Pin

Abstract

Pen with a tubular section (33) having a longitudinal axis (L), a holder (14) which is inserted into the tubular section in the direction of the longitudinal axis, and a clip (10) having a holding portion (12) on which the holder holds the clip, wherein the holder has a first locking device (36) which is adjustable with respect to the tubular section between two positions, namely a) an operating position in which it engages behind a second locking device (38) formed on the tubular section in such a way that it locks the holder against being pulled out of the tubular section, and b) an assembly position in which it releases the holder, characterized by a locking device (16) which is adjustable with respect to the holder (14) between two positions, namely a) an operating position in which it holds the holding section (12) of the clip (10) in the holder and blocks the first locking device (36) against being adjusted in its mounting position, and b) an assembly position in which it holds the holding section of the clip in the holder, but does not lock the first locking device against adjustment in its assembly position.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a pin with a tubular section having a longitudinal axis, a holder which is inserted into the tubular section in the direction of the longitudinal axis, and a clip which has a holding section on which the holder holds the clip, wherein the holder has a first locking device which is adjustable with respect to the tubular section between two positions, namely a) an operating position in which it engages behind a second locking device formed on the tubular section in such a way that it locks the holder against being pulled out of the tubular section, and b) an assembly position in which it releases the holder.

[0002] Pens of the type mentioned above are well known. For example, known pens feature a tab clip inserted into a pocket. In some pens, the clip is positively locked by a pin. Other clips feature a flange ring held between the end of the pen shaft and a plug.

[0003] With conventional pins, the clip often becomes loose and has a low pull-out force. Also, the pull-out force for end caps is often not as high as required, for example, by the end cap standard BS (British Standard) 7272.

[0004] The invention is based on the object of further developing the pin of the type mentioned above in such a way that a robust, solid, and durable clip fastening is achieved, which can preferably only be disassembled with tools. The aforementioned end cap standard BS 7272 is also to be complied with.

[0005] According to the invention, the stated object is achieved in a pen of the type mentioned at the outset by a locking device which is adjustable between two positions with respect to the holder, namely a) an operating position in which it holds the holding portion of the clip in the holder and blocks the first locking device against adjustment in its mounting position, and b) an assembly position in which it holds the holding section of the clip in the holder, but does not lock the first locking device against adjustment in its assembly position.

[0006] When we refer to the operating position above, we mean the position that the pin assumes when fully assembled. In contrast, the assembly position refers to the position that the pin assumes during the manufacturing or assembly process.

[0007] According to the invention, it is particularly provided that the first locking device, in the operating position, engages behind the second locking device due to its locking by the locking device, thus locking the holder against being pulled out of the tubular section. This ensures that the holder cannot be pulled out of the tubular section or can only be pulled out with considerable extraction forces, thus meeting the requirements of the end cap standard BS 7272.

[0008] This also creates a robust, solid and durable clip attachment, particularly due to the fact that the holder, which cannot be removed or can only be removed with great force, holds the clip.

[0009] Furthermore, assembly of the pin can be simplified because the clip, holder, and locking device can form a pre-assembled unit. The holder and locking device are already assembled with each other, with the locking device in the assembly position and holding the clip. If the holder, with the locking device and clip mounted thereon, is then pushed into the tubular section of the pin and moved into the operating position in which the first locking device engages behind the second locking device, and if the locking device is then moved from its assembly position to its operating position, the first locking device continues to engage behind the second locking device and locks the holder against being pulled out of the tubular section, thus completing assembly of the pin.

[0010] Therefore, only two steps are required: inserting the pre-assembled module into the tubular section and adjusting the locking device to its operating position. This assembly process is very simple.

[0011] A further simplification of the assembly process can be achieved according to the invention in that the operating position of the locking device differs from its assembly position by a changed relative position with respect to the holder in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the tubular section.

[0012] In other words, the locking device only needs to be moved in the direction of the longitudinal axis to lock the first locking device.

[0013] A particularly simple design of the pin results when the first locking device is a projection and the second locking device is a section of a wall of a recess.

[0014] To further simplify assembly, the invention provides for the first locking device to be elastically preloaded into the assembly position. Preferably, the elastic restoring force only occurs when the device is moved into the operating position, but not in the assembly position. This allows the holder to be stored. Fatigue due to preloading is not a concern.

[0015] Pens often serve as advertising media. If advertising is applied to the pen, the clip should, if possible, be positioned in such a way that it does not obscure the advertising. Therefore, the invention preferably provides that the clip can be held in only one rotational position around the longitudinal axis relative to the tubular section.

[0016] In this case, only the advertisement needs to be placed outside the area that is foreseeably obscured by the clip.

[0017] According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the holder is connected to the tubular section in the operating position in the manner of a shaft-hub connection. This absorbs any torque introduced by operating the clip, and the locking device is not sheared off by torsion.

[0018] Finally, the invention particularly preferably provides that the shaft-hub connection has two tongue and groove connections, which represents a particularly simple realization of the shaft-hub connection.

[0019] In the following, the invention is explained in more detail using a preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 a clip, a holder and a locking device of a pin according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, Fig. 2 the holder and the locking device according to Fig. 1 in a first position, Fig. 3 the holder, the locking device and the clip in a second position, Fig. 4 the same elements as Fig. 3, but in a third position, Fig. 5 the same elements as in the Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, but in a fourth position, Fig. 6 the same elements as in the Fig. 3 to 5, but in an operating position and Fig. 7 the complete pen.

[0020] The pin shown in the drawings includes a clip 10 with a holding section 12, a holder 14 and a locking device 16. The above elements are shown in Fig. 1 shown individually in different representations.

[0021] Fig. Figure 2 shows the holder and the locking device after a first assembly step. The locking device 16 is then partially inserted into the holder 14. They now have a common longitudinal axis L, which corresponds to the longitudinal axis of the pin. Fig. 2, the locking device 16 strikes with a stop 18 against a stop 20 of the holder 14. As a result, the Fig. 2, the relative position of the locking device 16 with respect to the holder 14 in the direction of the longitudinal axis L is determined.

[0022] The locking device 16 only fits into the holder 14 in a single rotational position about the longitudinal axis L. The reasons for this will be explained later.

[0023] In a next step, the clip 10 with its holding section 12 is inserted into a slot 22 of the holder 14. This state is in Fig. 3 shown.

[0024] Since the clip 10 is only inserted into the slot 22 without any further measures being taken, it can still fall out in this position.

[0025] However, after the next assembly step, this is no longer the case.

[0026] In the next step, the locking device 16 is pushed further into the holder in the direction of the longitudinal axis L until the stop 20 engages in a recess 24 on the locking device 16. This position is in Fig. 4 shown.

[0027] Furthermore, Fig. 4 shows that in this position, the clip 10 is secured against falling out of the slot 22 because ribs 26, 28 engage in recesses 30, 32 on the holding portion 12 of the clip 10. The recesses 30, 32 and the ribs 26, 28 are not identical.

[0028] This inequality is in turn related to the fact that the clip 10 is to be inserted into the slot 22 with its holding section 12 from one side only in order to ensure a clear rotational position about the longitudinal axis L.

[0029] As the section C3-C3 in Fig. As can be seen in Figure 4, the clip 10 still has some play S in this position and thus some degrees of freedom for tilting. These degrees of freedom simplify further assembly.

[0030] The clip 10, the holder 14 and the locking device 16 represent in the Fig. 4 represents an assembly that can be pre-assembled.

[0031] In the next step, the pre-assembled assembly described above is inserted along the longitudinal axis L into a tubular section 33 of the pin 34 until the holder 14 rests on the tubular section. This causes the clip 10 to lose its degree of freedom of tilting and can only be moved slightly in the insertion direction into the slot 22. However, it can no longer fall out.

[0032] The Fig. The fourth position shown in Figure 5 is the assembly position in which the above-described assembly is displaceable in the direction of the longitudinal axis L with respect to the tubular section 33.

[0033] This mobility is in the Fig. 6 is no longer valid. The operating position according to Fig. 6 differs from the one in Fig. 5 in that the locking device 16 has been pushed into the holder 14 in the direction of the longitudinal axis L. As a result, a first locking device 36 is displaced such that it engages behind a wall of a recess 40 of the tubular portion 32 of the pin 34, representing a second locking device 38.

[0034] The adjustment of the first locking device 36 from the assembly position to Fig. 5 into the operating position Fig. 6 is effected by elastic deformation of the relevant part of the holder 14 against an elastic restoring force. The holder 14 is in the assembly position according to Fig. 5 is not pre-tensioned. Rather, the elastic restoring force only acts when the first locking device 36 is moved into the operating position according to Fig. 6 is adjusted, in which it engages behind the second locking device 38, ie the wall of the recess 40.

[0035] Fig. 5 it can also be seen that the locking device 16 has a nose 42 and the holder has a recess 44. In the operating position, they engage Fig. 6 into each other and thus secure the locking device 16 in the holder 14.

[0036] In the operating position after Fig. 6, a depth stop 46 strikes the holding section 12 of the clip 10. Furthermore, the Fig. 5, section C4-C4 shown clearance S no longer exists, see section C5-C5 in Fig. 6, which is why clip 10 no longer has any degrees of freedom.

[0037] How Fig.6, section R5-R5, a shaft-hub connection of the holder 14 with the tubular section 33 of the pin 34 ensures that torques introduced by operating the clip 10 are absorbed and the locking device 36 cannot be sheared off.

[0038] The reason why the locking device 16 and thus the clip 10 can only be mounted in a specific rotational position about the longitudinal axis L is that the pen may be used as an advertising medium and is printed accordingly, which is why it must be ensured that the clip 10 does not cover any advertising messages.

[0039] The features of the invention disclosed in the above description, the claims and the drawings may be essential both individually and in any combination for the realization of the invention in its various embodiments.

Claims

[1] Pen with a tubular section (33) having a longitudinal axis (L), a holder (14) which is inserted into the tubular section in the direction of the longitudinal axis, and a clip (10) having a holding portion (12) on which the holder holds the clip, wherein the holder has a first locking device (36) which is adjustable with respect to the tubular section between two positions, namely a) an operating position in which it engages behind a second locking device (38) formed on the tubular section in such a way that it locks the holder against being pulled out of the tubular section, and b) an assembly position in which it releases the holder, characterized by a locking device (16) which is adjustable with respect to the holder (14) between two positions, namely a) an operating position in which it holds the holding section (12) of the clip (10) in the holder and blocks the first locking device (36) against being adjusted in its mounting position, and b) an assembly position in which it holds the holding section of the clip in the holder, but does not lock the first locking device against adjustment in its assembly position. [2] Pen according to claim 1, characterized by that the operating position of the locking device (16) differs from its assembly position by a changed relative position with respect to the holder (14) in the direction of the longitudinal axis (L) of the tubular section (33). [3] Pen according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that the first locking device (36) is a projection and the second locking device (38) is a section of a wall of a recess (40). [4] Pen according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the first locking device (36) is elastically pre-tensioned into the assembly position. [5] Pen according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the clip (10) can be held in only one rotational position about the longitudinal axis (L) with respect to the tubular section (33). [6] Pen according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the holder (14) is connected to the tubular section (33) in the operating position in the manner of a shaft-hub connection. [7] Pen according to claim 6, characterized by that the shaft-hub connection has two tongue and groove connections.

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