile lever and power spring assembly at the front. The lever engages a striker with a normal upper rest position where the power spring is deflected and energized. A cam roller mounted to a final gear holds down the rear of the lever until the system is activated when the final gear rotates and the cam roller rolls off the end of the lever. In the unitized body, the base is pivotally attached to the body at the rear. A base lever selectively links to a cam roller or equivalent structure to move the body downward toward the base during a cycle.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A compact, motorized fastening tool, comprising:
 a body including a front, rear, top, bottom and sides; 
 a fastener guide track extending along the bottom of the body; 
 a striker at the front of the body including an upper striker position above the track and a lower striker position in front of the track; 
 a base pivotally attached to the rear of the body, the base extending forward under the body from the pivotal attachment to the front of the body; 
 a gear set disposed along a length of the body above the base, the gear set including a motor and gears linked thereto, the gear set supported within the body with gear set supports being substantially fixed in position on the body in relation to the fastener guide track through a normal operating cycle; 
 the body including an upper rest position with the front of the body spaced above a front of the base, and a closed base position of the body wherein the body is rotated downward toward the base; 
 a base link selectively engaging the gear set at a base link first end, the first end being within the body, a second end of the base link engaging the base; and 
 the gear set including at least the motor thereof, the body, and the guide track all pivoting together in relation to the base to reach the closed base position. 
 
     
     
       2. The motorized fastening tool of  claim 1 , wherein the base is discrete and separate from the body and substantially exposed to move outside the body. 
     
     
       3. The motorized fastening tool of  claim 1 , wherein a the top of the body is largely externally exposed, and to assume the closed base position, the exposed body top moves downward toward the base. 
     
     
       4. The motorized fastening tool of  claim 3 , wherein the body comprises both of an outermost shell and an internal support frame, and wherein the outermost shell with the internal support frame move downward toward the base. 
     
     
       5. The motorized fastening tool of  claim 1 , wherein the base link partly surrounds the gear set within the body, and an upper arm of the base link extends to the first end above the gear set and a rear arm of the base link extends downward to the second end rearward of the gear set. 
     
     
       6. The motorized fastening tool of  claim 5 , wherein the rear arm passes rearward of the fastener guide track. 
     
     
       7. The motorized fastening tool of  claim 1 , wherein the base link includes a resilient connection between the body and the base wherein the body can be normally, forcibly moved away from the base by deflection of the resilient connection. 
     
     
       8. The motorized fastening tool of  claim 1 , wherein a final gear of the gear set includes cam features, and the cam features selectively engage the base link first end. 
     
     
       9. The motorized fastening tool of  claim 8 , wherein the cam features engage both the base link first end and a striker actuation lever wherein a timing of striker motion and body-to-base motion is coordinated. 
     
     
       10. The motorized fastening tool of  claim 9 , wherein the cam features include rollers fitted to the final gear. 
     
     
       11. The motorized fastening tool of  claim 10 , wherein the final gear includes two attached, diametrically opposed rollers, and at a predetermined rotational position of the final gear, a first roller one of the two attached, diametrically opposed rollers presses the base link first end to pivot the body on the base and a second roller one of the two attached, diametrically opposed rollers actuates the striker to move within the body. 
     
     
       12. A compact, motorized fastening tool, comprising:
 a body with a front, rear, top, bottom, and sides; 
 a fastener guide track disposed along the bottom of the body; 
 a striker disposed at the front of the body including an upper striker position above the track and a lower striker position in front of the track; 
 a motor supported on the body toward the rear of the body; 
 a gear set engaging the motor, the gear set mounted and supported by the body; 
 a pivotal attachment of the base to the to the rear of the body, the base extending forward under the body from the pivotal attachment to the front of the body; and 
 the base and body having separately movable external structures of the fastening tool wherein each of the motor, the gear set, and the body moves in the same manner together about the pivotal attachment toward the base during a normal operating cycle. 
 
     
     
       13. The motorized fastening tool of  claim 12 , wherein the body is a unitized body that provides both an external shell enclosure and a support frame for internal parts including internal structures to guide and support the gear set and motor, the internal parts moving together with the external body shell toward the base about the pivotal attachment during the normal operating cycle. 
     
     
       14. The motorized fastening tool of  claim 12 , wherein the body along with the striker is driven toward the base during the normal operating cycle, and with the body held in a closest position against the base, the striker is pushed downward in a channel of the body toward the base. 
     
     
       15. The motorized fastening tool of  claim 13 , wherein the guide track normally remains fixed in position on the body through a full operational cycle. 
     
     
       16. The motorized fastening tool of  claim 12 , wherein a base link selectively links the body to the base to cause the body to move toward the base, and a final gear of the gear set includes two attached, diametrically opposed cam rollers, and at a predetermined rotational position of the final gear, a first roller one of the two attached, diametrically opposed cam rollers presses a base link first end and a second roller one of the two attached, diametrically opposed cam rollers actuates the striker to move within the body. 
     
     
       17. The motorized fastening tool of  claim 16 , wherein the base link includes an upper arm extending to the base link first end over the gear set and motor, a rear arm extends downward behind the gear set, and the base link includes a resilient connection to the base wherein the base, in its position nearest the body, is normally forcible away from the body by deflection of the resilient connection. 
     
     
       18. The motorized fastening tool of  claim 17 , wherein the rear arm extends downward behind the guide track. 
     
     
       19. The motorized fastening tool of  claim 12 , wherein the base is substantially entirely externally exposed at a front portion, and the body normally moves downward toward the exposed front portion, and the base lies substantially entirely below the guide track. 
     
     
       20. A spring assembly of a fastening tool, comprising:
 a housing with a front, rear, top, bottom and sides;   a fastener guide track along the bottom of the housing;   a striker at the front of the housing including an upper striker position above the track and a lower striker position in front of the track;   a lever and power spring disposed at a front of the housing, wherein the lever is elongated rearward along a length of the housing, the power spring being a torsion type acting on the striker in majority through a torsional connection to cause a downward bias on the striker;   the power spring including a first spring end movable with respect to the housing, the first spring end linked to the striker to move with the striker, a second spring end, and a structure of the power spring disposed between the first and second spring ends extending substantially behind the striker;   the power spring being elongated including a first arm extending forward from a coil of the power spring to the first spring end adjacent to the striker, a second arm of the power spring extends from the coil to the second spring end;   the first spring arm being above the second arm in a deflected energized condition of the tool, and the spring is not deflected in a released condition of the tool wherein the first arm is moved down to be adjacent to the second arm; and   the second spring arm including a segment angled with respect to the first spring arm wherein the angled segment passes under the first spring arm, the angled segment being adjacent to the first spring arm whereby the spring is preloaded in the released condition, and the angled segment being moved away from the first arm under a bias from the lever in the deflected energized condition.    
     
     
       21. The spring assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the first spring arm is below the second spring arm adjacent to the coil, and the first spring arm passes beside the second spring arm to be above the second spring arm at distal portions of the arms further away from the coil.  
     
     
       22. The spring assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the second spring end includes a vertically extending portion adjacent to the first spring arm, the vertically extending portion passing beside the first spring arm to extend upward from below the first spring arm in the released condition of the tool.  
     
     
       23. The spring assembly of  claim 22 , wherein the second spring end includes a bent tip, and the tip includes the vertically extending portion.  
     
     
       24. The spring assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the first spring arm directly engages the striker.  
     
     
       25. The spring assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the first spring arm extends forward below the second spring arm adjacent to the coil, and the second spring arm gasses beside the first spring arm to be below the first spring arm at portions of the respective arms further away from the coil. 
     
     
       26. The spring assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the first spring arm is spaced above a distal portion of the second arm in a deflected energized condition of the tool. 
     
     
       27. The spring assembly of  claim 25 , wherein the second spring arm segment is angled laterally with respect to the first spring arm, and wherein the spring is held stable in the preloaded condition. 
     
     
       28. The spring assembly of  claim 21 , wherein the coil and the arms comprise a wire form, and the second arm includes a sequence of bends of the wire, a first bend forward of the coil, and a second bend further along the wire of the second arm toward a second arm distal end, the bends of the sequence directing the wire of the second arm to pass below the first arm to hold the preloaded condition stable. 
     
     
       29. The spring assembly of  claim 28 , wherein the second bend directs the wire of the second arm to pass below the first arm in the preloaded condition. 
     
     
       30. The spring assembly of  claim 28 , wherein the sequence of bends includes a bent tip of the second arm forming a termination of the second arm, and the bent tip holds the preloaded condition of the power spring stable. 
     
     
       31. The spring assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the first arm includes a bend in a wire of the first arm, the bend directing a distal segment of the wire of the first arm at a lateral angle in relation to the second arm whereby the first and second arms are relatively laterally angled at the distal segment of the first arm in the preloaded condition of the spring, and the distal segment of the first arm passes the second arm adjacent and above the second arm in the preloaded condition of the spring. 
     
     
       32. The spring assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the second arm includes a bend in a wire of the second arm to form a bent distal segment of the wire whereby, in the preloaded condition of the spring, the bent distal segment passes adjacent and below the first arm from one side of a wire of the first arm to an opposed side of the wire of the first arm. 
     
     
       33. The spring assembly of  claim 21 , wherein the second spring end includes a vertically extending portion adjacent to the first spring arm, the vertically extending portion passing beside the first spring arm to extend upward from below the first spring arm in the released condition of the tool. 
     
     
       34. The spring assembly of  claim 33 , wherein the second spring end includes a bent tip, and the tip includes the vertically extending portion.