Stapler lockout
AssigneeTechtronic Cordless GP
InventorsJeremy Fedrigon, Thomas Evatt, Neil Wright
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A stapler includes a body; a handle coupled to the body, the handle movable between a rest position and an actuated position; a magazine configured to support a plurality of fasteners; a driver that successively drives each of the plurality of fasteners into a workpiece in response to the handle moving to the activated position; and an advancer that moves the plurality of fasteners towards the driver, wherein the advancer comprises an advancer body and a lock feature disposed at a leading end of the advancer body, and wherein the driver comprises a complementary lock feature that interfaces with the lock feature of the advancer when the plurality of fasteners is exhausted to lockout the stapler.
Claims19
A stapler comprising:
- a body;
- a handle coupled to the body, the handle movable between a rest position and an activated position;
- a magazine configured to support a plurality of fasteners;
- a biasing element that stores energy as the handle is moved from the rest position towards the activated position;
- a latching mechanism having a sear;
- a driver, wherein the sear restricts movement of the driver relative to the body prior to the handle reaching the activated position, and wherein the sear releases the driver when the handle reaches the activated position to release the stored energy from the biasing element onto one of the plurality of fasteners via the driver to drive the fastener into a workpiece;
- and
- an advancer that moves the plurality of fasteners towards the driver, wherein the advancer comprises an advancer body and an advancer lock feature disposed at a leading end of the advancer body, and
- wherein the driver comprises a complementary driver lock feature that interfaces with the advancer lock feature to lockout the stapler when the plurality of fasteners is exhausted, wherein a guide surface between the advancer lock feature and the driver comprises a downward taper that allows the driver to move relative to the advancer if the stapler is dry fired, and wherein the complimentary driver lock feature comprises an opening extending through the driver.
A stapler comprising:
- a body;
- a handle movable between a rest position and an activated position;
- a magazine configured to support a plurality of fasteners;
- a biasing element that stores energy as the handle is moved from the rest position towards the activated position;
- a latching mechanism having a sear;
- and
- a driver, wherein the sear restricts movement of the driver relative to the body prior to the handle reaching the activated position, and wherein the sear releases the driver when the handle reaches the activated position to release the stored energy from the biasing element onto one of the plurality of fasteners via the driver to drive the fastener into a workpiece;
- an advancer that moves the plurality of fasteners towards the driver;
- wherein the advancer comprises an advancer body and an advancer lock feature disposed adjacent to a leading end of the advancer body, and
- wherein the driver comprises a complementary driver lock feature that interfaces with the advancer lock feature to lockout the stapler when the plurality of fasteners is exhausted
- wherein the advancer body comprises a connecting member and a plurality of legs each extending from the connecting member, and wherein the advancer lock feature extends from a middle leg of the plurality of legs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.