Stamp

Abstract

To provide a stamp having a small number of components and a lock mechanism excellent in operability.SOLUTION: The seal is equipped with an inner cylinder 10, an outer cylinder 11 which houses the inner cylinder 10 and is movable with respect to the inner cylinder 10, a seal holding cylinder which is housed in the inner cylinder 10 so as to be interlocked with the movement of the outer cylinder 11, and a locking means which can regulate the movement of the outer cylinder 11 with respect to the inner cylinder 10. The locking means is composed of an operation part 17 rotatably provided on one side surface of the outer cylinder 11, a regulating part provided on the operation part 17, a long groove provided on the inner cylinder 10 for guiding the regulating part, and a locking part provided on the long groove, and is configured to lock the movement of the outer cylinder 11 with respect to the inner cylinder 10 by locking the regulating part to the locking part by rotating the operation part 17.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a stamp that is stored inside an inner cylinder and pressed down together with an outer cylinder to stamp. [Background technology]

[0002] A stamp has been known in the past that is configured to hold the vermilion ink in a cover facing the seal surface, in order to eliminate the need to touch the seal surface to the vermilion ink every time a stamp is stamped. Among these stamps, some are equipped with a mechanism that can lock the operation between a state in which the seal surface is stored inside and a state in which the seal surface is pressed down and exposed to the outside, in order to prevent malfunction and for maintenance such as replacing the vermilion ink.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a stamp equipped with a locking mechanism that slides a locking member protruding from the side of the outer tube in the horizontal direction. This locking mechanism consists of a locking member and a guide portion that allows the locking member to slide, and this guide portion consists of a vertical guide portion and horizontal guide portions formed in two locations above and below the vertical guide portion. When the locking member is slid horizontally and engaged with the horizontal guide portions, the outer tube cannot be moved vertically.

[0004] However, the locking member in Patent Document 1 is so small that it must be operated with a fingernail, and it must slide over a rib, which requires a certain amount of force to operate, leaving room for improvement in terms of operability.

[0005] Patent Document 2 also describes a seal in which a locking cylinder that rotates in conjunction with the cap is housed inside the outer cylinder. This locking cylinder has a stopper piece that extends downward, and by changing the position of a step provided on this stopper piece, the outer cylinder can be locked from moving up and down relative to the inner cylinder.

[0006] The locking mechanism in Patent Document 2 is designed to grip the cap and rotate it around an axis, so the force required for operation is smaller than that of the locking mechanism in Patent Document 1. However, a locking tube with a long stopper piece must be incorporated inside the outer tube, which poses the problem of an increased number of parts and higher manufacturing costs. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3919688 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 3864010 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the conventional stamp and to provide a stamp having a locking mechanism with a reduced number of parts and excellent operability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The stamp of the present invention, which has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, is a stamp comprising an inner tube, an outer tube that houses the inner tube and is movable relative to the inner tube, a seal holding tube housed inside the inner tube so that it can be linked to the movement of the outer tube, and a locking means that can regulate the movement of the outer tube relative to the inner tube, wherein the locking means comprises an operating portion rotatably mounted on one side of the outer tube, a regulating portion provided on the operating portion, a long groove provided on the inner tube for guiding the regulating portion, and a locking portion provided on the long groove, and is characterized in that the movement of the outer tube relative to the inner tube is locked by rotating the operating portion to engage the regulating portion with the locking portion.

[0010] The locking means may be configured so that the restricting portion can be locked to the locking portion regardless of the rotation direction of the operating portion.

[0011] It is also preferable that the locking portions are provided on both ends of the long groove in the up-down direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] The stamp of the present invention locks the movement of the outer tube relative to the inner tube by rotating an operating part provided on one side of the outer tube, and has the advantage of being easy to operate with little force, and it is easy to visually determine whether the operating part is locked or not by the direction of the operating part. Furthermore, the locking mechanism does not require many or large parts, which prevents an increase in the number of parts and manufacturing costs.

[0013] If the structure is such that the operating part can be locked regardless of the direction of rotation as in claim 2, it has the advantage of being easy to operate regardless of the dominant hand. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the appearance of a stamp according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the stamp of the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a right side view of the stamp of the embodiment. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are exploded perspective views of a stamp according to an embodiment, in which (a) is a view of the stamp as seen from the diagonally front right, and (b) is a view of the stamp as seen from the diagonally rear right. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 3 . [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the position of the seal in the initial position. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the outer cylinder is pressed down to perform a stamping operation. [Figure 8] 10 is an external perspective view showing a state in which the knob portion of the operating piece is oriented sideways and the movement of the outer cylinder is locked. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the front surface of the operation piece according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a back surface of the operation piece according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11]FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a back surface of the operation piece according to the first embodiment. [Figure 12] 1A is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the operating piece and the inner cylinder when they are locked in the initial position in the first embodiment, where (a) is a partially enlarged rear view of the stamp as seen from the rear side, and (b) is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing a cross section along the dashed line in (a). [Figure 13] 1A is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the operating piece and the inner cylinder when the lock is released at the initial position in the first embodiment, where (a) is a partially enlarged rear view of the stamp as seen from the rear side, and (b) is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing a cross section along the dashed line in (a). [Figure 14] 3A to 3C are a series of explanatory diagrams showing the operation of the stamp of the first embodiment. [Figure 15] 15A to 15C are explanatory diagrams showing cross sections taken along lines AA to FF in FIG. 14, respectively. [Figure 16] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing an operation piece according to a second embodiment, with (a) showing the front surface and (b) showing the back surface. [Figure 17] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams illustrating the movement of the restriction portion in the long groove and the upper locking portion in the second embodiment. [Figure 18] 10A to 10C are a series of explanatory diagrams showing the operation of a stamp according to a second embodiment. [Figure 19] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams illustrating the movement of the restriction portion in the long groove and the upper locking portion of the third embodiment. [Figure 20] 10A to 10C are a series of explanatory diagrams showing the operation of a stamp according to a third embodiment. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the back surface of the operation piece according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 22] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an operation piece according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 23] FIG. 10 is a side view showing the back surface of the operation piece according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 24] 10 is a rear view of the inner cylinder 10 according to the fourth embodiment, in which the operating piece when locked in the initial position is shown by a dotted line. [Figure 25] 10A to 10C are a series of explanatory diagrams showing the operation of a stamp according to a fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In this specification, as shown in Figure 1, the side where the cap C is located is referred to as the upper side of the stamp 1, and the opposite side is referred to as the lower side. Furthermore, the side where the rotary cover 12 is provided is referred to as the front side of the stamp 1, and the opposite side where the operating piece 17 is provided is referred to as the rear side.

[0016] (Overall composition) As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the stamp 1 of this embodiment comprises an inner tube 10, an outer tube 11 that houses the inner tube 10 and is movable relative to the inner tube 10, and a rotating lid 12 that is adapted to open and close in conjunction with the relative movement between the outer tube 11 and the inner tube 10. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the stamp 1 of this embodiment also comprises a seal holding tube 13 that is housed inside the inner tube 10 so that it can be moved in conjunction with the movement of the outer tube 11. A compressed coil spring 16 is provided within the outer tube 11 (see Figure 5), and the elastic force of the coil spring 16 constantly urges the outer tube 11 upward so that it protrudes from the inner tube 10.

[0017] (Outer cylinder) The outer tube 11 constitutes the main body of the stamp 1 and also functions as a handle (grip) when stamping. As shown in FIG. 4, the outer tube 11 of this embodiment has a generally rectangular cylindrical shape overall, with a cylindrical portion 111 with a male thread cut on the outer periphery protruding from its top plate. An adjustment screw S is threaded into the cylindrical portion 111. The adjustment screw S adjusts the vertical position of the seal surface 130a (see FIG. 5) of the seal 130 held in the seal holding tube 13 (adjusting the position of the seal surface 130a will be described later).

[0018] An opening is formed at the base end of the cylindrical portion 111 to form a seal holding tube fitting portion 112 for fitting the upper portion (fitted portion 132) of the seal holding tube 13. As shown in Figure 4, the seal holding tube fitting portions 112 in this embodiment are provided in two locations, one on the front side and one on the rear side of the cylindrical portion 111. In addition, the outer tube 11 in this embodiment is formed with a locking claw 113 for elastically locking the cap C.

[0019] 4(b) and 1, a circular operation piece mounting hole 114 for mounting an operation piece 17 (described later) is formed on the back surface of the outer cylinder 11. A restricting portion 174 is formed to protrude from the back surface of the operation piece 17 (see FIG. 4(a)). The locking mechanism including the operation piece 17 will be described in detail later.

[0020] (inner cylinder) The inner tube 10 is a hollow member having a generally rectangular cylindrical shape, as shown in Fig. 4. The inner tube 10 has an opening at its lower end 10a for exposing the stamp surface 130a (see Fig. 5). The upper part of the inner tube 10 is slidably inserted into the lower open part of the outer tube 11.

[0021] As shown in Figure 4, an upper opening 103 is formed in the top plate of inner tube 10, which is adapted to allow seal holder tube 13 to pass through. An open section 101 is formed in the lower front section of inner tube 10, which is adapted to be closed by rotating lid 12. An attachment hole 102 is provided in the side section of inner tube 12, above open section 101, into which attachment shaft 123 of rotating lid 12 is fitted.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 4(b), a long groove 104 is provided on the back surface of the inner tube 10 to guide a restricting portion 174 provided on the operating piece 17. In this embodiment, the long groove 104 is a long hole extending in the vertical direction, and is formed in a position to the side of the center in the horizontal direction on the back surface of the inner tube 10 (in the example shown in FIG. 4, it is in a position to the left when viewed from the back surface side). The restricting portion 174 inserted into the long groove 104 is able to slide up and down within the long groove 104. Note that, although the long groove 104 is hole-shaped in this embodiment, it is not limited to this and can have any shape as long as it can guide the restricting portion 174.

[0023] The long groove 104 is provided with a locking portion to which the restricting portion 174 is locked. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4(b), the locking portion is a short horizontal hole formed on the right side of the long groove 104 in the drawing, and is provided on both ends of the long groove 104 in the vertical direction (upper locking portion 105, lower locking portion 106). In this embodiment, the operation piece 17 is rotated to lock the restricting portion 174 with the locking portion, thereby locking the movement of the outer tube 11 relative to the inner tube 10. Locking means that can restrict the movement of the outer tube 11 will be described in detail later.

[0024] (Seal holding tube) The seal holding tube 13 is housed within the inner tube 10, but is fitted into the outer tube 11 so that it can move in conjunction with the movement of the outer tube 11. As shown in Figure 4, the seal holding tube 13 of this embodiment comprises a cylindrical holder 131 and a seal holding spring FS fixed inside the holder 131, and a seal 130 is attached inside the seal holding spring FS (see Figure 5).

[0025] 5, the seal surface 130a of the seal 130 attached to the holder 131 protrudes downward from the lower end 13a of the holder 131. In addition, the top surface of the seal 130 abuts against the bottom surface of the shaft of the adjustment screw S, and the vertical position of the seal surface 130a can be adjusted by turning the adjustment screw S to move it up and down.

[0026] As shown in Figure 4, the holder 131 of this embodiment has a claw-shaped fitting portion 132 that protrudes upward. The fitting portion 132 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 111 of the outer tube 11 from below and engages with the seal holding tube fitting portion 112. This holds the seal holding tube 13 so that it can move in conjunction with the movement of the outer tube 11.

[0027] In this embodiment, a guide protrusion 133 is formed on the front side of the middle part of the holder 131, following the inner peripheral shape of the inner cylinder 10. A cam member 134 is provided below the guide protrusion 133. The cam member 134 in this embodiment has an inclined surface on which a cam follower 124 of the rotating lid 12, which will be described later, can rotate.

[0028] (Rotating lid) As shown in Figure 4, the rotating lid 12 includes a side plate 121 that closes the open portion 101 of the inner tube 10 and a pair of left and right arms 122, and is rotatably attached to the inner tube 10. In this embodiment, a substantially cylindrical mounting shaft 123 that is inserted into the mounting hole 102 of the inner tube 10 is formed on the back surface of the distal end of the arm 122, and a cam follower 124 that contacts and follows a cam member 134 is provided on the mounting shaft 123. The cam follower 124 and the cam member 134 form a cam mechanism that converts the up and down movement of the outer tube 11 and the seal holding tube 13 into the rotation of the rotating lid 12. This cam mechanism causes the rotating lid 12 to rotate in the opening direction as the outer tube 11 moves downward relative to the inner tube 10, and conversely, causes the rotating lid 12 to rotate in the closing direction as the outer tube 11 moves upward relative to the inner tube 10.

[0029] On the back surface of the rotating lid 12 of the embodiment, a vermilion ink container 14 and a vermilion ink pad 15 held in this vermilion ink container 14 are provided.

[0030] The material for the vermilion ink pad 15 can be, for example, polyolefin fibers made from polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). The ink impregnated into the vermilion ink pad 15 can be any of pigment, dye, oil, and water-based inks. For example, a quick-drying ink for stamping on hard-to-absorb paper or non-absorbent materials such as coated paper, plastic film, aluminum, or iron can be an oil-based ink made by dissolving and mixing colorants, resins, etc. in a quick-drying solvent.

[0031] The vermilion ink container 14 is preferably removably held in a container holder on the back side of the rotating lid 12. The vermilion ink container 14 of the embodiment is removably attached to the rotating lid 12 and is replaceable.

[0032] When the stamp 1 is not in use, the elastic force of the coil spring 16 causes the outer tube 11 to protrude most from the inner tube 10. At this time, the open portion 101 on the front side of the inner tube 10 is closed by the rotating lid 12, and as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the vermilion ink 15 held in the vermilion ink container 14 on the back side of the rotating lid 12 comes into contact with the seal surface 130a of the seal 130, and ink is supplied to the seal surface 130a.

[0033] When stamping the stamp 1, the outer tube 11 is pressed downward against the resilient force of the coil spring 16, and in response, the rotary lid 12 rotates upward and opens. Then, as shown in Figure 7, when the outer tube 11 moves further downward and reaches a predetermined position, the seal surface 130a of the seal 130 is exposed from the lower end 10a of the inner tube 10 and is pressed against the paper P, enabling stamping. After stamping, when the pressure on the outer tube 11 is released, the resilient force of the coil spring 16 causes the outer tube 11 to move upward, and in response, the rotary lid 12 rotates downward to close the open portion 101 of the inner tube 10.

[0034] (locking means) The stamp 1 is provided with a locking means capable of restricting movement of the outer tube 11 relative to the inner tube 10. This locking means will be described below.

[0035] The locking means of the embodiment includes an operating portion (operating piece 17) rotatably provided on one side of outer tube 11, a restricting portion 174 provided on this operating piece 17, a long groove 104 provided on inner tube 10 to guide restricting portion 174, and locking portions (upper locking portion 105 and lower locking portion 106 in this embodiment) provided on long groove 104. In this embodiment, restricting portion 174 engages with long groove 104, and movement of outer tube 11 relative to inner tube 10 is locked by rotating operating piece 17 to lock restricting portion 174 into the locking portions.

[0036] (Operation piece) First, an operation piece 17 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. As shown in Fig. 8, the operation piece 17 according to this embodiment is operated by a knob portion 171 that protrudes outward from an operation piece attachment hole 114 formed on the back surface of the outer cylinder 11. In this embodiment, the operation piece 17 is locked when the operation piece 17 is turned so that the knob portion 171 is oriented horizontally (see Fig. 8), and is unlocked when the knob portion 171 is oriented vertically (see Fig. 1). This makes it easy to visually determine the orientation of the operation piece 17 even without a guide display, and allows one to tell at a glance whether the operation piece 17 is locked or not.

[0037] 9, the operating piece 17 of the first embodiment is formed in a generally disk shape overall, and a knob portion 171 in the shape of a generally rectangular parallelepiped block is formed integrally with the front surface (the surface exposed to the outside from the outer cylinder 11). A mark 172 is provided on one end side of the knob portion 171 of this embodiment.

[0038] Furthermore, the operation piece 17 of this embodiment is provided with a stopper 173 that protrudes in the left-right direction in the figure. As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the stopper 173 of this embodiment has a narrow portion 173a and a wide portion 173b, and is integrally formed on the back surface of the operation piece 17. The stopper 173 constitutes a rotation restriction mechanism for the operation piece 17, which will be described later.

[0039] In this embodiment, a restricting portion 174 is formed to protrude from the back surface of the operating piece 17. The restricting portion 174 in this embodiment is integrally formed on the outer surface of the stopper 173. As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the restricting portion 174 in this embodiment is generally prismatic in shape and is provided at a position eccentric to the center of the operating piece 17. Furthermore, the restricting portion 174 in this example is formed with a protruding portion 174a that protrudes slightly toward the center of the operating piece 17.

[0040] As shown in Figures 1 and 8, the operating piece 17 is assembled so that its substantially disk-shaped main body is substantially parallel to the back surfaces of the outer tube 11 and the inner tube 10, and the rotation axis of the operating piece 17 is substantially perpendicular to the central axis of the stamp 1. Twisting the knob portion 171 in the circumferential direction of the operating piece 17 causes the operating piece 17 to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise in the circumferential direction. When the operating piece 17 rotates, the restricting portion 174 is displaced relative to the long groove 104. Locking and unlocking are performed by displacing the restricting portion 174 relative to the long groove 104. In this way, the restricting portion 174 cooperates with the long groove 104 formed on the back surface of the inner tube 10 to form a locking means.

[0041] (Lock operation in the initial position) Figure 12(a) is a partially transparent view of the operating piece 17 when the stamp 1 is locked in its unused state (when the outer tube 11 is not pressed downward; hereinafter, the position of the outer tube 11 at this time may be referred to as the "initial position"), as seen from the rear side of the stamp 1. Figure 12(b) shows a cross section taken along the dashed line in Figure 12(a). It is preferable that the stamp 1 be configured so that it can be locked at least in the initial position.

[0042] As shown in Figure 12(b), the approximately disk-shaped main body portion of the operating piece 17 is fitted into the operating piece mounting hole 114 of the outer tube 11 and assembled. A knob portion 171 on the front surface of the operating piece 17 protrudes outward from the outer tube 11, and a restricting portion 174 on the back surface of the operating piece 17 engages with the upper engaging portion 105 of the inner tube 10. If an attempt is made to move the outer tube 11 downward relative to the inner tube 10 in this state, the restricting portion 174 interferes with the lower side of the upper engaging portion 105, thereby restricting the downward movement of the outer tube 11. When the outer tube 11 is in the downward movement locked state, the outer tube 11 will not move downward even if an unexpected external force is applied to the outer tube 11. This prevents the stamp 1 from accidentally stamping.

[0043] In the state shown in Fig. 12(a), when an operator holds the knob portion 171 and turns the operating piece 17 counterclockwise by 90 degrees, the restricting portion 174 escapes from the upper locking portion 105 and is displaced to a position where it can move up and down within the long groove 104, thereby releasing the lock (see Fig. 13(a)). When the lock is released, the outer tube 11 can be pressed down against the biasing force of the coil spring 16 to stamp. After stamping, when the operator turns the operating piece 17 back to the initial position shown in Fig. 13 by 90 degrees clockwise, it returns to the state shown in Fig. 12(a) and is locked again.

[0044] The locking mechanism of this embodiment can be operated with little force, has a small number of parts, and is easy to operate. Furthermore, the locking mechanism of this embodiment has little friction between parts during locking and unlocking operations, making it less susceptible to wear. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the operating portion (operating piece 17) that constitutes the locking mechanism is provided on one side of the outer tube 11, allowing for greater freedom in the design of the internal structure of the stamp 1.

[0045] (Rotation restriction mechanism) 12, a rotation restricting portion 107, which is a convex portion that restricts the rotation of the operating piece 17, is provided on the back surface of the inner tube 10 of this embodiment near the upper end of the long groove 104. In the locked state in the initial position, as shown in FIG. 12, the right side of the stopper 173 (narrow portion 173a) of the operating piece 17 in the drawing interferes with the left side surface of the rotation restricting portion 107. As a result, clockwise rotation of the operating piece 17 in the locked state is restricted as seen by the operator, and the operating piece 17 can only be rotated counterclockwise (unlock direction).

[0046] 13, in the unlocked state at the initial position, the upper side of stopper 173 (wide portion 173b) of operation piece 17 interferes with the lower surface of rotation restricting portion 107. As a result, counterclockwise rotation of operation piece 17 in the unlocked state is restricted as seen by the operator, and operation piece 17 can only be rotated clockwise (locked direction).

[0047] In this way, when a rotation restriction mechanism is provided on the inner cylinder 10 and the operating piece 17, the correct operating direction of the operating piece 17 in the initial position is guided, improving operability. It is also preferable because it prevents the operator from turning the operating piece 17 in the wrong direction or turning it more than 90 degrees.

[0048] (Lock operation at stamping position) The stamp 1 of the first embodiment can be locked not only at the initial position described above, but also at the stamping position where the outer tube 11 is pressed down to perform the stamping operation. The locking operation at each position in the first embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 14 and 15. Note that Figure 15 differs from Figures 12 and 13 in that it is a view of the restricting portion 174 from the inside of the stamp 1.

[0049] Figures 14(a) and 15(a) show the locked state in the initial position described above. In this embodiment, the upper locking portion 105 is formed with a small protrusion 105a that is adjacent to and engages with the protrusion 174a of the restricting portion 174 (see Figures 15(a) and 15(b)). With this configuration, the engagement between the protrusion 174a and the protrusion 105a ensures that the lock in the initial position is not easily released, further preventing accidental stamping of the stamp 1 and providing the user with a clicking sensation when transitioning to the locked state. The restricting portion 174 may have multiple protrusions and the upper locking portion 105 may have multiple protrusions.

[0050] When the lock at the initial position is released by the above-mentioned operation (see Figure 14(b)), the restricting portion 174 becomes able to move downward within the long groove 104, and the outer tube 11 becomes able to be pushed down, as shown in Figure 15(b).

[0051] Figure 14(c) shows the state when the outer tube 11 is pushed down and moves downward relative to the inner tube 10, opening the rotary lid 12 and placing the stamp surface 130a at a position where it is exposed from the lower end 10a of the inner tube 10 (hereinafter, this position may be referred to as the "sealing position" of the outer tube 11). Note that Figure 14(c) shows a state where the stamp 1 is not in contact with the paper surface P to be stamped, and the stamp surface 130a protrudes from the lower end 10a of the inner tube 10. In an actual stamping operation, the stamp 1 is placed on the paper surface P, and the stamp surface 130a is pressed against the paper surface P to stamp it. Note that, as shown in Figure 15(c), when the outer tube 11 is in the stamping position, the restricting portion 174 is located at the lower end of the long groove 104.

[0052] After the stamping operation, when the pressure on the outer tube 11 is released, the outer tube 11 returns to the initial position due to the biasing force of the coil spring 16. When performing consecutive stamping operations, the outer tube 11 can be locked at the stamping position.

[0053] To lock the outer tube 11 in the stamping position, rotate the operating piece 17 90 degrees clockwise (counterclockwise when viewed from the inside of the stamp 1) while holding the outer tube 11 in the stamping position shown in Figure 15(c). As a result, as shown in Figure 15(d), the restricting portion 174 engages with the lower engaging portion 106, restricting the upward movement of the outer tube 11 and locking it in the stamping position. When locked in the stamping position, as shown in Figure 14(d), the rotating lid 12 opens and fixes the stamp surface 130a in an exposed state, allowing continuous stamping without having to press down the outer tube 11 each time.

[0054] In this manner, in this embodiment, the movement of the outer cylinder 11 can be locked at both the initial position and the seal position, which is highly convenient.

[0055] (Lock operation at ink pad replacement position) The stamp 1 may be configured to be lockable at the initial position, the stamping position, or at the ink pad replacement position where the outer tube 11 is above the stamping position. The stamp 1 of this embodiment can be locked at the ink pad replacement position where the rotating lid 12 is open but the printing surface 130a is not exposed from the lower end 10a of the inner tube 10. The outer tube 11 in the ink pad replacement position is located slightly above the stamping position relative to the inner tube 10.

[0056] When moving the outer tube 11 from the stamping position to the ink pad replacement position and locking it, the operating piece 17, which is locked at the stamping position shown in Fig. 15(d), is turned to an unlocked state (see Fig. 15(c)), and the outer tube 11 is slightly raised. Specifically, the outer tube 11 is raised to a height where the stamp surface 130a is housed inside the inner tube 10 and the rotating lid 12 remains open (see Figs. 14(e) and 15(e)). Note that a mark such as a line indicating the ink pad replacement position may be provided on the side or back of the inner tube 10.

[0057] Once the outer tube 11 has been raised to the specified ink pad replacement position, the operating piece 17 is turned counterclockwise (clockwise in the figure) to lock the restricting portion 174 into the lower locking portion 106 (see Figures 14(f) and 15(f)). This locks the rotating cover 12 in the open position, allowing for stable replacement of the ink pad 15. Furthermore, since the seal surface 130a is not exposed from the inner tube 10 at the ink pad replacement position, the seal surface 130a can prevent ink stains from adhering to hands, etc.

[0058] In this way, if the outer tube 11 can be locked even when the rotary lid 12 is open and the stamp surface 130a is not exposed, hands are less likely to get dirty when refilling ink or replacing the ink pad 15.

[0059] (Second embodiment) Next, a stamp 1 according to a second embodiment will be described. The locking means of the second embodiment is configured so that the regulating portion 174 can be locked to the locking portion regardless of the rotation direction of the operating piece 17, which is the operating portion. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the shape of the locking means (mainly the shape of the operating piece 17). Hereinafter, the same components as those of the first embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals and will not be described again.

[0060] 16, the operation piece 17 of the second embodiment has a knob portion 171 on its front surface and a restricting portion 174 on its back surface. The restricting portion 174 of the second embodiment is smaller than the restricting portion 174 of the first embodiment. The restricting portion 174 is a protrusion formed in, for example, a substantially rectangular parallelepiped or cylindrical shape. The restricting portion 174 is provided at a position eccentric from the center of the operation piece 17 in the radial direction.

[0061] 17, the upper locking portion 105 of this embodiment is a horizontal hole formed on the side of the upper end of the long groove 104, continuing from the long groove 104. In FIG. 17, the restricting portion 174 that is in contact with and locked to the upper side of the upper locking portion 105 in the initial position of the outer tube 11 is shown by a solid line. When the restricting portion 174 is locked to the upper locking portion 105 and the operating piece 17 is rotated while slightly moving the position of the rotation center up or down, the restricting portion 174 can be rotated 360 degrees.

[0062] 17(a), when the operator rotates the operating piece 17 counterclockwise (clockwise in the figure) by 90 degrees, the restricting portion 174 is displaced to a position where it can move down in the long groove 104, and the lock is released. Also, as shown in FIG. 17(b), the lock can be released by rotating the operating piece 17 clockwise (counterclockwise in the figure) by 270 degrees.

[0063] 17, the restricting portion 174 can be displaced into the upper locking portion 105 and locked. In this manner, in this embodiment, locking and unlocking can be achieved by rotating the operating piece 17 in either the left or right direction, making it easy to operate regardless of dominant hand.

[0064] 18 shows an example of a configuration in the second embodiment that can be locked even at the stamping position or the ink pad replacement position. In this example, the long groove 104 is provided with an upper locking portion 105 and a lower locking portion 106. The upper locking portion 105 and the lower locking portion 106 are formed to be the same size.

[0065] To lock the outer tube 11 at the seal position, first, the outer tube 11 is slightly raised from the seal position shown in Fig. 18(a) (see Fig. 18(b)), and the operating piece 17 is rotated a predetermined angle in either the left or right direction to lock the restricting portion 174 into the lower locking portion 106. As a result, the restricting portion 174 is locked by being locked into the lower locking portion 106 with the outer tube 11 in the seal position (see Fig. 18(c)).

[0066] When locked at the stamping position shown in Figure 18(c), the operating piece 17 is oriented so that the restricting portion 174 is positioned above the center. This operating piece 17 is rotated a predetermined angle in either the left or right direction, so that the restricting portion 174 is oriented below the center of the operating piece 17, as shown in Figure 18(d). When the operating piece 17 is locked by the lower locking portion 106 in this orientation, the outer tube 11 is locked at the ink pad replacement position, which is higher than the stamping position.

[0067] (Third embodiment) Next, a stamp 1 according to a third embodiment will be described. The stamp 1 according to the third embodiment is also configured so that the regulating portion 174 can be locked to the locking portion regardless of the rotation direction of the operating piece 17. The stamp 1 according to the third embodiment differs from the stamp 1 according to the second embodiment in the shape of the long groove 104.

[0068] In the third embodiment, as shown in Fig. 19, upper locking portions 105 are formed on both the left and right sides of the upper end of the long groove 104, and the long groove 104 and the upper locking portions 105 form a roughly T-shape. The dimensions of the locking portion 105 on the left side and the locking portion 105 on the right side are the same. Furthermore, the long groove 104 in the third embodiment is formed at a position approximately in the center in the left-right direction on the back surface of the inner tube 10 (see Fig. 20).

[0069] As shown in Figure 19, when the regulating portion 174 on the back surface of the operating piece 17 is positioned in the center of the long groove 104 in the left-right direction, the regulating portion 174 can move freely in the vertical direction within the long groove 104, so that the outer cylinder 11 can be moved up and down.

[0070] 19, when the operator rotates the operation piece 17 clockwise (counterclockwise in the figure) by 90 degrees, the restricting portion 174 is displaced into the locking portion 105 on the left side in the figure. When the operator rotates the operation piece 17 counterclockwise (clockwise in the figure) by 90 degrees, the restricting portion 174 is displaced into the locking portion 105 on the right side in the figure. When the operator releases the operation piece 17, the outer tube 11 rises due to the biasing force of the coil spring 16, and the restricting portion 174 comes into contact with and is locked against the upper side of the locking portion 105. In this way, in the third embodiment, the up and down movement of the outer tube 11 can be locked regardless of the direction of rotation of the operation piece 17.

[0071] The operation of the locking means in the third embodiment will be described. Figure 20 shows an example of a configuration in the third embodiment that can be locked at the stamping position or the vermilion ink pad replacement position. In this example, the long groove 104 is provided with a lower locking portion 106 and an intermediate locking portion 108 in addition to the upper locking portion 105. In this example, the lower locking portion 106 and the intermediate locking portion 108 are each formed to be the same size as the upper locking portion 105. Note that while Figure 20 shows an example in which the restricting portion 174 is locked to the locking portions on the left side of the figure, the restricting portion 174 may be locked to either the left or right locking portions.

[0072] The operator rotates the operating piece 17 of the stamp 1 (see Figure 20(a)), which is locked in the initial position, by 90 degrees to unlock it (see Figure 20(b)), and then pushes the outer tube 11 down to the stamping position (see Figure 20(c)). When the operating piece 17 is rotated by 90 degrees while the outer tube 11 is still pressed down, the restricting portion 174 is engaged with the lower engaging portion 106, and the stamp is locked in the stamping position (see Figure 20(d)).

[0073] In this example, the intermediate locking portion 108 is provided, so that the device can be locked even at the ink pad replacement position. When the outer tube 11 is raised slightly from the stamping position (see FIG. 20(e)), and the operating piece 17 is rotated 90 degrees while maintaining the position of the outer tube 11, the restricting portion 174 is locked by the intermediate locking portion 108, and the device is locked at the ink pad replacement position (see FIG. 20(f)).

[0074] (Fourth embodiment) Next, a fourth embodiment of the stamp 1 will be described. The locking means of the fourth embodiment differs from those of the first to third embodiments in the shapes of the operation piece 17 and the long groove 104.

[0075] 21 and 22, two restriction portions 174 (174A, 174B) are provided on the back surface of the operating piece 17 of the fourth embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 22 and 23, the restriction portion 174 of the fourth embodiment is a substantially cylindrical protrusion that protrudes from the back surface of the operating piece 17. The two restriction portions 174A, 174B are arranged apart from each other in the diametrical direction on the substantially circular back surface of the operating piece 17.

[0076] As shown in Fig. 24, the long groove 104 of the fourth embodiment is configured by a pair of left and right long grooves (a first long groove 104A and a second long groove 104B). The first long groove 104A and the second long groove 104B in the example shown in Fig. 24 are generally point-symmetrical to each other overall, and are arranged to be generally point-symmetrical about a symmetry point (not shown) located on the central axis CA in the left-right direction on the back surface of the inner cylinder 10.

[0077] As shown in FIG. 24, the long groove 104 of the fourth embodiment includes an upper locking portion 105 provided on the upper end side of the first long groove 104A and a lower locking portion 106 provided on the lower end side of the second long groove 104B.

[0078] The upper locking portion 105 in the example shown in Figure 24 is a generally quarter-circular groove that continues from the upper portion of the linear portion extending in the vertical direction of the first long groove 104A and curves toward the central axis CA. A small protrusion that protrudes toward the center point of the quarter-circular arc is provided on the upper edge of the upper locking portion 105 in this example. The upper locking portion 105 in the illustrated example has two protrusions: protrusion 105a provided on the tip end side and protrusion 105b provided on the base end side. Providing protrusion 105a on the upper locking portion 105 can prevent the lock from being unintentionally released.

[0079] 24, the lower locking portion 106 is a generally quarter-circular groove that continues from the lower portion of the linear portion of the second long groove 104B that extends in the vertical direction and is curved toward the central axis CA. The portions of the tips of the upper locking portion 105 and the locking portion 106 that lock with the restricting portion 174 are located on the central axis CA. Note that the lower locking portion 106 may be provided with a protrusion similar to the protrusion 105a described above.

[0080] Furthermore, a retraction groove 109 is provided in each of the linear portions of the first long groove 104A and the second long groove 104B. In the example shown in FIG. 24, the retraction groove 109 is a recess that protrudes toward the central axis CA. The retraction groove 109 of the first long groove 104A is provided below the center of the first long groove 104A in the vertical direction, and the retraction groove 109 of the second long groove 104B is provided above the center of the second long groove 104B in the vertical direction. The tip of each retraction groove 109, where the restricting portion 174 is engaged, is located on the central axis CA.

[0081] Next, the positional relationship between the operating piece 17 and the long groove 104 in the fourth embodiment will be described. In the fourth embodiment, one restricting portion 174A is inserted into the first long groove 104A, and the other restricting portion 174B is inserted into the second long groove 104B. In the locked state in the initial position shown in Figures 24 and 25(a), one restricting portion 174A engages with the tip of the upper locking portion 105, and the other restricting portion 174B fits into the upper retraction groove 109.

[0082] In this state, if an attempt is made to move the outer tube 11 downward relative to the inner tube 10, the two restricting portions 174 will interfere with the upper engaging portion 105 or the retracting groove 109, thereby restricting the downward movement of the outer tube 11. In this way, in the locked state of the fourth embodiment, any force inadvertently applied to the outer tube 11 can be distributed and received at two points.

[0083] When the operator holds the knob portion 171 and turns the operating piece 17 counterclockwise by 90 degrees in the locked state at the initial position shown in Fig. 24, one of the restricting portions 174A escapes from the upper locking portion 105 and is displaced to a position where it can move up and down within the long groove 104A, as shown in Fig. 25(b). At the same time, the other restricting portion 174B escapes from the retraction groove 109 of the long groove 104B and is displaced to a position where it can move up and down within the long groove 104B. This releases the lock.

[0084] In this embodiment, a clicking sound is generated when restricting portion 174A climbs over protrusions 105a and 105b in the process of disengaging restricting portion 174A from upper locking portion 105. The operator can easily recognize that locking or unlocking has been reliably achieved from this clicking sound and the feeling of climbing over the protrusions.

[0085] As shown in Figure 25(c), when the operator presses the outer tube 11 down to the stamping position, one of the restricting portions 174A hits the lower end of the long groove 104A. When the operating piece 17 is rotated clockwise (counterclockwise in the figure) from this state, the other restricting portion 174B engages with the lower locking portion 106, and one of the restricting portions 174A fits into the lower retraction groove 109, as shown in Figure 25(d). This makes it possible to lock the movement of the outer tube 11 at the stamping position.

[0086] Although the present invention has been described above by taking the embodiments as examples, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be embodied in various forms. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 1 seal 10 Inner cylinder 10a Bottom end 101 Open area 104 Nagamichi 105 Upper locking part 106 Lower locking part 107 Rotation control part 11 Outer cylinder 114 Operation piece mounting hole C Cap S Adjustment screw 12 Rotating lid 13 Seal holding tube FS Seal Retaining Spring 131 Holder 130 Seal 130a Seal face P paper 14 Vermilion ink container 15 Vermilion ink 16 Coil spring 17 Operation piece 171 Knob 172 Landmark 173 Stopper 173a Narrow section 173b wide part 174 Regulatory Department

Claims

1. A stamp comprising an inner tube, an outer tube that houses the inner tube and is movable relative to the inner tube, a seal holding tube housed inside the inner tube so as to be interlocked with the movement of the outer tube, and a locking means that can restrict the movement of the outer tube relative to the inner tube, The locking means comprises an operating portion rotatably mounted on one side of the outer tube, a regulating portion provided on the operating portion, a long groove provided on the inner tube for guiding the regulating portion, and a locking portion provided in the long groove, and is characterized in that the movement of the outer tube relative to the inner tube is locked by rotating the operating portion to lock the regulating portion into the locking portion.

2. 2. The stamp according to claim 1, wherein the locking means is configured so that the restricting portion can be locked to the locking portion regardless of the direction of rotation of the operating portion.

3. 3. The stamp according to claim 1, wherein the locking portions are provided on both ends of the long groove in the vertical direction.

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