Binder clip

Abstract

To provide a binder clip which adopts an easily moldable metal clip body by constituting a clip from two components of a resin clip main body energized by a spring and the metal clip body attached to the clip main body, reduces a molding cost with the resin main body as a small component, and can properly set a force for opening the clip.SOLUTION: A binder clip of a writing instrument includes a clip having a resin clip main body and a metal clip body, and a clip support body which pivotally supports the clip main body. The clip body has a base end part which is fixed to a clip body fixation part formed on the clip main body, and the clip main body is energized so that the clip body contacts an outer peripheral surface of the writing instrument.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a binder clip for use with a writing instrument. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, clips made of metal plate as described in Patent Document 1 and binder clips in which a resin clip is biased by a coil spring as described in Patent Document 2 have been known as means for attaching writing implements to clothing, documents, etc. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3901087 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 5205200 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the clip made of a metal plate described in Patent Document 1, the tip of the clip must be opened against the elastic force generated by the elasticity of the metal plate. This not only requires a relatively large force to open the clip, but also poses the problem that the engagement portion between the resin member, which is the operating member, and the metal plate is easily damaged. Furthermore, in a binder clip in which a resin clip is biased by a coil spring as shown in Patent Document 2, the force for opening the clip can be appropriately set by adjusting the biasing force of the coil spring. However, in order to give strength to the entire clip and to form a clip ball at the tip, the clip needs to be made into a complex shape, which results in high molding costs.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a binder clip that is composed of two components: a resin clip body biased by a spring, and a metal clip plate attached to the clip body, thereby adopting a metal clip plate that is easy to mold and allowing the resin clip body to be a small component, reducing molding costs, and allowing the force used to open the clip to be appropriately set. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention has the following configuration. A binder clip for a writing instrument, comprising: a clip having a resin clip body and a metal clip body; and a clip support portion that pivotally supports the clip body, The clip body has a base end fixed to a clip plate fixing portion formed on the clip main body, The clip body is biased so as to contact the outer circumferential surface of the writing implement. A binder clip characterized by: Effect of the Invention

[0007] The binder clip of the present invention is constructed having a resin clip body and a metal clip member, which makes it easier to mold the clip, reduces costs, and allows the force required to open the clip to be set appropriately. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a ballpoint pen 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a clip 4 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 1 is a partially cut-away side view of a ballpoint pen 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, with a clip 4 in an open state. [Figure 4] 1 is a partially cut-away side view of a ballpoint pen 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, with a clip 4 in the middle of being closed. [Diagram 5] 1 is a partially cut-away side view of a ballpoint pen 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, with a clip 4 in a closed state. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a clip 4a according to a first modified example of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a clip 4b according to a second modified example of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a clip plate 42b according to a second modified example of the present invention. [Figure 10] 1 is a partially cut-away side view of a ballpoint pen 1' of a comparative example with a clip 4' in a closed state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] [Embodiment] Hereinafter, a binder clip used in a ballpoint pen 1 will be described as an embodiment of the binder clip according to the present invention with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals in different drawings indicate parts having the same functions, and duplicated descriptions in each drawing will be omitted as appropriate. The long axis direction of the ballpoint pen 1 is simply referred to as the "axial direction." The side of the ballpoint pen 1 from which the ballpoint pen refill protrudes is referred to as the front or tip, and the opposite side is referred to as the rear.

[0010] [Overall configuration] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a ballpoint pen 1 according to the present embodiment. The ballpoint pen 1 of this embodiment is a rear end knock type ballpoint pen, and includes a cylindrical case 2, a ballpoint pen refill and a knock mechanism housed in the cylindrical case 2, and a clip 4 provided on the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical case 2. The writing implement may be any type of writing implement, including a ballpoint pen as in this embodiment, a felt tip pen, a marker, or any writing implement without a knock mechanism. The cylindrical case 2 is divided near its axial center into two members, a front case 21 and a rear case 22. The front case 21 and the rear case 22 are detachably joined together by screws. A ballpoint pen refill is housed in the cylindrical case 2 in a replaceable manner, and a knock mechanism is housed at the rear of the ballpoint pen refill.

[0011] A knock member 3 of the knock mechanism protrudes from a rear end opening 221 of the rear case 22, and a knock action is performed when this knock member 3 is pressed down. In addition, a clip 4 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the rear case 22. By the knocking operation, the tip of the ballpoint pen refill appears and disappears from the tip opening 211 at the tip of the front case 21. The cylindrical case 2 may be divided into three or more members. As a means for connecting and separating a plurality of members, any other engaging means, fitting means, etc. may be used in addition to screws. In addition, in this embodiment, the cylindrical case 2 is a round cylinder with a circular cross section, but this is not limited to this, and the cross section may be any shape, such as a polygon such as a triangle, a rectangle, or a hexagon, or an ellipse.

[0012] [Binder clip] Fig. 2 is a partially cut-away perspective view of the clip 4 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figs. 3 to 5 are all partially cut-away side views of the ballpoint pen 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, with Fig. 3 showing the clip 4 in an open state, Fig. 4 showing the clip 4 in the middle of closing, and Fig. 5 showing the clip 4 in a closed state. The binder clip includes a clip 4 and a clip support portion 222 . The clip 4 is made up of a resin clip body 41 pivotally supported by the clip support portion 222, and a metal clip plate 42 (clip body) fixed to the clip body 41. The binder clip is disposed on a flat surface 22a formed by recessing a part of the outer peripheral surface of the rear side of the rear case 22 in the axial direction of the rear case 22 with respect to the outer peripheral surface in front of the part. That is, a clip support portion 222 is formed on the rear end side of the flat surface 22a, and the clip 4 is pivotally supported by the clip support portion 222 so as to extend forward.

[0013] The clip body 41 has two pivot projections 411 formed in the width direction for pivotally supporting the clip body 41 on the clip support portion 222 of the rear case 22. Only one of the pivot projections 411 is shown in the figure. Further, the clip body 41 is formed with a clip plate fixing part 412 (clip body fixing part) for fixing the clip plate 42. The clip plate fixing part 412 is formed as an insertion hole having a width slightly smaller than the width of an insertion protrusion 422 (base end part) of the clip plate 42 described later, and fixes the insertion protrusion 422 of the clip plate 42 inserted from the front side by frictional force. The clip body 41 is integrally molded from resin. The clip body 41 of this embodiment is a small part that constitutes only the base end side of the clip 4, and can reduce the amount of resin used compared to molding the entire clip from resin, thereby reducing molding costs and suppressing the amount of waste plastic.

[0014] The clip plate 42 is formed as a long and narrow thin metal plate (flat plate) overall, and has a clip portion 421 for holding clothes, documents, etc., and an insertion protrusion 422 on the rear side. As described above, the insertion protrusion 422 is inserted into the clip plate fixing portion 412 of the clip body 41 to fix the clip plate 42 to the clip body 41. The insertion protrusion 422 is formed narrower than the clip portion 421, and has projections and recesses on both ends in the width direction, which engage with the inner surface of the clip plate fixing portion 412 to firmly fix the clip plate 42 to the clip body 41. The clip portion 421 is bent slightly forward of the insertion protrusion 422 toward the rear case 22 , and the tip portion is bent in a direction away from the rear case 22 . Then, a portion slightly behind the bent tip comes into contact with the protrusion 223 of the rear case 22, making it possible to pinch clothes, documents, etc. It is not necessary to form the protrusion 223 on the rear case 22, and the clip plate 42 may come into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the rear case 22. The location where the clip plate 42 comes into contact with the protrusion 223 or the outer circumferential surface of the rear case 22 is not limited to a location slightly behind the bent tip, but may be any location on the clip plate 42, and furthermore, the location of contact may be two or more locations rather than one location. The shape of the clip body is not limited to a plate shape like the clip plate 42 of this embodiment, but may be any shape that can be attached to the clip main body 41 and used to clamp clothes, documents, etc. A metal clip body such as the clip plate 42 can be easily manufactured by forming.

[0015] The clip support part 222 is integrally formed with the flat surface 22a of the rear case 22, and has a clip attachment part 2221 and a spring insertion hole 2222 (see FIG. 4). Note that the clip support part 222 does not need to be integrally formed with the rear case 22, and may be formed separately and attached to the rear case 22. The clip attachment portion 2221 is formed on both side surfaces of the clip support portion 222, and has a guide groove 2221a extending rearward from the front end of the clip support portion 222, and a pivot hole 2221b formed continuously with the rear end of the guide groove 2221a and pivotally supporting the pivot protrusion 411 of the clip body 41 (see FIG. 4). The depth of the guide groove 2221a gradually decreases from the front end, and a step is formed at the boundary with the deeper pivot hole 2221b. The pivot protrusion 411 of the clip body 41 is inserted from the front end side of the guide groove 2221a, overcomes the step, and engages with the pivot hole 2221b. Further, a spring insertion hole 2222 for inserting a coil spring 5 is formed at the rear of the clip support portion 222. Note that, although a coil spring is used as the means for biasing the clip 4 in this embodiment, any other means capable of biasing, such as a leaf spring, may be used. The means for fixing the biasing means can be designed appropriately in accordance with the specific configuration of the biasing means.

[0016] A moment is applied to the clip body 41 around the pivot projection 411 by the coil spring 5 attached in a compressed state in a direction in which the front side of the clip body 41 approaches the outer circumferential surface of the rear case 22 . The tip side of the clip plate 42 fixed to the clip body 41 is also biased in a direction approaching the outer circumferential surface of the rear case 22, and the tip side of the clip plate 42 abuts against the protrusion 223 formed on the outer circumferential surface of the flat surface 22a. By pressing the rear end side of the clip body 41 toward the outer circumferential surface against the coil spring 5, the tip side of the clip plate 42 is separated from the protrusion 223, and clothes, documents, etc. can be clamped by the clip 4.

[0017] By arranging the clip 4 on the flat surface 22a, the height H (see Figure 5) of the ballpoint pen 1 at the point where the clip 4 protruding from the cylindrical case 2 is arranged can be reduced, thereby reducing the overall size of the ballpoint pen 1, improving portability and improving the design. The flat surface 22a does not necessarily have to be provided, and may be provided on the cylindrical outer circumferential surface of the rear case 22. In addition, although the present embodiment is a rear-end knock type ballpoint pen, in a side knock type ballpoint pen, a clip support part may be provided on the slider of the side knock, and the clip may be pivotally supported on this clip support part. Furthermore, the binder clip is not limited to being attached to the main body of the writing instrument as in this embodiment, but may be attached to an accessory such as a cap.

[0018] [Binder clip operation] The opening and closing operation of the binder clip will now be described. When the rear end side of the clip body 41 is pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the rear case 22 against the coil spring 5, the clip body 41 lifts the clip plate 42, and as shown in Figure 3, the tip side of the clip plate 42 moves away from the protrusion 223, entering an open state. In this open state, as shown in the enlarged view of Fig. 3, the tip 413 of the clip body 41 abuts against the surface of the clip plate 42 on the rear case 22 side. Note that the tip 413 does not necessarily have to abut against the clip plate 42, and there may be a slight gap between them. In addition, the part of the clip body 41 that abuts against the clip plate 42 is not limited to the tip 413, and may be a position behind the tip 413. That is, when the clip body 41 lifts the clip plate 42, it may lift it only by the clip plate fixing portion 412 and the insertion protrusion 422, or in addition, the tip portion 413 of the clip body 41 may abut against the clip plate 42 to lift it.

[0019] On the upper surface side (side away from the rear case 22) of the tip of the clip support portion 222, there is provided a contact portion 2223 that contacts the clip body 41 from below (the rear case 22 side). As shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 3, in the open state, there is a gap S between the contact surface 414 of the clip body 41 and the contact portion 2223. As the pressing force on the rear end side of the clip body 41 is weakened and the clip 4 is closed, the front end side of the clip plate 42 comes into contact with the protrusion 223 as shown in FIG. In this half-closing state, similarly to the open state, the tip 413 of the clip body 41 and the clip plate 42 are in contact with each other, or there is a slight gap between them. As shown in the enlarged view of Figure 4, when the tip side of the clip plate 42 contacts the protrusion 223 (first abuts on the outer peripheral surface of the writing instrument) during closing, there is still a gap S between the clip body 41 and the abutment portion 2223.

[0020] Furthermore, when the pressing force on the rear end side of clip body 41 is weakened and clip 4 is closed, the front end side of clip plate 42 presses protrusion 223 due to the elasticity of clip plate 42, and a reaction force from protrusion 223 is applied to the front end side of clip plate 42 in an upward direction (a direction away from rear case 22). This reaction force applied to clip plate 42 is applied to clip plate fixing portion 412 and insertion protrusion 422. At this time, the downward movement of the tip side of the clip plate 42 is restricted by the protrusion 223, but the clip body 41 still has room to rotate, so it continues to rotate. As a result, a gap is created between the tip 413 of the clip body 41 and the clip plate 42. (If there is a gap in the open state, the gap will widen further.)

[0021] When the clip body 41 rotates and the abutment surface 414 of the clip body 41 abuts against the abutment portion 2223 of the clip support portion 222, the rotation of the clip body 41 stops and the final closed state is achieved (see FIG. 5). In this closed state, as shown in the enlarged view of Figure 5, there is a gap between the tip 413 of the clip body 41 and the clip plate 42, and the abutment surface 414 of the clip body 41 abuts against the abutment portion 2223 of the clip support portion 222. Even in this closed state, the reaction force acting on the tip side of the clip plate 42 is applied to the clip plate fixing portion 412 and the insertion protrusion 422 . When the clip body 41 abuts against the abutting portion 2223 , the moment applied to the clip body 41 by the coil spring 5 is supported by the clip supporting portion 222 via the abutting portion 2223 . Then, the force applied to the clip plate fixing portion 412 and the insertion protrusion 422 is only the reaction force applied to the tip side of the clip plate 42, and no moment is applied by the coil spring 5. In this embodiment, the abutment portion 2223 is formed as a convex portion, but it does not necessarily have to be a convex portion, and it may have any shape, such as a flat surface, as long as the clip body 41 and the abutment portion 2223 abut when the clip 4 is in the closed state.

[0022] [Comparative Example] FIG. 10 is a partially cut-away side view of a ballpoint pen 1' of the comparative example with a clip 4' in a closed state. In this comparative example, a clip support portion 222' does not have a structure corresponding to the abutment portion 2223 of the embodiment, that is, when the clip 4' is in a closed state, the clip body 41' does not abut against the clip support portion 222'. Then, the moment applied to the clip body 41' by the coil spring 5' is also applied to the clip plate fixing part 412' and the insertion protrusion 422'. Therefore, both the reaction force applied to the tip side of the clip plate 42' and the moment applied to the clip body 41' by the coil spring 5' are applied to the clip plate fixing part 412' and the insertion protrusion 422'.

[0023] [Contrast] In this embodiment, in the closed state, the force acting on the clip plate fixing portion 412 and the insertion protrusion 422 is only the reaction force acting on the tip side of the clip plate 42, and no moment is applied by the coil spring 5 to the clip body 41. In contrast, in the comparative example, in the closed state, the force applied to the clip plate fixing portion 412' and the insertion protrusion 422' is not only the reaction force applied to the tip side of the clip plate 42', but also the moment applied by the coil spring 5' to the clip body 41'. That is, in this embodiment, the force applied to the clip plate fixing portion 412 and the insertion protrusion 422 is smaller than that in the comparative example. This reduces the possibility of damage to the clip plate fixing portion 412 and the insertion protrusion 422, and improves durability.

[0024] [Variation 1] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a clip 4a according to the first modified example of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. A modification example will be described in which the clip plate fixing portion 412 and the insertion protrusion 422 for fixing the clip body 41 and the clip plate 42 are different from the above embodiment. The clip 4a, like the above-described embodiment, is made up of a resin clip main body 41a and a metal clip plate 42a (clip body). The clip body 41a is formed with a clip plate fixing portion 412a that is inserted between two engagement protrusions 422a of the clip plate 42a. The clip plate fixing portion 412a is formed with two engagement grooves 412a1 aligned in the width direction, into which two engagement protrusions 422a of the clip plate 42a (described later) are fitted, respectively. The two engagement grooves 412a1 are formed with fitting protrusions 412a2. The clip plate 42a has two engagement protrusions 422a (base ends) formed side by side in the width direction on the rear side of the clip portion 421a. A fitting recess 422a1 is formed on the opposing surfaces of the two engagement protrusions 422a. The clip plate fixing part 412a is inserted between the two engagement protrusions 422a so that the two engagement protrusions 422a of the clip plate 42a fit externally into the engagement grooves 412a1 of the clip plate fixing part 412a of the clip body 41a. Then, the fitting convex part 412a2 of the engagement groove 412a1 fits into the fitting concave part 422a1 of the engagement protrusion 422a, and the clip plate 42a is firmly fixed to the clip body 41a.

[0025] [Variation 2] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a clip 4b of the second modified example according to the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a clip plate 42b of the second modified example according to the present invention from another angle. A modification example in which the shape of the clip portion 421a of the clip plate 42a is different from that of the above-mentioned modification example 1 will be described. The clip 4b, like the above-described embodiment, is made up of a resin clip main body 41b and a metal clip plate 42b (clip body). The clip plate 42b has a clip portion 421b for holding clothes, documents, etc., and an insertion protrusion 422b on the rear side, similar to the above-described embodiment. The insertion protrusion 422b has a shape similar to that of the two engagement protrusions 422a of the first modification example described above. In the present modified example 2, clip portion 421b is not flat, but has a shape in which the front edge of clip portion 421b is folded to form a recess. This shape can improve the strength of clip portion 421b.

[0026] The ballpoint pen 1 according to the embodiment, variant 1 and variant 2 of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiment, variant 1 and variant 2, and the present invention also includes design changes that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention. Furthermore, the above-described embodiment, modification 1, and modification 2 can be combined by utilizing each other's technologies, so long as there are no particular contradictions or problems in the purpose, configuration, and the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0027] 1, 1' Ballpoint pen 2 Cylindrical case 21 Front case 211 Tip opening 22 Rear case 22a flat surface 221 Rear end opening 222, 222' Clip support 2221 Clip attachment part 2221a Guide groove 2221b Pivot hole 2222 Spring insertion hole 2223 Contact part 223 Protrusion 3 Knock parts 4, 4', 4a, 4b Clips 41, 41', 41a, 41b Clip body 411 Pivotal process 412, 412', 412a Clip plate fixing part 412a1 Engagement groove 412a2 Fitting protrusion 413 Tip 414 Contact surface 42, 42', 42a, 42b clip plate 421, 421a, 421b Clip part 422, 422', 422b Insertion protrusion 422a Engagement protrusion 422a1 Fitting recess 5, 5' coil spring S Gap

Claims

1. A binder clip for a writing instrument, comprising: a clip having a resin clip body and a metal clip body; and a clip support portion that pivotally supports the clip body, The clip body has a base end fixed to a clip body fixing portion formed on the clip main body, The clip body is biased so as to contact the outer circumferential surface of the writing implement. A binder clip characterized by:

2. 2. The binder clip according to claim 1, wherein a contact portion that contacts the clip body is formed on a front side of the clip support portion.

3. 3. The binder clip according to claim 2, wherein the clip body abuts against the abutment portion when the clip is in a closed state.

4. 4. The binder clip according to claim 3, wherein when the clip body first comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the writing implement during the process of closing the clip, the clip body has not yet come into contact with the contact portion.

5. 5. The binder clip according to claim 1, wherein the clip body fixing portion is configured so that the clip body can be inserted and fixed from the front side of the clip main body.

Images