Writing instrument

Abstract

To provide a writing instrument including a cover for a clip which can improve the strength of a resin clip, prevent breakage, and improve the clamping force, and a clip having the cover attached thereto.SOLUTION: Provided is a writing instrument including: a cover that is attached to the outer surface of a resin clip body that is provided on the peripheral surface of the barrel or a cap of a writing instrument, the cover being made of metal, the inner surface of the cover having a shape that roughly conforms to the outer surface of the clip body, and imparting elastic force to the clip body; and a clip with the cover attached to the outer surface of the clip body, provided on the peripheral surface of the barrel or cap.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a writing instrument, particularly to a clip formed on a barrel or a cap of the writing instrument.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, writing instruments provided with clips formed on barrels or caps have been known. (Patent Documents 1, 2)

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In writing instruments as shown in Patent Documents 1 and 2, since the resin clip is integrally formed on the barrel or the cap, the strength is inferior to that of a metal clip, and there is a problem that it may be damaged when a large force is applied to the clip. Moreover, the same problem also existed in a writing instrument with a separately formed resin clip attached to the barrel or the cap.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the above problems, improve the strength of a resin clip, prevent breakage, and provide a clip cover capable of improving the clamping force, and a writing instrument provided with the clip to which the cover is attached.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to solve such problems, the present invention comprises the following configuration. A cover attached to the outer surface of a resin clip body provided on the circumferential surface of a shaft cylinder or a cap of a writing instrument, the cover is made of metal, the inner surface of the cover has a shape substantially along the outer surface of the clip body, and is characterized in that it imparts an elastic force to the clip body. Further, the present invention comprises the following configuration. A writing instrument characterized in that a clip with the cover attached to the outer surface of the clip body is provided on the circumferential surface of the shaft cylinder or the cap.

Effect of the Invention

[0007] The cover of the present invention has a shape substantially along the outer surface of the resin clip body, and by imparting an elastic force to the clip body, it prevents damage to the clip provided on the circumferential surface of the shaft cylinder or the cap of the writing instrument and can improve the clamping force. In addition, since the clip with the cover of the present invention attached to the outer surface of the clip body is provided on the circumferential surface of the shaft cylinder or the cap, it is possible to provide a writing instrument that can prevent damage and improve the clamping force.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] [Embodiment 1] Hereinafter, the writing instrument 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In Embodiment 1, as the writing instrument 1, a knock-type ballpoint pen will be described. However, it is not limited to the knock type, and a non-knock type may also be used. As the type of writing instrument, those for writing on a writing object such as paper, such as a signature pen, a marker pen, a mechanical pencil, a multi-color writing instrument, a multi-functional writing instrument, etc., and further, in addition to cosmetic products, those for inputting to an electronic device such as a touch panel, such as a touch pen or an electronic pen, may also be used. In this specification, the axial direction means the direction in which the center line of the shaft cylinder extends, and the circumferential direction means the direction around the center line of the shaft cylinder. Also, "front" and "tip" mean one side in the axial direction where the writing tip protrudes, and "rear" means the opposite side to the one side. Also, in this specification, the radial direction means the diameter direction of the shaft cylinder orthogonal to the center line of the shaft cylinder, the radially outer side means the direction away from the center of the shaft cylinder along the radial direction, and the radially inner side means the direction toward the center of the shaft cylinder along the radial direction.

[0010] [Overall Structure] FIG. 1 is an external view of the writing instrument 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, (a) is a side view with a part of the cover 42 cut away, and (b) is a front view. The writing instrument 1 has a shaft cylinder 2, a refill 3, and a clip 4. The writing instrument 1 is a knock-type ballpoint pen, and has a front cylinder 21 on the front side and a rear cylinder 22 on the rear side, which are obtained by dividing the shaft cylinder 2 in the axial direction. The refill 3 housed inside the shaft cylinder 2 is configured to be replaceable. A knock cap 23 constituting a knock mechanism is movably attached in the front-rear direction to the rear end side of the rear cylinder 22. The refill 3 is housed inside the shaft cylinder 2 and can protrude from and retract into the tip of the shaft cylinder 2 by the knock mechanism. The clip 4 is for detachably attaching the writing instrument 1 to an object to be clamped 5 such as a wearable item like clothes or bedding, or office supplies like documents, and illustrates the case where the object to be clamped 5 is a pocket of clothes.

[0011] [Shaft cylinder] The shaft cylinder 2 has a front cylinder 21 at the front side and a rear cylinder 22 at the rear side, and the two are detachably connected by a screw near the center in the axial direction of the writing instrument 1. Note that the connecting means between the front cylinder 21 and the rear cylinder 22 is not limited to a screw, and may be any means such as other engaging means or fitting means. Also, the shaft cylinder 2 may be formed as a single cylinder. An opening 211 is formed in the front cylinder 21 to allow the tip 31 of the refill 3 to protrude and retract. A facing portion 221 facing the clip 4 in the radial direction is formed on a part of the circumferential surface on the rear end side of the rear cylinder 22. And a protrusion 222 for clamping the object to be clamped 5 protrudes radially outward at the center in the circumferential direction (width direction) of this facing portion 221. The tip side of the facing portion 221 is formed to be on the front side of the position where the tip of the clip 4 moves forward by a knock. Note that the protrusion 222 does not necessarily have to be provided.

[0012] [Clip] Figure 2 is a bottom view showing an enlarged part of the cross-sectional view taken along the line (2)-(2) of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the cover 42 of Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Figure 4 is an external view showing the state of attaching the cover 42 to the clip body 41 in the writing instrument 1 of Embodiment 1 of the present invention, (a) is a side view before attachment, and (b) is a front view thereof. The clip 4 has a clip body 41 and a cover 42. The clip body 41 is integrally formed with the knock cap 23 by resin (synthetic resin or natural resin). The clip body 41 extends forward from the knock cap 23, and the tip is a free end. And the object to be clamped 5 is clamped between the tip portion of the inner surface 41a of the clip body 41 and the facing portion 221 of the rear cylinder 22, particularly the protrusion 222.

[0013] A cover 42 is attached to the outer surface 41b side of the clip body 41. The cover 42 is formed of metal. As a whole, the cover 42 is formed into a shape generally following the outer surface 41b of the clip body 41, and has a cover portion 421 covering the clip body 41 and an extension portion 422 covering the rear end side of the clip body 41 and the knock cap 23. Note that the cover 42 is not limited to metal, and may be formed of other materials such as resin as long as it can impart an elastic force to the clip body 41. Also, when formed of resin or the like, it is possible to coat it with metal in consideration of design and the like.

[0014] On both circumferential sides of the cover portion 421, cover side surfaces 421a (both side surfaces) bent toward the opposing portion 221 of the rear cylinder 22 are respectively formed. These cover side surfaces 421a cover the side surface of the clip body 41. Near the axial center of the two cover side surfaces 421a, locking pieces 421b (locking portions) for attaching the cover 42 to the clip body 41 are respectively formed one by one. The locking piece 421b is bent from the cover side surface 421a toward the circumferential center of the cover 42. On the tip side of the two cover side surfaces 421a, protrusions 421c for sandwiching the object to be clamped 5 are respectively projected toward the opposing portion 221 of the rear cylinder 22. These two protrusions 421c are arranged so as to sandwich the protrusion 222 formed on the opposing portion 221 of the rear cylinder 22 when viewed from the tip side, and the object to be clamped 5 is clamped in a wavy manner by the circumferential surface of the rear cylinder 22, the protrusion 222 of the rear cylinder 22, the inner surface 41a of the clip body 41, and the protrusion 421c of the cover 42, so that the object to be clamped 5 can be reliably clamped (see Fig. 2). The protrusion 222 of the rear cylinder 22 and the inner surface 41a of the clip body 41 are arranged to be in contact with each other or have a slight gap in a state where the object to be clamped 5 is not clamped. Also, the circumferential surface of the rear cylinder 22 and the protrusion 421c of the cover 42 are similarly arranged to be in contact with each other or have a slight gap in a state where the object to be clamped 5 is not clamped. Note that the protrusion 421c of the cover 42 does not necessarily have to be formed.

[0015] At the circumferential center of the cover portion 421, a long hole 421d extending in the axial direction is formed. Due to this long hole 421d, when the cover 42 is attached to the clip body 41 described later, the cover 42 is elastically deformed in the direction of circumferential expansion, facilitating the attachment of the cover 42 and preventing the cover 42 from coming off the clip body 41. Note that this long hole 421d does not necessarily have to be formed.

[0016] The cover portion 421 has a pressing surface 421e that abuts against the outer surface 41b of the clip body 41 in the radial direction. The cover portion 421 is formed in a shape along the outer surface 41b of the clip body 41 when viewed from the side, but the axial curvature of the cover portion 421 is formed to be slightly larger than the axial curvature of the outer surface 41b of the clip body 41. By making the curvature of the cover portion 421 slightly larger than that of the clip body 41, the cover portion 421 corrects the curvature of the clip body 41 to be slightly larger, and an elastic force is applied to the clip 4. Thereby, it is possible to prevent breakage when a large force is applied to the clip 4, increase the force for clamping the object to be clamped 5, and clamp the object to be clamped 5 more reliably.

[0017] In the first embodiment, the cover 42 extends rearward and has an extension portion 422 that covers the rear end side of the clip body 41 and the knock cap 23. The extension portion 422 covers the boundary portion between the clip body 41 and the knock cap 23, and can prevent the resin clip 4 from breaking at the base end side and coming off the knock cap 23 when a radially outward force is applied to the clip 4. Note that the extension portion 422 of the cover 42 does not necessarily have to be formed.

[0018] As a method of attaching the cover 42 to the clip body 41, as shown in FIGS. 4(a) and (b), the cover 42 is attached so as to be inserted from the tip side of the clip body 41. That is, the cover side surface 421a is inserted so as to fit into the side surface of the clip body 41, the locking piece 421b is engaged with the inner surface 41a of the clip body 41, and the insertion is continued until the inner surface of the tip of the cover 42 abuts against the outer surface of the tip of the clip body 41. By making the inner dimensions of the cover 42 the same as or slightly smaller than the outer dimensions of the clip body 41, the cover 42 can be securely attached so as not to come off the clip body 41.

[0019] In the first embodiment, the clip body 41 is integrally formed with the knock cap 23. However, depending on the structure of the knock cap 23, it may be integrally formed with the rear cylinder 22 instead of the knock cap 23. Further, the clip body 41 does not necessarily have to be integrally formed with the rear cylinder 22 or the knock cap 23, and may be formed separately from these and attached to the rear cylinder 22 or the knock cap 23.

[0020] [Modification example of the locking piece] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the cover 42 of Modification Example 1 of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the cover 42 of Modification Example 2 of the present invention. The cover 42 of Modification Example 1 is different from the first embodiment in that two locking pieces 421b (locking portions) are formed on each of the two cover side surfaces 421a. The cover 42 of Modification Example 2 is different from the first embodiment in that two locking pieces 421b (locking portions) formed one by one on the two cover side surfaces 421a are formed in a long shape that is long in the axial direction. Although not shown, it is also possible to combine short locking pieces such as those in the first embodiment and Modification Example 1 and long locking pieces such as those in Modification Example 2. As in these Modification Examples 1, 2, etc., the shape and structure (including the number) of the locking piece 421b can be appropriately changed in design so that the cover 42 does not come off the clip body 41 according to the specific shapes and structures of the clip body 41 and the cover 42.

[0021] [Embodiment 2] FIG. 7 is an external view showing the clip 4 of Embodiment 2 of the present invention, where (a) is a side view and (b) is a front view. Embodiment 2 is an example in which a cover 42 is attached to a clip 4 provided on a cap 6 that is detachably attached to the shaft cylinder 2. In addition, in the above Embodiment 1, a protrusion 222 was provided on the opposing portion 221 of the rear cylinder 22, but in this Embodiment 2, it is different in that a protrusion 411 is provided on the inner surface 41a of the clip body 41. This protrusion 411 is arranged so as to be sandwiched between two locking pieces 421b of the cover 42 when viewed from the tip. In this Embodiment 2, the object to be clamped 5 is clamped by the peripheral surface 6a of the cap 6, the protrusion 411 of the clip body 41, and the protrusion 421c of the cover 42.

[0022] In Embodiment 1, its Modification Examples 1 and 2, and Embodiment 2, the clip 4 has been described by taking the example of being provided on the knock cap 23 or the cap 6, but it goes without saying that it can also be applied to a writing instrument in which the clip is provided on the shaft cylinder.

[0023] [Function and Effect] As described above, in Embodiment 1, its Modification Examples 1 and 2, and Embodiment 2 according to the present invention, by simply attaching a cover 42 made of a material such as metal that can impart elastic force to the resin clip body 41 to the clip body 41, the elasticity and strength of the clip body 41 can be improved. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the clip from being damaged with a simple configuration and at low cost. For this reason, the object to be clamped 5 can be clamped more reliably. In particular, a metal cover 42 is preferable. In this case, the thickness of the cover 42 can be made thin, and a metallic color different from that of the synthetic resin clip body 41 can provide a high-class feeling. As a result, the design and commercial value can also be improved. Also, it is preferable that the cover 42 has a long hole 421d at the center. In this case, when the cover 42 is attached to the clip body 41, the cover 42 is elastically deformed in the direction of expanding in the circumferential direction. As a result, the attachment of the cover 42 becomes easy, and the cover 42 can be prevented from coming off from the clip body 41.

[0024] As described above, the writing instrument 1 according to the first embodiment, its modification examples 1 and 2, and the second embodiment of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments and modification examples, and design changes and the like within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention are also included in the present invention. Further, the above-described embodiments and modification examples can be combined by diverting each other's technologies as long as there are no particular contradictions or problems in their purposes and configurations.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0025] 1 Writing instrument 2 Shaft cylinder 21 Front cylinder 211 Opening 22 Rear cylinder 221 Opposing part 222 Protrusion 23 Knock cap 3 Refill 31 Tip 4 Clip 41 Clip body 41a Inner surface 41b Outer surface 411 Protrusion 42 Cover 421 Cover part 421a Cover side surface 421b Locking piece 421c Protrusion 421d Long hole 421e Pressing surface 422 Extension part 5 Object to be clamped 6 Cap 6a Peripheral surface

Claims

1. A cover attached to an outer surface of a resin clip body provided on a peripheral surface of a shaft cylinder or a cap of a writing instrument, wherein the cover is made of metal, an inner surface of the cover has a shape substantially along the outer surface of the clip body, and the cover is characterized by applying an elastic force to the clip body.

2. The cover according to claim 1, wherein a long hole extending in the axial direction is formed at the center of the cover.

3. A writing instrument, characterized in that a clip having the cover according to claim 1 or 2 attached to an outer surface of the clip body is provided on a peripheral surface of the shaft cylinder or the cap.

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