Rotor and writing instrument

Abstract

To provide a writing body which achieves silencing of operation sound.SOLUTION: The knock type writing instrument 1 includes a writing body 20 extending along an axial line A, a front spring 40 biasing the writing body 20 to the rear side, and a rotary body 30 rotatable around the axial line A while movement in the axial line A direction is regulated. The rotor 80 provided with the pusher contact cam 84 and the knock contact cam 85, the knock body 90 provided with the knock cam 94 that is pressed forward in the direction of the axis A at the time of knocking and is engaged with the knock contact cam 85, and the pressing member 90 that is pressed forward by the knock body 90 at the time of knocking and presses the writing body 20 forward in the direction of the axis A; The rotor 80 rotates only when the knock contact cam 85 is engaged with the knock cam 94 and pressed from the rear side to the front side and when the pusher contact cam 84 is engaged with the pusher cam 75 and pressed from the front side to the rear side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a writing instrument. [Background technology]

[0002] A knock-type writing instrument has been proposed that includes a barrel with a cam groove formed on its inner surface, a rotating cam that is disposed inside the barrel and has a cam protrusion formed on its outer periphery that moves within the cam groove of the barrel, and a fixed cam that is pressed by a knock body. In this conventional knock-type writing instrument, the rotation of the rotating cam is restricted when the cam protrusion is engaged with the cam groove of the barrel (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-305990 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] On the other hand, when the rotating cam is pressed forward via the knock body and fixed cam, the cam protrusion on the rotating cam comes out of the cam groove on the barrel. Then, since the rotating cam is biased backward, the cam on the rear surface of the cam protrusion on the rotating cam slides along the inclined surface on the fixed cam, causing the rotating cam to rotate. At this time, the rotating cam and the cam on the barrel collide. When the pressure is released again, the rear side of the cam protrusion on the rotating cam collides with the inclined surface on the front side of the cam groove on the barrel, stopping the rotation of the rotating cam. These collisions produce a collision sound as an operating sound.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a writing instrument that achieves reduced operational noise. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a knock-type writing instrument comprising: a writing body extending along an axis; a front spring that biases the writing body rearward; a rotor whose movement in the axial direction is restricted and which is rotatable about the axis and is provided with a pusher abutment cam and a knock abutment cam; a knock body that is pressed forward in the axial direction when knocked and is provided with a knock cam that engages with the knock abutment cam; and a pusher that is pressed forward by the knock body when knocked, presses the writing body forward in the axial direction, and is provided with a pusher cam that engages with the pusher abutment cam; [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a writing instrument that achieves quieter operation sounds. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a ballpoint pen 1 according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the ballpoint pen 1. [Figure 3] 2 is an enlarged exploded view of the operating body 30 and the tip operating mechanism 100. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is an enlarged assembly diagram of the operating body 30 and the tip operating mechanism 100. FIG. [Figure 5] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the rear end of the ballpoint pen 1 in a non-writing state without knocking. FIG. [Figure 6] 1 is a cross-sectional view of the rear end of the ballpoint pen 1, showing a state in which the front side of the clip portion 36 of the operating body 30 is lifted from the barrel 10. FIG. [Figure 7] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating the operation of the tip operating mechanism 100. [Figure 8] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating the operation of the tip operating mechanism 100. [Figure 9]FIG. 1 shows the inside of the rear end of the ballpoint pen 1 when fully knocked, with the barrel 10 indicated by a dotted line. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the inside of the rear end portion of the ballpoint pen 1 in a non-knocking writing state, with the barrel 10 indicated by a dotted line. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, a writing instrument according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described, taking a ballpoint pen 1 as an example of the writing instrument. Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a ballpoint pen 1 according to an embodiment, and Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the ballpoint pen 1. The ballpoint pen 1 comprises a barrel 10, a writing element 20 housed inside the barrel 10, a tip operating mechanism 100 that moves the tip of the writing element 20 in and out of the tip of the barrel 10, and an operating body 30 that operates the tip operating mechanism 100 by moving back and forth a predetermined stroke length relative to the barrel 10. In the following description, the tip side of the writing element 20 in the ballpoint pen 1 will be referred to as the front, and the opposite side as the rear. The ballpoint pen 1 further comprises a clip spring 110 that biases the operating body 30, and a tail plug 120 located at the rear end of the tip operating mechanism 100.

[0010] In this specification, "when knocking" refers to a state in which a knocking action is being performed on the operating body 30 (operating unit 33, described below). "When fully knocking" refers to a state in which the operating unit 33 is pushed all the way in (to the front) during the knocking action. "When not knocking" refers to a state in which no knocking action is being performed on the operating unit 33. Specifically, "when not knocking" includes a non-writing state in which the tip of the writing element 20 is immersed in the tip of the barrel 10 (see FIG. 7(a)), and a writing state in which a knocking action is performed on the operating unit 33 from the non-writing state, causing the tip of the writing element 20 to protrude from the tip of the barrel 10 (see FIG. 10).

[0011] (Shaft tube 10) The barrel 10 includes a front barrel 11 extending along a barrel axis A1, and a rear barrel 12 connected to the rear end of the front barrel 11. The rear barrel 12 is fitted into an inner barrel 50 (described later) to form a single unit, and the inner barrel 50 and the front barrel 11 are connected by screwing. In this embodiment, the barrel axis A1 coincides with the axis A of the ballpoint pen 1. The barrel 10 is made of a metal material such as aluminum. The barrel 10 is not limited to a metal material, and may be made of a resin such as polycarbonate.

[0012] (Front shaft cylinder 11) The front barrel 11 has a tapered cylindrical shape, and an opening 11a through which the tip of the writing element 20 protrudes is formed at the front end in the direction of the axis A. A female screw portion 11b is formed on the inner surface of the rear end of the front barrel 11.

[0013] (Rear shaft cylinder 12) The rear barrel 12 has a cylindrical shape, and on its rear side are formed a slide groove 13 along which a protrusion 37 of the operating body 30 (described later) slides when knocking, and a slit 14 along which a first arm 32 of the operating body 30 moves, extending in the front-to-rear direction. The lengths of the slide groove 13 and the slit 14 in the front-to-rear direction correspond to the stroke length of the operating body 30 when knocking. In the embodiment, the protrusion 37 of the clip portion 36 of the operating body 30 is slightly raised from the bottom surface of the slide groove portion 13 of the rear barrel 12, and the apex of the protrusion 37 is located inside the outer surface of the cylindrical shape of the rear barrel 12. By providing the slide groove portion 13, it is possible to clamp the object to be clipped between the slide groove portion 13 and the protrusion 37 even if it is thin.

[0014] (cursive 20) The writing element 20 is housed inside the barrel 10 and extends along the writing element axis A2. In this embodiment, the writing element axis A2 coincides with the axis A. In this embodiment, the writing element 20 is a ballpoint pen refill, and includes a ballpoint pen tip 21, a joint 22 provided on the rear side of the writing element axis A2 of the ballpoint pen tip 21, and an ink reservoir 23 connected to the joint 22. The joint 22 has a flange portion on the ink reservoir 23 side, and the front surface of the flange portion forms a spring seat surface 24.

[0015] Fig. 3 is an enlarged exploded view of the operating body 30 and the tip operating mechanism 100. Fig. 4 is an enlarged assembly view of the operating body 30 and the tip operating mechanism 100. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the rear end of the ballpoint pen 1 in a non-clicking, non-writing state. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the rear end of the ballpoint pen 1 showing a state in which the front side of the clip portion 36 of the operating body 30 is raised in a direction away from the barrel 10. 7 and 8 are diagrams showing the operation of the tip operating mechanism 100.

[0016] (Operation body 30) The operating body 30 is manufactured from a metal material such as aluminum die-casting such as ADC12 or zinc die-casting such as ZDC2, or a resin such as polycarbonate or ABS, and operates the distal end operating mechanism 100. If the operating body 30 is made from a metal material, rigidity can be obtained, which is preferable.

[0017] The operating body 30 includes a pressing portion 31 disposed inside the barrel 10, a first arm portion 32 extending from the pressing portion 31 to the outside of the outer surface of the barrel 10, an operating portion 33 disposed on the rear side of the barrel 10 in the direction of the axis A and spaced apart from the rear end of the barrel 10 at least in the non-writing state when not knocking, a second arm portion 34 extending from the operating portion 33 radially outward along the axis A, a connecting portion 35 connecting the first arm portion 32 and the second arm portion 34, a clip portion 36 extending forward from the connecting portion 35, a protrusion 37 provided on the inside of the clip portion 36, a clip rotation shaft 38, and a clip movement restricting portion 39. The first arm portion 32, the second arm portion 34, and the connecting portion 35 together form a connecting portion connecting the pressing portion 31 and the operating portion 33. In the embodiment, the operating body 30 is configured as one component, but for example, the connecting portion and the operating portion 33 may be configured as separate components.

[0018] Here, the expression "the operating unit 33 is disposed on the rear side of the barrel 10 in the direction of the axis A" means that the operating unit 33 is located within the region on the inner diameter side of the barrel 10 when viewed from one side of the axis A. In the embodiment, the axis of the operating unit 33 and the axis of the barrel 10 also overlap.

[0019] The pressing portion 31 has a generally rectangular plate shape extending in a direction generally perpendicular to the axis A. The front surface of the pressing portion 31 is a generally flat surface generally perpendicular to the axis A. Meanwhile, a front wall 91b of a pressing portion housing chamber 91 of a knock body 90 (described below) in which the pressing portion 31 is housed is also generally perpendicular to the axis A. Therefore, the front surface of the pressing portion 31 is in surface contact with the front wall 91b of the pressing portion housing chamber 91, and can press the front wall 91b. Therefore, the pressing force of the pressing portion 31 is efficiently transmitted to the knock body 90.

[0020] 5 and 6, clip rotation shafts 38, which are cylindrical protrusions protruding from both side surfaces, are provided on the end of the pressing part 31 opposite the clip part 36, with the axis A in between. A rotation axis B (shown in FIG. 3) passing through the two clip rotation shafts 38 provided on both side surfaces is perpendicular to the axis A. The operating body 30 is rotatable around the rotation axis B. The pressing portion 31 is a generally rectangular plate extending in a direction generally perpendicular to the axis A, and has a thickness generally equal to the outer diameter of the clip rotation shaft 38. The clip rotation shaft 38 is provided at the end of the pressing portion 31 opposite the clip portion 36 across the axis A, and at a position toward the front end of the pressing portion 31. With this configuration, when the operating body 30 rotates around the clip rotation shaft 38 (rotation axis B) so that the front side of the clip portion 36 moves away from the barrel 10, the pressing portion 31 does not press the knock body 90 forward. Furthermore, a compact clip rotation structure can be achieved.

[0021] The first arm 32 extends from the pressing portion 31 toward the connecting portion 35 radially outward of the axis A, and protrudes from the outer surface of the barrel 10. The end face of the first arm 32 on the pressing portion 31 side forms a spring pressing surface 32a.

[0022] A clip movement restricting portion 39, which is a protruding cylindrical protrusion, is provided on both side surfaces of the connecting portion between the first arm portion 32 and the pressing portion 31. The clip movement restricting portion 39 restricts movement in the rotation direction when the operating body 30 rotates around the clip rotation axis 38.

[0023] In this embodiment, the operating part 33 has a generally truncated cone shape and is disposed on the rear side of the barrel 10 in the direction of the axis A, with the bottom surface of the truncated cone facing forward, i.e., toward the barrel 10. When not knocking as shown in FIG. 5, the operating part 33 is spaced apart from the rear end of the barrel 10. That is, when not knocking, there is a gap between the operating part 33 and the rear end of the barrel 10. The outer diameter of the operating part 33 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the rear end of the barrel 10. When knocking, part of the operating part 33 enters inside the rear end of the barrel 10.

[0024] 5 is not rotated, the operation unit 33 passes through the axis A. In this embodiment, the operation unit 33 is disposed with the axis A as its center.

[0025] The second arm 34 extends radially outward from the operating portion 33 about the axis A. The second arm 34 and the first arm 32 are generally parallel in a side view. The width of the second arm 34 in the radial direction about the axis A is generally the same as the width of the first arm 32 and is a width that allows the second arm 34 to enter the slit 14.

[0026] The connecting portion 35 connects the first arm portion 32 and the second arm portion 34. The connecting portion, which is the combination of the first arm portion 32, the connecting portion 35, and the second arm portion 34, is U-shaped when viewed from the side of the barrel 10, and connects the pressing portion 31 and the operating portion 33. Configuring the connecting portion as a single, integrated part is preferable as it increases rigidity.

[0027] The clip portion 36 extends integrally and continuously from the connecting portion 35 toward the front along the outer surface of the barrel 10. A semicircular protrusion 37 is provided on the front surface of the clip portion 36 facing the barrel 10.

[0028] As described above, during knocking, the protrusion 37 slides in the slide groove 13 provided in the barrel 10, and the first arm 32 moves in the slit 14. Also, the second arm 34 enters the slit 14 from the rear end thereof (see FIG. 9).

[0029] (Tip operation mechanism 100) The tip operating mechanism 100 is a mechanism that causes the tip of the writing element 20 to protrude and retract relative to the tip of the barrel 10. In this embodiment, the tip operating mechanism 100 includes a front spring 40, an inner tube 50 that houses the writing element 20, a plunger 70, a knock body 90, a rotor 80 that is disposed between the plunger 70 and the knock body 90, and a rear spring 60. However, the tip operating mechanism is not limited to this configuration as long as it is a mechanism that causes the tip of the writing element to protrude and retract relative to the tip of the barrel, or at least causes it to protrude.

[0030] (Front spring 40) 1 and 2 is a compression coil spring made of, for example, stainless steel. The front spring 40 is inserted around the outer periphery of the front joint 22 of the writing element 20, with its front end abutting a step provided on the inner surface of the front barrel 11 and its rear end abutting a spring bearing surface 24 of a flange provided on the joint 22, urging the writing element 20 rearward and pressing the plunger 70 rearward via the writing element 20.

[0031] (inner cylinder 50) The inner tube 50 is a cylindrical member and includes an inner tube front section 50F, an inner tube middle section 50M, and an inner tube rear section 50B. The inner tube 50 is fixed to the barrel 10. The outer surface of the inner tube middle section 50M is provided with a protrusion 50a around the entire front circumference and four ribs 50b at the rear of the inner surface in the direction of the axis A. The outer surface of the inner tube middle section 50M fits into the inner surface of the rear barrel 12, and the inner tube 50 and the rear barrel 12 are fixed so that they cannot move in the front-to-rear direction or rotate, with the inner tube front section 50F protruding from the front end of the rear barrel 12.

[0032] The inner tube front section 50F has a male thread 51 formed on its outer surface that can be threadedly engaged with the female thread 11b of the front barrel 11, and the front barrel 11 is removably fixed to the inner barrel 50 by threading. The stored writing element 20 can be removed by removing the front barrel 11. The inner barrel rear section 50B has a smaller diameter than the inner barrel middle section 50M, and a step 52 is provided in the section connecting the inner barrel middle section 50M to the inner barrel rear section 50B. A rear spring 60 is fitted onto the inner barrel rear section 50B, and the front end of the rear spring 60 is pressed against the step 52.

[0033] The inner cylinder rear portion 50B is provided with two notches 54 extending forward from the rear end. The portion of the inner cylinder rear portion 50B other than the notches 54 forms an extension portion 55 extending rearward. 3, a rear end protrusion 56 that protrudes inward is provided at the rear end of extension 55. An inner surface circumferential protrusion 58 is provided on the inner surface of extension 55 forward of rear end protrusion 56. A rotor large diameter portion 81 of rotor 80, which will be described later, is held between rear end protrusion 56 and inner surface circumferential protrusion 58, thereby restricting movement of rotor 80 in the direction of axis A.

[0034] An outer circumferential protrusion 57 is provided on the outer surface of the rear end of the extension 55. The rear surface of the outer circumferential protrusion 57 abuts against a rear barrel step 15 on the inner surface of the rear barrel 12 (not shown). This restricts the rearward position of the inner barrel 50 in the direction of axis A relative to the rear barrel 12, preventing it from coming off rearward. When not knocking, the front surface of the outer circumferential protrusion 57 receives the rear end of the rear spring 60 together with the front surface of a knock flange portion 96 of the knock body 90, which will be described later.

[0035] (Push 70) The pusher 70 rotatably holds the rotor 80 and is movable in the direction of the axis A relative to the inner cylinder 50. The pusher 70 has a pusher pressing surface 71 provided on the front side. The pusher pressing surface 71 is disposed on the front side of the inner surface circumferential protrusion 58 of the inner cylinder 50 in the direction of the axis A. Slide portions 72 are provided at two locations on the outer periphery of the plunger pressing surface portion 71. The slide portions 72 are inserted into two notches 54 in the inner cylinder 50, allowing the plunger 70 to slide back and forth along the notches 54. The outer diameter of the slide portions 72 of the plunger 70 is smaller than the inner diameter of the rear spring 60. The pusher 70 further includes a columnar portion 73 extending rearward from the pusher pressing surface portion 71. Three cam-forming thick portions 74 extending in the direction of axis A are provided on the outer periphery of the columnar portion 73 excluding the rear end side, and the rear end surfaces of the cam-forming thick portions 74 form pusher cams 75. In addition, step surfaces 77 extending parallel to axis A are provided between the cam surfaces of the pusher cams 75. The cam forming thick portion 74 does not cover the entire circumferential direction of the outer periphery of the front side of the cylindrical portion 73, and three pusher grooves 76 extending parallel to the axis A are provided between the three cam forming thick portions 74.

[0036] (Knock body 90) The knock body 90 has a pressing portion storage chamber 91 at its rear end that stores the pressing portion 31 of the operating body 30 and the clip spring 110, two opposing knock slide portions 95 that extend forward from the pressing portion storage chamber 91, and a knock cam 94 provided on the front surface of the front wall 91b of the pressing portion storage chamber 91.

[0037] The pressing portion storage chamber 91 has two opposing side walls 91a and a front wall 91b, and an engaging protrusion 91c is provided on the outer surface of the side wall 91a. An engaging hole 124 of a tail plug 120 (described later) is inserted into the engaging protrusion 91c, and the tail plug 120 is attached to the knock body 90. The inner surface of the side wall 91a is provided with an axis holding recess 91d in which the clip pivot shaft 38 is rotatably held, and a movable recess 91e in which the clip movable restricting portion 39 moves circumferentially around the clip pivot shaft 38 held in the axis holding recess 91d.

[0038] The knock slide portion 95 extends forward from the pressing portion storage chamber 91. The knock slide portion 95 is slidable in the direction of the axis A within the notch 54 of the inner cylinder 50. A knock flange portion 96 is formed on the outer periphery of the front end of the knock slide portion 95. The outer diameter of the knock flange portion 96 is larger than the outer diameter of the slide portion 72 of the plunger 70. The front surface of the knock flange portion 96 supports the rear end side of the rear spring 60, and the rear spring 60 urges the knock body 90 rearward. The rear surface of the knock flange portion 96 of the knock body 90 abuts against the rear barrel step portion 15 of the rear barrel 12, thereby restricting rearward movement of the knock body 90 along the axis A of the barrel 10.

[0039] The knock cam 94 is provided facing forward on the front surface of the front wall 91b of the pressing portion storage chamber 91, and a step surface 97 extending parallel to the axis A is provided between the cam surfaces of the knock cam 94.

[0040] (Rotor 80) The rotor 80 is cylindrical and has a rotor large diameter portion 81 and a rotor small diameter portion 82, and is inserted into the columnar portion 73 of the plunger 70. The rotor large diameter portion 81 is disposed between the inner circumferential protrusion 58 of the inner cylinder 50 and the rear end protrusion 56. In a non-knocking, non-writing state, the plunger 70 is sandwiched between the rear end surface of the ink containing tube 23 of the writing element 20 and the front wall 91b (the front end of the columnar portion of the front wall 91b) of the pressing portion housing chamber 91 of the knocking element 90. In this state, the rotor 80 is also sandwiched between the plunger pressing surface portion 71 and the rear end protrusion 56.

[0041] Because the inner tube 50 does not move in the direction of the axis A of the ballpoint pen 1, the rotor 80 held between the inner surface circumferential protrusion 58 and the rear end overhang 56 of the inner tube 50 is also restricted from moving in the direction of the axis A, but the rotor 80 can rotate about the axis A between the inner surface circumferential protrusion 58 and the rear end overhang 56. In this way, to enable the rotor 80 to rotate about the axis A between the inner surface circumferential protrusion 58 and the rear end overhang 56, the distance in the direction of the axis A between the inner surface circumferential protrusion 58 and the rear end overhang 56 is set to a distance that allows a slight clearance with respect to the width of the rotor large diameter portion 81 of the rotor 80 in the direction of the axis A.

[0042] However, in a non-clicking, non-writing state, the front surface of the rotor small-diameter portion 82 abuts against the rear surface of the pusher pressing surface portion 71. Because the pusher 70 is urged rearward by the front spring 40 via the writing element 20, the rear surface of the pusher pressing surface portion 71 also urges the front surface of the rotor small-diameter portion 82 of the rotor 80 rearward. Therefore, the rotor 80 is held without a gap between the pusher pressing surface portion 71 and the rear-end protruding portion 56 of the inner tube 50. Furthermore, in a non-clicking, writing state, a pusher abutment surface 84, which is the front surface of a cam member 83 (described later) of the rotor 80, abuts against the pusher cam 75 of the pusher 70. Because the pusher 70 is urged rearward by the front spring 40 via the writing element 20, the pusher abutment surface 84, which is the front surface of the cam member 83 of the rotor 80, is also urged rearward by the pusher cam 75. Therefore, the rotor 80 is held without any gap between the pusher cam 75 and the rear end protrusion 56 of the inner cylinder 50. Therefore, when not knocking (in the writing state and the non-writing state), in other words, when not knocking, rattle of the rotor 80 in the direction of the axis A is prevented.

[0043] Three cam members 83 are formed at equal intervals on the inner surface of the rotor 80. For ease of explanation, only the cam members 83 of the rotor 80 are shown in Figures 7 and 8. The front surface of the cam member 83 forms a pusher abutment cam 84 that abuts against the pusher cam 75 of the pusher 70, the rear surface of the cam member 83 forms a knock abutment cam 85 that abuts against the knock cam 94 of the knock body 90, and the side surface of the cam member 83 forms a slide surface 86 that slides within the pusher groove 76.

[0044] (rear spring 60) The rear spring 60 is, for example, a stainless steel compression coil spring, and is sandwiched between the step portion 52 of the inner tube 50 and the knock flange portion 96 of the knock body 90 in a state compressed from its natural length. The rear spring 60 constantly urges the knock body 90 rearward, and the pressing portion 31 of the operating body 30 is urged rearward via the knock body 90, so that the entire operating body 30 is urged rearward. Therefore, even in the writing state, the operating portion 33 of the operating body 30 is held at the rear side of the barrel 10 and separated from the barrel 10.

[0045] (Clip spring 110) The clip spring 110 is a compression spring made of, for example, stainless steel, and is arranged in the pressing portion storage chamber 91. The clip spring 110 is arranged so that the central axis of the spring is perpendicular to the axis A and to the rotation axis B. One end of the clip spring 110 is placed on a base 123 of the tail plug 120 (described later), and the other end of the clip spring 110 is pressed by the spring pressing surface 32a of the first arm 32 of the operating body 30. In other words, the clip spring 110 is sandwiched and biased between the base 123 of the tail plug 120 and the spring pressing surface 32a of the first arm 32 in a state compressed from its natural length.

[0046] When no pressing force is being applied to the rear side of the operating body 30 (connection portion 35) in a direction approximately perpendicular to the axis A, the front surface of the pressing portion 31 of the operating body 30 abuts against the rear surface of the front wall 91b of the knock body 90, thereby restricting the forward movement of the clip portion 36.

[0047] The front protrusion 37 of the clip portion 36 of the operating body 30 does not come into contact with the barrel 10 and is slightly raised above the bottom surface of the slide groove portion 13, thereby enabling a sufficient clamping force to be generated between the clip portion 36 and the barrel 10. This structure makes it possible to prevent scratches caused by rubbing between the protrusion 37 of the clip portion 36 and the barrel 10 when knocking.

[0048] 6, when a pressing force is applied to the rear side of the operating body 30 (connecting portion 35) in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis A, and the front side of the clip portion 36 of the operating body 30 is lifted in a direction away from the barrel 10, the clip spring 110 is further compressed. When the pressing force is released, the restoring force of the clip spring 110 causes the clip portion 36 to return from the lifted state to its original state.

[0049] (tail plug 120) The tail plug 120 includes a rear wall 121 that closes the rear end of the pressing portion storage chamber 91 of the knock body 90, a base 123 that extends forward from the rear wall 121, and two opposing engagement walls 122. Engagement holes 124 are formed in the engagement walls 122. The tail plug 120 is attached to the knock body 90 by engaging the engagement protrusions 91c of the knock body 90 with the engagement holes 124. When not knocking, the rear wall 121 of the tail plug 120 covers the opening at the rear end of the barrel 10. When the operating part 33 is knocked, the rear wall 121 of the tail plug 120 moves forward from the rear end of the barrel 10 in conjunction with the forward movement of the operating part 33, allowing the operating part 33 to enter the interior of the rear end of the barrel 10. In the first embodiment, the outer diameter of the operating part 33 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the rear end of the barrel 10, and when knocking, a part of the front side of the operating part 33 enters the inside of the rear end of the barrel 10, thereby restricting movement of the operating part 33 in any direction other than the direction of the axis A.

[0050] (Features of the control unit 30) Next, the features of the operating body 30 of the embodiment will be described. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the inside of the rear end of the ballpoint pen 1 when fully knocked, with the barrel 10 indicated by a dotted line. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the inside of the rear end of the ballpoint pen 1 when not knocked and in a writing state, with the barrel 10 indicated by a dotted line. As shown in Figure 9, the operating part 33 of the operating body 30 moves forward during full knocking and part of it enters the rear end of the barrel 10, but in the non-writing state without knocking (Figure 5) or the writing state without knocking shown in Figure 10, the entire operating part 33 is separated from the rear end of the barrel 10.

[0051] In this way, when not knocking, the operating part 33 is separated from the rear end of the barrel 10 and a gap is left between the operating part 33 and the barrel 10, so that the operating part 33 has an excellent design shape as if it is floating in the air. In other words, in both the non-writing state shown in Figure 7(a) and the writing state shown in Figure 10, the writing instrument (ballpoint pen 1) of the embodiment has an excellent design, with the operating part 33 appearing to float in the air.

[0052] When operating portion 33 is knocked forward in the direction of axis A, a part of operating portion 33 enters the interior of the rear end of barrel 10, as shown in Figure 9. At this time, the pressing force of operating portion 33 is transmitted to pressing portion 31 via second arm portion 34, connecting portion 35, and first arm portion 32 of operating body 30, which are connected in a U-shape, and pressing portion 31 presses knock body 90. Here, since the operating portion 33 is disposed at a position that passes through the axis A of the barrel 10, the pressing force of the operating portion 33 is transmitted to the pressing portion 31 efficiently. Furthermore, the operating portion 33 and the pressing portion 31 are connected by a U-shaped connecting portion, so that the pressing force of the operating portion 33 is transmitted to the pressing portion 31 efficiently in this respect as well. Furthermore, the operating body 30 is manufactured from aluminum die-cast such as ADC12, zinc die-cast such as ZDC2, or resin such as polycarbonate or ABS. In particular, when the U-shaped connecting portion is integrally manufactured from a high-strength, hard metal material, the force pressing the operating portion 33 is sufficiently transmitted to the pressing portion 31 without deforming the connecting portion, resulting in good operability. Furthermore, by making the connecting portion thinner than the outer diameters of the operating portion 33 and the barrel 10 as in the embodiment, an excellent design can be achieved, making the operating portion 33 appear to be floating in the air.

[0053] (Clip behavior) Next, the operation of the operating unit 33 when clipping will be described. As shown by the arrow in FIG. 6 , the rear side of the operating body 30 (connecting portion 35) is pressed in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis A. This causes the operating body 30 to rotate about the clip rotation shaft 38 held in the shaft holding recess 91d. The clip movement restricting portion 39 moves about the clip rotation shaft 38 in a movable recess 91e provided in the side wall 91a of the pressing portion storage chamber 91 of the knocking body 90. In other words, the movement of the clip movement restricting portion 39 is restricted by the clip movement restricting portion 39 abutting against the rear end of the movable recess 91e. The clip spring 110 is pressed and compressed by the spring pressing surface 32a of the first arm portion 32.

[0054] This causes the front side of clip portion 36 to rise in a direction away from barrel 10, causing protrusion 37 to move away from slide groove 13 of barrel 10, making it possible to clamp the object to be clipped. When the pressure is released from this state, the object to be clipped, such as pocket cloth, is clamped between clip portion 36 and the outer surface of barrel 10, making it possible to attach ballpoint pen 1 to a pocket or the like.

[0055] (Operation of the tip operating mechanism 100) Next, the operation of the distal end operating mechanism 100 will be described. 7 and 8 are diagrams showing the operation of the tip operating mechanism 100, but do not show the inner tube 50, front spring 40, and rear spring 60, and only show the cam member 83 provided on the inner surface of the rotor 80. The dashed dotted line in the figures indicates the center of the cam member 83 of the rotor 80 in the direction of axis A. Since the rotor 80 is in a position fixed in the direction of axis A relative to the ballpoint pen 1, the dashed dotted line indicates the position at which the rotor 80 is fixed in the direction of axis A on the ballpoint pen 1.

[0056] 7(a) shows the non-writing state of the ballpoint pen 1. The non-writing state is a state in which the operating portion 33 of the operating body 30 is not knocked, and the tip of the writing body 20 does not protrude from the tip of the barrel 10 (a recessed state). At this time, the knock body 90, the plunger 70, and the writing body 20 are positioned at the rearmost positions within the movable range of the rotor 80, and the cam member 83 of the rotor 80 is positioned at the front side within the plunger groove 76 of the plunger 70.

[0057] 7(b) shows the state where the operation of changing from the non-writing state to the writing state has begun. When changing from the non-writing state to the writing state, the operator knocks the operating part 33 of the operating body 30. When this is done, the operating body 30 moves forward due to the pressure of the operating part 33. The pressing portion 31 of the operating body 30 presses the knock body 90 forward, causing the knock body 90, the plunger 70, and the writing body 20 to move forward as shown by the arrows in the figure. Because the rotor 80 is in a fixed position relative to the ballpoint pen 1 in the direction of the axis A, when the plunger 70 moves forward, the cam member 83 (rotor 80), which is a plane extending in the direction of the axis A, moves relatively rearward along the side surface of the plunger groove 76 of the plunger 70, which is a plane extending in the direction of the axis A.

[0058] 7(c) shows a state in which the operator has further knocked the operating portion 33 of the operating body 30 forward from the state shown in FIG. 7(b). The cam member 83 (rotor 80) has come out of the plunger groove 76 of the plunger 70, and the knock contact cam 85, which is the rear slope of the cam member 83 (rotor 80), has come into contact with the knock cam 94, which is the front slope of the knock body 90. At this time, knock cam 94 of knock body 90 presses knock contact cam 85 of cam member 83 (rotor 80) forward, causing knock contact cam 85 of cam member 83 (rotor 80) to slide along knock cam 94 of knock body 90. This causes rotor 80 to start rotating in the direction of the arrow.

[0059] Fig. 7(d) shows a state in which the operating part 33 of the operating body 30 is fully knocked. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the inside of the rear end portion of the ballpoint pen 1 at the time of this full knock. When the rotor 80 rotates and the slide surface 86 of the cam member 83 (rotor 80), which is a plane extending in the direction of the axis A, abuts against the step surface 97 of the knock body 90, which is a plane extending in the direction of the axis A, the rotation of the rotor 80 stops. Here, the rotor 80 is fixed in position in the direction of the axis A, and the knock cam 94 of the knock body 90 abuts against the knock abutment cam 85 of the cam member 83 (rotor 80), so the knock body 90 cannot move forward any further. Therefore, the operating portion 33 of the operating body 30 also cannot move forward any further. Therefore, the operator feels that the knock body 90 has reached its maximum pressing depth.

[0060] FIG. 7(e) shows the state immediately after the operator releases the pressure on the operating part 33 of the operating body 30 after the maximum pressing depth has been reached. When the operator releases the pressure on the operating portion 33 of the operating body 30, the rear spring 60 biases the knock flange portion 96 of the knock body 90 rearward, causing the knock body 90 to move rearward. The writing element 20 is also biased rearward by the front spring 40 and moves slightly rearward, and the plunger 70 is pressed by the writing element 20 and also moves slightly rearward. When the pusher 70 moves rearward, the pusher cam 75, which is a slope provided on the rear side of the pusher 70, comes into contact with the pusher abutment cam 84, which is a slope provided on the front side of the cam member 83 of the rotor 80. In this state, the pusher cam 75 of the pusher 70 presses the pusher abutment cam 84 of the cam member 83 (rotor 80) rearward, so that the pusher abutment cam 84 of the cam member 83 (rotor 80) slides along the pusher cam 75 of the pusher 70, and the rotor 80 rotates in the direction of the arrow.

[0061] Figure 8(a) shows a state following Figure 7(e), in which the rotor 80 is rotating and the front portion of the slide surface 86 of the cam member 83 (rotor 80), which is a plane extending in the direction of axis A, abuts against the step surface 77 of the pusher 70, which is a plane extending in the direction of axis A, and the rotation of the rotor 80 has stopped. In this state, the pusher cam 75 of the pusher 70 is in contact with the pusher contact cam 84 of the cam member 83 (rotor 80), so the pusher 70 does not move further rearward. At this time, the tip of the writing element 20 protrudes from the tip of the barrel 10, and the rear end of the writing element 20 abuts against the plunger pressure surface 71 of the plunger 70. The plunger 70 does not move rearward any further, so the writing element 20 does not move rearward any further either. In other words, even if writing pressure is applied to the tip of the writing element 20, the tip does not retract into the barrel, making it possible to write. This state is the writing state.

[0062] 8(a), Fig. 10 shows the writing state. The knock flange portion 96 of the knock body 90 is biased rearward by the rear spring 60, and the knock body 90 is pushed by the rear spring 60, so that the rear surface of the knock flange portion 96 moves rearward to the position of the rear barrel step portion 15 of the rear barrel 12. As a result, the pressing portion 31 of the operating body 30 is also forced rearward by being pressed by the knock body 90, and the operating portion 33 of the operating body 30 is held at the rear side of the barrel 10 and separated from the barrel 10 even in the writing state. Therefore, the ballpoint pen 1 can maintain its excellent design, with the operating portion 33 appearing to float in the air, even in the writing state.

[0063] 8(b) shows the start state of the operation of changing from the writing state to the non-writing state. That is, this is the start state when the tip of the writing body 20 is retracted from the tip of the barrel 10. To change from the writing state to the non-writing state, the operator knocks the operating portion 33 of the operating body 30. Then, the operating body 30 moves forward due to the pressure of the operating portion 33. The pressing portion 31 of the operating body 30 presses the knock body 90 forward, causing the knock body 90, the plunger 70, and the writing body 20 to move forward. The amount of movement of the knock body 90, the plunger 70, and the writing body 20 at this time is smaller than when switching from the non-writing state to the writing state.

[0064] As shown in Figure 8(b), the pusher cam 75 of the pusher 70, which is the slope on the rear side of the pusher 70, moves away from the pusher abutment cam 84, which is the slope on the front side of the rotor 80, and the step surface 77 of the pusher 70, which is a plane extending in the direction of the axis A of the pusher 70, moves away from the slide surface 86 of the cam member 83 (rotor 80), which is a plane extending in the direction of the axis A. Then, knock cam 94 of knock body 90, which is a slope provided on the front side of knock body 90, comes into contact with knock contact cam 85 of cam member 83 (rotor 80), which is a slope provided on the rear side of rotor 80. The knock cam 94 of the knock body 90 presses the knock contact cam 85 of the cam member 83 (rotor 80) forward, causing the knock contact cam 85 to slide along the knock cam 94 of the knock body 90. This causes the rotor 80 to rotate in the direction of the arrow.

[0065] Figure 8(c) shows a state in which the operator has further knocked the operating portion 33 of the operating body 30 forward from the state shown in Figure 8(b). As shown in Figure 8(c), when the rotor 80 rotates, the slide surface 86 of the cam member 83 (rotor 80), which is a flat surface extending in the direction of the axis A, comes into contact with the step surface 97 of the knock body 90, which is a flat surface extending in the direction of the axis A. This stops the rotation of the rotor 80. Here, the rotor 80 is fixed in position along the axis A, and the knock cam 94 of the knock body 90 is in contact with the knock contact cam 85 of the cam member 83 (rotor 80), so the knock body 90 cannot move forward any further. Therefore, the operating portion 33 of the operating body 30 also cannot move forward any further. Therefore, the operator feels that the knock body 90 has reached its maximum pushing depth. At this time, the knock body 90 is still in the full knock state.

[0066] 8(d) shows the state immediately after the operator releases the pressure on operating portion 33 of operating body 30 after reaching the maximum pressing depth. When the operator releases the pressure on operating portion 33 of operating body 30, rear spring 60 biases knock flange portion 96 of knock body 90 rearward, causing knock body 90 to move rearward. The writing element 20 is also biased rearward by the front spring 40 and therefore moves rearward, and the plunger 70 is pressed by the writing element 20 and also moves rearward. When the pusher 70 moves rearward, the pusher cam 75, which is a slope provided on the rear side of the pusher 70, comes into contact with the pusher contact cam 84, which is a slope provided on the front side of the cam member 83 of the rotor 80. In this state, the pusher cam 75 of the pusher 70 presses the pusher abutment cam 84 of the cam member 83 (rotor 80) rearward, causing the pusher abutment cam 84 of the cam member 83 (rotor 80) to slide along the pusher cam 75 of the pusher 70, and the rotor 80 to rotate in the direction of the arrow.

[0067] Figure 8(e) shows a state in which the rotor 80 rotates and the slide surface 86 of the cam member 83 (rotor 80), which is a plane extending in the direction of axis A, abuts against the side of the pusher groove 76 of the pusher 70, which is a plane extending in the direction of axis A, causing the rotation of the rotor 80 to stop. In this state, the writing element 20 is further moved rearward by the front spring 40, so that the cam member 83 (rotor 80) moves relatively forward in the direction of the axis A in the plunger groove 76 of the plunger 70, resulting in the state shown in Figure 7(a). At this time, the tip of the writing element 20 is retracted from the tip of the barrel.

[0068] As described above, the rotor 80 is not biased in the rotational direction, and rotates by cam engagement only when the pusher abutment cam 84 abuts against the pusher cam 75 and is pressed from the front to the rear in the direction of axis A by the pusher cam 75, and when the knock abutment cam 85 abuts against the knock cam 94 and is pressed from the rear to the front in the direction of axis A by the knock body 90. For example, unlike the embodiment, if the rotor 80 is constantly biased in the rotational direction, the knocking noise generated when the rotor 80 comes into contact with another member will be louder. However, in this embodiment, the rotor 80 is not biased in the rotational direction and rotates only by cam engagement, so the impact when it comes into contact with other members is small, and knocking noise is reduced. Furthermore, because the rotor 80 is not biased in the rotational direction, the resistance when the slide surface 86 of the rotor 80 moves in the plunger groove 76 during knocking is smaller than when the rotor 80 is constantly biased in the rotational direction. Therefore, knocking can be performed smoothly.

[0069] (Effect of the position of the clip pivot axis 38) When the operating body 30 is knocked, a pressing force F is applied to the operating portion 33 in the direction of the axis A as shown in FIG. As a comparative example, let us assume that the clip rotation axis of the operating body 30 is located at the center of the clip movement restricting portion 39 of the embodiment. At this time, the pressing force F can be decomposed into a force in a direction toward the clip movement restricting portion 39 and a radial force centered on the clip movement restricting portion 39, indicated by Y1 in FIG. 5. In the comparative example, the radial force Y1 is a force in a direction that lifts the clip portion 36 from the barrel 10 and opens it. Therefore, in the comparative example, the clip portion 36 lifts up from the barrel 10 and opens when performing a clicking operation. This results in poor operability, unstable operation, and a loss of operational feel (knocking sensation).

[0070] However, in this embodiment, a clip rotation shaft 38 is provided at the end opposite to the clip portion 36 across the axis A. According to the embodiment, when the operating body 30 is clicked, the pressing force F that presses the operating part 33 in the direction of the axis A can be decomposed into a force in a direction toward the clip rotation axis 38 and a radial force centered on the clip rotation axis 38, indicated by Y2 in the drawing. In the embodiment, the radial force Y2 is a force in a direction that brings the clip part 36 closer to the barrel 10. Therefore, in this embodiment, when a click operation is performed, the clip portion 36 does not lift up and open from the barrel 10. This provides good operability, stable operation, and does not impair the operational feel (knocking feel).

[0071] Furthermore, since the operating portion 33 extends onto the axis A, when the operating portion 33 is pressed, the pressing force is transmitted sufficiently.

[0072] Furthermore, according to the operating body 30 of the embodiment, knocking operation is possible not only by knocking the operating portion 33 at the rear end, but also by moving the clip portion 36 forward.

[0073] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these and various modifications are possible. For example, the connection portion 35 and the clip portion 36 of the operating body 30 in the embodiment extend linearly parallel to the outer surface of the barrel 10, but are not limited to this and may be curved. Furthermore, the shape of the operating portion 33 is a truncated cone, but it may be a cylindrical shape or other shape.

[0074] Further, the front barrel 11 and the rear barrel 12 may be integrally formed. Furthermore, the rear spring 60 may not be provided, and the entire operating part 33 may not be separated from the rear end of the barrel 10 when in a non-knocking, non-writing state, and the operating part 33 may be separated from the rear end of the barrel 10 when in a non-knocking, non-writing state, so that the operating part 33 appears to be floating in the air. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] A: axis, B: rotation axis 1: Ballpoint pen 10: Shaft tube 20: Cursive writing, 24: Spring bearing surface 30: Operating body, 31: Pressing portion, 32: First arm portion (connecting portion), 32a: Spring pressing surface, 33: Operating portion, 34: Second arm portion (connecting portion), 35: Connection portion (connecting portion), 36: Clip portion, 37: Protrusion, 38: Clip rotation axis, 39: Clip movement restricting portion 40: Front spring 50: inner tube, 52: step portion, 54: notch, 55: extension portion, 56: rear end protrusion, 57: outer circumferential protrusion, 58: inner circumferential protrusion 60: Rear spring 70: pusher, 71: pusher pressing surface, 72: slide portion, 73: cylindrical portion, 74: cam forming thick portion, 75: pusher cam, 76: pusher groove, 77: step surface 80: rotor, 81: rotor large diameter portion, 82: rotor small diameter portion, 83: cam member, 84: plunger contact cam, 85: knock contact cam, 86: slide surface 90: knock body, 91: pressing portion storage chamber, 91a: side wall, 91b: front wall, 91c: engaging protrusion, 91d: shaft holding recess, 91e: movable recess, 94: knock cam, 95: knock slide portion, 96: knock flange portion, 97: step surface 100:Tip operation mechanism 110: Clip spring 120: tail plug, 121: rear wall, 122: engagement wall, 123: base, 124: engagement hole

Claims

[Claim 1] a writing element extending along an axis; a front spring that biases the writing element rearward; a rotor whose movement in the axial direction is restricted and which is rotatable about the axis, and which is provided with a plunger contact cam and a knock contact cam; a knock body provided with a knock cam that is pressed forward in the axial direction during a knock and engages with the knock contact cam; a pusher that is pushed forward by the knock body when knocked, and pushes the writing body forward in the axial direction, and that is provided with a pusher cam that engages with the pusher abutment cam; The rotor is When the knock contact cam engages with the knock cam and is pressed from the rear side to the front side in the axial direction by the knock body, and the pusher contact cam rotates only when it is engaged with the pusher cam and pressed by the pusher cam from the front side to the rear side in the axial direction; Knock-type writing instrument.

Images