Media fastening

#Electronic publishing, desktop publishing and other tasks involving print media or other media demand more than a stack of paper in an output tray of a laser printer or photocopier. Typically, many sheets must be bound into finished documents by a paper-handling accessory. Currently, machines exist to perform operations such as binding, folding, trimming, saddle stapling, and hole drilling. These finishing operations are typically performed on many sheets at a time, requiring high forces and powerful motors. Such machines are often expensive and large, depending on function, and often exceed the cost or footprint of desktop or office printers. As such, they are not well-suited to low-cost desktop finishing or other low-cost applications, for example.

#The demands of e.g. electronic and desktop publishing are driving the need for more compact, low-cost, high-quality, and high-speed finishing machines suitable for use alone or with printers, photocopiers, and other machines. Prior-art solutions to making booklets, for example, have involved machines costing thousands of dollars for simple functions such as folding and stapling. They are often bulky, slow, and expensive. Current finishing techniques impose size, cost and power limits upon booklet-making devices and other fastening devices, and hinder the use of these devices in many applications.

#An apparatus for closing fasteners in media includes a plurality of fastener clinches, the plurality of fastener clinches being adapted for operable engagement with a plurality of fastener dispensers, and the plurality of fastener clinches including structure adapted to generally simultaneously close a plurality of fasteners discharged by the fastener dispensers. The apparatus also includes an actuation mechanism for moving the fastener clinches to contact and close the fasteners in the media, and a drive for powering the actuation mechanism.

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fastening device, according to an embodiment of the invention.

#FIG. 2 is a side view of a portion of the FIG. 1 device, according to an embodiment of the invention.

#FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of an actuation mechanism, according to an embodiment of the invention.

#FIG. 1 shows fastening device 10 for sheet media or other media according to an embodiment of the invention. Fastening device 10 includes media transporter assembly 15, including transporter or guide 17, for guiding, moving, or otherwise transporting media with respect to fastening device 10. Fastener head assembly 20 of fastening device 10 includes two fastener heads 22, each for discharging one or more fasteners, such as staples, into sheet media or other media transported by transporter 17. More specifically, fastener heads 22 each include a spring-loaded staple cartridge, for example, for automatically discharging one or more staples upon contact of sufficient force between fastener heads 22 and the media to be fastened. Closing assembly 25 of fastening device 10 supports the media during staple discharge, and includes two closing mechanisms 27 for closing the staples or other fasteners once they are discharged.

#Each fastener head 22 of fastener head assembly is one of a plurality of fastener heads together adapted to simultaneously discharge a plurality of fasteners into sheet media or other media transported by transporter 17. Alternatively, fastening device 10 includes just one fastener head 22. Each closing mechanism 27 of closing assembly 25 is one of a plurality of closing mechanisms adapted to simultaneously close the plurality of fasteners. Alternatively, fastening device 10 includes just one closing mechanism. Each closing mechanism is adapted to close one or more fasteners that are discharged in one or more different locations relative to the media.

#Fastening device 10 includes motor 30 for actuating both transporter 17 and closing mechanisms 27. More specifically, motor 30 is connected to drive belts, linkages, or other connections for simultaneously actuating transporter 17 and closing mechanisms 27. Fastening device 10 also includes motor 40 for moving the plurality of fastener heads 22 to the different desired locations relative to the media. Motors 30 and 40 are DC brush motors, according to one embodiment, although other motor types are contemplated.