Applicator

Abstract

The present invention provides a dispensing device that reduces the occurrence of unintended tip detachment while facilitating tip replacement. [Solution] The applicator has a peripheral wall portion that extends in a continuous or intermittent ring shape, the peripheral wall portion into which a part of the applicator can be inserted, and the portion surrounding the outside of a part of the applicator further has a first projection and a second projection that protrude inward from the peripheral wall portion, and when a virtual plane that is parallel to the direction of insertion of the applicator and includes the center line of the region enclosed by the peripheral wall portion is defined as a reference virtual plane, and the region located on one side of the reference virtual plane within the region enclosed by the peripheral wall portion is defined as the first region, and the region located on the other side is defined as the second region, the first projection and the second projection are formed at positions far apart in the direction of insertion of the applicator, and one of the first projection and the second projection is formed so that the whole fits within one of the first region and the second region, and the other projection is formed so that the whole fits within the other of the first region and the second region.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an applicator for supplying a coating liquid to a coated body.

Background Art

[0002] There is widely known an applicator that stores a coating liquid in a shaft cylinder serving as a pen shaft and supplies the coating liquid to a coated body such as felt or synthetic fiber that forms a pen tip and then uses it. As such an applicator, for example, there is an applicator disclosed in Patent Document 1.

[0003] The applicator of Patent Document 1 has a valve in the cylinder, and by moving a valve body that constitutes a part of the valve in the front-rear direction, a part of the valve body approaches and separates from a valve seat. As a result, the applicator switches between a closed state and an open state of the valve, and switches between a state where the supply of the coating liquid to the tip is restricted and a state where the coating liquid is supplied to the tip. Here, the applicator of Patent Document 1 forms a housing recess for inserting the rear end portion of the tip on the front side of the valve body, and attaches the tip to the valve body by inserting the rear end portion of the tip into the housing recess from the front.

[0004] Further, as a plotting pen having a pen tip capable of impregnating ink, there is a writing instrument disclosed in Patent Document 2. The writing instrument of Patent Document 2 attaches a resin holder to the front portion of the shaft cylinder, and attaches a pen tip to the holder via a cylindrical guide member. This writing instrument forms a part of the outer peripheral wall of the guide member to be thin, and after inserting the pen tip into the inner hole of the guide member, presses the thin portion of the guide member by punching to form a protrusion that protrudes inward from the inner peripheral surface of the inner hole. As a result, the protruding portion of the inner peripheral surface of the inner hole of the guide member bites into the pen tip, and the pen tip is firmly fixed to the guide member.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

[0006] Here, the applicator described in Patent Document 1 had room for improvement in terms of preventing the tip from unintentionally falling off. Specifically, when the tip is held in place by inserting and press-fitting the rear portion of the tip into a recess, there was a risk that the tip might unintentionally detach from the valve body due to dimensional tolerances, etc.

[0007] Therefore, in order to prevent such problems, it is conceivable to process the member into which the tip is inserted to provide a projection, as disclosed in Patent Document 2, and to firmly bite into the tip with the projection, thereby firmly holding the tip in place. However, with such a structure, the tip cannot be removed from the valve body, and if the tip needs to be replaced, the entire valve body must be replaced. In other words, when replacing the tip, parts that do not need to be replaced are also replaced, which not only increases the cost required for replacement, but also makes the tip replacement work complicated because the applicator needs to be disassembled more extensively when replacing the tip.

[0008] Furthermore, if the tip forming the pen nib is made of a material such as bonded fiber bundles instead of rubber as in Patent Document 2, the formation of protrusions can create unintended areas of high fiber density in the deformed parts and surrounding areas. In other words, the formation of areas with unintended capillary force on the tip can cause the flow of the coating liquid within the tip to deviate from the intended flow when applying the coating liquid to the object to be coated, such as paper, potentially negatively affecting the coating performance (writing performance).

[0009] In addition, it is conceivable to narrow a portion of the recess into which the tip is inserted (forming a ring-shaped projection on the inner surface of the recess), thereby pressing the inner surface of the recess (or projection) against the outer surface of the tip and tightening a portion of the tip. However, when a prototype applicator with such a structure was fabricated and tested, it became difficult to remove the tip when replacing it, and unintended areas with strong capillary forces were formed on the tip.

[0010] In other words, there was a need for a coating tool that could be used more effectively over time by reducing the occurrence of unintended tip detachment while also facilitating tip replacement.

[0011] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a coating tool that reduces the occurrence of unintended detachment of the tip while facilitating tip replacement. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] One aspect of the present invention for solving the above problems is an applicator for applying a coating liquid via an applicator, wherein the applicator has a peripheral wall portion that extends in an annular, continuous or intermittent manner, the peripheral wall portion into which a part of the applicator can be inserted, and the peripheral wall portion surrounds the outside of a part of the applicator, and further has a first projection and a second projection that protrude inward from the peripheral wall portion, and is a plane parallel to the insertion direction of the applicator, and a virtual plane including the center line of the region enclosed by the peripheral wall portion is defined as a reference virtual plane, and the region located on one side of the reference virtual plane within the region enclosed by the peripheral wall portion is defined as the first region, and the region located on the other side is defined as the second region, the first projection and the second projection are formed at positions far apart in the insertion direction of the applicator, and one of the first projection and the second projection is formed so that the whole fits within one of the first region and the second region, and the other projection is formed so that the whole fits within the other of the first region and the second region. In this specification, "applied tool" includes writing instruments such as felt-tip pens, fountain pens, highlighters, and whiteboard markers, and is a general term for tools that can continuously apply a liquid (liquid, semi-solid) to a surface such as paper.

[0013] According to this design, the first and second projections, which are located at separate positions in the insertion direction of the coating body, protrude toward the coating body from regions on one side and the other side of the center, respectively, thus holding the coating body in a state where it is difficult for it to fall out. Furthermore, when replacing the coating body, the worker can easily remove it by grasping the tip of the coating body and pulling it out while shaking it from one side to the other side of the center of the peripheral wall. In addition, when inserting the coating body, it can also be easily attached by inserting it while shaking it from one side to the other side of the center of the peripheral wall. In other words, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of unintended detachment of the coating body while making it easier to replace the coating body.

[0014] Preferably, at least a portion of the first projection and at least a portion of the second projection have opposite projection directions in a plan view with the insertion direction of the coating body as the line of sight.

[0015] This configuration allows for easy attachment of the coating while more reliably preventing unintended detachment of the coating.

[0016] Preferably, the first projection and the second projection extend linearly along a direction intersecting the insertion direction of the coating body.

[0017] In this configuration, when the coating material is inserted into the insertion part, the first and second protrusions can be prevented from penetrating (biting into) the coating material too deeply. As a result, the coating material can be easily removed while still providing sufficient holding force to reduce the occurrence of unintended detachment of the coating material.

[0018] More preferably, the first and second protrusions have the longest protrusion length at the central portion in the longitudinal direction, and the protrusion length decreases towards the ends in the longitudinal direction.

[0019] Under these circumstances, the coated material can be held with more appropriate retention force.

[0020] Preferably, the first protrusion and the second protrusion have a shape in which the protruding end portion is rounded.

[0021] According to such an aspect, it is possible to prevent problems such as the first protrusion or the second protrusion being caught on the coating body and becoming difficult to remove when the coating body is removed.

[0022] Preferably, the first protrusion and the second protrusion have a maximum protruding length of 0.13 mm or more and less than 0.6 mm.

[0023] According to such an aspect, while the coating body can be easily attached, it is possible to more reliably prevent the coating body from accidentally falling off.

[0024] Preferably, it has a valve mechanism portion. The valve mechanism portion has a valve body and a valve seat. A part of the valve body abuts on and separates from the valve seat, and the closed state and the open state are switched. The open state is a state in which a supply path for supplying the coating liquid to the coating body is formed. The valve body is formed including the peripheral wall portion, and the coating body is attached to the valve body.

[0025] According to such an aspect, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of accidental detachment of the coating body, and it is not always necessary to replace the entire valve body when replacing the coating body. Only the coating body can be easily replaced. That is, it is possible to prevent an unnecessary increase in operating costs and facilitate the replacement work of the coating body.

[0026] As long as the above-described aspects are included in the technical scope of the present invention, they can be made subordinate to each other, a part of the configuration can be cited, or a part of the configuration can be replaced among the aspects.

Effect of the Invention

[0027] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an applicator that can reduce the occurrence of accidental detachment of the chip and facilitate the replacement of the chip.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0028] [Figure 1] This is a cross-sectional view showing an applicator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a part of the applicator, where (a) shows the valve mechanism in the closed state and (b) shows the valve mechanism in the open state. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the valve body. [Figure 4] (a) is a cross-sectional perspective view showing the valve body in Figure 3, and (b) is an explanatory diagram showing the area around the second projection by fracturing the valve body at a different position than in (a). [Figure 5] Figure 3 is a front view showing the valve body, with a portion of it enlarged. [Figure 6] This is an explanatory diagram showing an enlarged portion of Figure 1. [Figure 7] This is a front view showing a valve body according to a different embodiment than that of Figure 1. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0029] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. In the following description, the front and back will be defined as the pen tip side being the front and the tail end side being the rear.

[0030] As shown in Figure 1, the applicator 1 of this embodiment includes a main body cylinder 2, a tip cap 3, a pen tip 4 (applicator), an ink absorbing member 5, and a valve mechanism 6.

[0031] The main body cylinder 2 is a cylindrical body extending in the front-rear direction, and in detail, it is a substantially bottomed cylindrical member that is open at the front and closed at the rear. This main body cylinder 2 functions as a coating liquid storage section that houses ink (coating liquid) inside. The main body cylinder 2 has a cylinder-side engaging portion 10 on the front part of its side. The cylinder-side engaging portion 10 is a spirally extending threaded portion that engages with the tip-end engaging portion 14, which will be described later.

[0032] The tip cap portion 3 is a cylindrical body whose shape gradually narrows towards the front, and has openings that connect the inside and outside at the front and rear. More specifically, the tip cap portion 3 has a tip insertion portion 13 on the front end side and a tip cap side engaging portion 14 on the inner circumferential surface on the rear side.

[0033] The tip insertion portion 13 is the part in which a part of the pen tip 4 (the middle portion in the longitudinal direction) is positioned on the inside. Although detailed illustration is omitted, it has a front insertion portion 13a and multiple groove portions 13b (only one is shown in Figure 1).

[0034] The front insertion portion 13a is a hole that extends in the front-to-back direction and is continuous with the outside at the front opening, and is capable of accommodating a portion of the pen tip 4. In this embodiment, the applicator 1 is configured such that the pen tip 4 can move in the front-to-back direction when the inner circumferential surface surrounding the front insertion portion 13a is in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the pen tip 4 (or is slightly separated from it). The groove 13b is formed on the inner circumferential surface surrounding the front insertion portion 13a and is a groove that is recessed outward from the inner circumferential surface (outward in the direction of the width of the cross-section of the applicator 1). Multiple grooves 13b are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction of the centerline of the applicator 1, and each groove portion extends in the front-rear direction, with the front end portion communicating with the outside and the groove bottom portion facing the outer circumferential surface of the pen tip 4 at a distance. In other words, the groove 13b functions as an air inflow path that allows air to flow from the outside to the inside of the applicator 1. The center line (central axis) of the applicator 1 is a hypothetical straight line passing through the center of each cross-section of the applicator 1. In the following explanation, unless otherwise specified, the center line of the applicator 1 will also be referred to simply as the center line.

[0035] The tip-side engaging portion 14 is a spirally extending threaded portion, forming an engaging portion that is paired with the cylinder-side engaging portion 10 described above. In this embodiment, the applicator 1 is configured such that the front portion of the main cylinder 2 is inserted from the rear into the rear portion of the tip-side portion 3, and the tip-side engaging portion 14 and the cylinder-side engaging portion 10 are engaged (screwed) together, thereby attaching the tip-side engaging portion 14 to the main cylinder 2. In other words, in this embodiment, the main cylinder 2 and the tip-side engaging portion 14 are integrally connected to form the shaft of the applicator 1.

[0036] The pen tip 4 is a component formed from a material in which fiber bundles are joined together. More specifically, it is a rod-shaped body extending in the front-to-back direction, formed from a heat-fused fiber bundle, a resin-processed fiber bundle, a resin-processed felt, and the like.

[0037] The pen tip 4 has a pen tip side portion 4a and a mounting portion 4b, and the pen tip side portion 4a and the mounting portion 4b are integrally formed so that they are arranged in this order from the front. The pen tip side portion 4a is mostly rod-shaped (round rod-shaped), with a portion of the front end being a roughly hemispherical section that tapers towards the front. The mounting portion 4b is mostly rod-shaped (round rod-shaped), with a portion of the rear end being a roughly frustoconical shape that tapers towards the rear.

[0038] In other words, the mounting portion 4b is a part that is thinner than most of the pen tip side portion 4a and protrudes rearward from the rear surface of the pen tip side portion 4a. The rear outer peripheral surface of the pen tip side portion 4a and the front outer peripheral surface of the mounting portion 4b are continuous via the rear surface of the pen tip side portion 4a and are formed to have a step. The rear surface of the pen tip side portion 4a is a surface that intersects (orthogonal to) the front-to-back direction.

[0039] The ink-absorbing member 5 is a cylindrical member formed from a porous material such as a sponge. Although detailed illustrations are omitted, it is a roughly cylindrical member with the front corners missing. The ink-absorbing member 5 is housed inside the tip portion 3, and a portion of the pen tip 4 is inserted through its inner bore. More specifically, in this embodiment, the applicator 1 has a portion of the pen tip 4 housed in the inner bore of the ink-absorbing member 5 such that the outer surface of the pen tip 4 is in contact with the inner surface surrounding the inner bore of the ink-absorbing member 5, and the pen tip 4 is able to move in the front-back direction.

[0040] As shown in Figure 2, the valve mechanism 6 includes a valve seat member 20 (valve seat), a valve body 21, an outer casing member 22, and a biasing member 23.

[0041] The valve seat member 20 is a cylindrical member with a general shape (detailed illustration is omitted), and has a flange portion that protrudes outward from the front portion of its outer circumferential surface. In other words, the valve seat member 20 has an internal bore portion that penetrates from the front end to the rear end. The valve seat member 20 has a contact projection 20a inside. The contact projection 20a protrudes inward from the inner circumferential surface of the valve seat member 20 and is a continuous annular (ring-shaped) projection along the circumferential direction of the inner circumferential surface. The rear surface of this contact projection 20a is a tapered surface that is continuous in an annular shape, and each part of the circumferential direction of the rear surface is inclined outward (outward in the direction of the expansion of the cross-section of the applicator 1) as it moves towards the rear. The rear surface of the contact projection 20a is located between the part slightly in front of the rear end of the inner bore portion (internal space) of the valve seat member 20 and the rear end.

[0042] The valve body 21 is a characteristic component of this embodiment and, as shown in Figures 3 and 4(a), has a pen tip holding portion 30, a valve body side contact portion 31, and a rod portion 32.

[0043] The pen tip holding portion 30 is a substantially cylindrical portion that forms the front part of the valve body 21. The valve body side contact portion 31 is a portion with a substantially frustoconical shape formed adjacent to the rear of the pen tip holding portion 30, having a contact surface portion 31a in the front portion and a rear recess 31b (see Figure 4(a)) in the rear portion. The contact surface portion 31a is a tapered surface that slopes to become larger in diameter (thicker) towards the rear, and forms the front surface of the valve body side contact portion 31. The rear recess 31b is a recessed portion that protrudes forward from the rear surface of the valve body side contact portion 31, and in this embodiment, it is a continuous annular recess surrounding the front portion of the rod body portion 32.

[0044] As shown in Figure 4, the rod-shaped portion 32 extends in the front-rear direction, extending backward from the bottom of the rear recess 31b. The rod-shaped portion 32 is formed so that the front portion becomes thinner towards the rear, the middle portion is the same thickness as the rear end of the front portion and extends in the front-rear direction, and a part of the rear end is roughly conical. In other words, the area around the rear end of the rod-shaped portion 32 becomes thinner towards the rear, and the rear end is pointed.

[0045] Furthermore, the valve body 21 has an insertion hole 35, as shown in Figures 3 and 4(a). The insertion hole 35 is a closed hole that has an opening at the front end of the valve body 21 (pen tip holding portion 30) and extends towards the rear. In this embodiment, the insertion hole 35 is a hole with a substantially circular opening at its front end.

[0046] As shown in Figure 4(a), the insertion hole 35 has a front space 35a and a rear space 35b, which are arranged in this order from the front and form a single integrated hole. The front space 35a is a space that extends in the front-rear direction with approximately the same diameter (so that the area of ​​the cross-section of each part is approximately the same). The rear space 35b is a space that extends in the front-rear direction with a diameter that decreases as it approaches the rear (so that the area of ​​the cross-section of each part decreases).

[0047] Here, since the insertion hole 35 is the internal space of the valve body 21 extending in the front-rear direction, the portion of the insertion hole 35 located between the front and rear ends is a space surrounded by the circumferential wall portions (inner circumferential surfaces) formed by the various parts of the valve body 21. In the following description, the circumferential wall portion surrounding the front space 35a will also be referred to as the first circumferential wall portion 37 (circumferential wall portion), and the circumferential wall portion surrounding the rear space 35b will also be referred to as the second circumferential wall portion 38. That is, the insertion hole portion 35 is also the space surrounded by the circumferential wall portions formed by the first circumferential wall portion 37 and the second circumferential wall portion 38 being arranged side by side in the front-rear direction.

[0048] The first circumferential wall portion 37 and the second circumferential wall portion 38 both form circumferential wall portions (inner circumferential wall, inner circumferential surface) that surround the front space portion 35a and the rear space portion 35b around the center line of the insertion hole portion 35. The center line of the insertion hole portion 35 is a virtual line passing through the center of the cross-section of each part of the insertion hole portion 35, extending in the front-rear direction, and is the line indicated by Lα (see Figure 3) in the figure. In this embodiment, the center line of the insertion hole portion 35 is located on the same straight line as the center line of the applicator 1.

[0049] As shown in Figure 4(a), the valve body 21 of this embodiment has a first projection 42 and a second projection 43 inside. Both the first projection 42 and the second projection 43 are projections that protrude inward from the inner portion of the first circumferential wall 37 (the inner circumferential surface surrounding the front space 35a).

[0050] The first projection 42 and the second projection 43 are formed at positions separated in the front-rear direction, as shown in Figure 4(a). Here, as shown in Figure 5, the first projection 42 is formed so that it fits entirely within the first region 50, which is one of the regions (spaces) obtained by dividing the through-hole 35 into two parts. In contrast, the second projection 43 is formed so that it fits entirely within the second region 51, which is the other region (space).

[0051] More specifically, the reference plane D1 (reference virtual plane) is a virtual plane that includes the center line of the insertion hole 35 (the line indicated by Lα in the figure, see Figure 3, etc.) and is parallel to the front-to-back direction (see Figure 3, etc.). The front-to-back direction, specifically the direction from front to back, is also the direction in which the pen tip 4 is inserted when attaching the pen tip 4 to the valve body 21. As shown in Figure 5, the portion of the insertion hole 35 (the space into which the pen tip 4 is inserted) located on one side of the reference plane D1 is designated as the first region 50, and the portion located on the other side is designated as the second region 51. In other words, the first region 50 in this embodiment is one side when the insertion hole 35 is divided into two by crossing it longitudinally, and is the region located on one side in the radial direction of the insertion hole 35 (front space 35a). Similarly, the second region 51 is the other side when the insertion hole 35 is divided into two by crossing it longitudinally, and is the region located on the other side in the radial direction of the insertion hole 35 (front space 35a).

[0052] In this embodiment, the first projection 42 and the second projection 43 are substantially identical in shape, and as shown in Figures 4 and 5, they both extend linearly along a direction intersecting the front-rear direction (in this embodiment, a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction). The first projection 42 and the second projection 43 in this embodiment are projections that extend in the same direction. Both the first projection 42 and the second projection 43 protrude inward from the first circumferential wall portion 37 (the inner circumferential surface surrounding the front space portion 35a). As shown in Figure 5, the first projection 42 and the second projection 43 are longest at the center portion in the longitudinal direction (left-right direction in Figure 5), and the protruding length decreases towards the ends in the same direction. The maximum protruding length L1 of the first projection 42 and the second projection 43 is preferably 0.13 mm or more and less than 0.6 mm, and more preferably 0.15 mm or more and 0.5 mm or less.

[0053] In this embodiment, it is preferable that the maximum protrusion length L1 of the applicator 1 be within the above range, in order to hold the pen tip 4 with sufficient holding force to prevent unintended detachment while facilitating the attachment of the pen tip 4. Specifically, if the maximum protrusion length L1 is too short, the pen tip 4 cannot be held with a certain level of holding force. Also, if the maximum protrusion length L1 is too long, it becomes difficult to insert the pen tip 4 over a certain length into the valve body 21 (described in detail later), which moves in the front-rear direction due to the biasing force of the biasing member 23. In other words, when inserting the pen tip 4 into the valve body 21 (see Figure 1, etc.), a part of the pen tip 4 is pressed against the protrusions (first protrusion 42, second protrusion 43) without overcoming them, causing the valve body 21 to move backward. As a result, when replacing the pen tip 4 while the main body cylinder 2 and the tip-side engaging portion 14 are connected, it becomes difficult to position the entire attachment portion 4b within the front space portion 35a.

[0054] The first projection 42 and the second projection 43 protrude from opposite sides of the first peripheral wall 37, respectively, in a direction toward the reference plane D1, and also protrude toward each other. In this embodiment, the first projection 42 and the second projection 43 protrude in opposite directions; the first projection 42 protrudes in a direction from top to bottom in Figure 5, and the second projection 43 protrudes in a direction from bottom to top in Figure 5.

[0055] More specifically, in this embodiment, the first projection 42 and the second projection 43 are positioned such that at least a portion of one and at least a portion of the other are 180 degrees apart in a front view, i.e., 180 degrees apart in the circumferential direction of the first peripheral wall 37 (around the center line of the insertion hole 35). More specifically, in this embodiment, the central portion of one longitudinal direction (the central portion in the left-right direction in Figure 5) and the central portion of the other longitudinal direction are 180 degrees apart.

[0056] Furthermore, the first projection 42 and the second projection 43 have the same position in the projection direction (position in the vertical direction in Figure 5) for the protruding end portion in each part in the longitudinal direction (left-right direction in Figure 5). In other words, the projection length of the first projection 42 and the second projection 43 decreases towards the end in the longitudinal direction, but the position of the protruding end portion in the projection direction is formed to be the same or approximately the same.

[0057] In addition, as shown in Figure 4 and other figures, the first projection 42 and the second projection 43 of this embodiment have a roughly semicircular cross-sectional shape, and the protruding end portion has a rounded shape. That is, the protruding end portions of the first projection 42 and the second projection 43 have a convex curved surface with an arc-shaped cross-section. By shaping the first projection 42 and the second projection 43 in this way, the pen tip 4 is less likely to get caught on the first projection 42 and the second projection 43 when attaching or removing the pen tip 4 from the valve body 21 of the applicator 1. As a result, the pen tip 4 of the applicator 1 can be easily replaced.

[0058] As described above, the first projection 42 and the second projection 43 in this embodiment both protrude inward from the first peripheral wall 37. Here, as shown in Figure 6, the length L2 in the front-rear direction from the front end of the front space 35a to the rear end of the second projection 43 (the rear end of the projection located further back than the first projection 42 and the second projection 43) is less than 30 percent of the total length of the front space 35a in the front-rear direction. This length L2 is preferably 5.00 mm or less, and more preferably 4.00 mm or less. In other words, the first projection 42 and the second projection 43 are formed in the region of the inner surface of the first peripheral wall 37 that is forward of the center in the front-rear direction, closer to the front end.

[0059] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the length in the front-rear direction from the front end of the front space portion 35a to the rear end of the first projection 42 and the length in the front-rear direction from the rear end of the first projection 42 to the rear end of the second projection 43 are made to be approximately the same length. Herein, "approximately the same" includes an error of less than 1 mm.

[0060] In this embodiment, the applicator 1 is attached to the valve body 21 by inserting the mounting portion 4b of the pen tip 4 into the front space 35a from the front, and bringing the rear surface of the pen tip side portion 4a into contact with the front surface of the valve body 21. At this time, the applicator 1 of this embodiment is assumed to be attached with the pen tip 4 positioned in the front space 35a, but not in the rear space 35b. Therefore, both the first projection 42 and the second projection 43 are projections that protrude inward from the peripheral wall of the portion where the pen tip 4 is located, and are projections formed in the region closer to the front end of the portion where the pen tip 4 is located.

[0061] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, the first projection 42 and the second projection 43 are embedded in (compressed into) the mounting portion 4b of the pen tip 4. That is, as shown in Figure 6, the longest protruding parts of the first projection 42 and the second projection 43 are mostly embedded in the mounting portion 4b (more than 50 percent of the portion). And, although detailed illustration is omitted, as you move towards the ends in the length direction (front to back direction in Figure 6), the portion embedded in the mounting portion 4b decreases (the volume of the portion embedded in the mounting portion 4b decreases).

[0062] In this way, the first projection 42 and the second projection 43 are positioned apart in the front-to-back direction and are inserted into the pen tip 4 from opposite sides. This prevents the pen tip 4 from unintentionally falling off the valve body 21. Furthermore, when removing the pen tip 4, the operator can easily remove it by grasping the tip (front end) of the pen tip 4 and pulling it forward while shaking it in a direction perpendicular to the front-to-back direction (for example, the up-and-down direction in Figure 6). Similarly, when attaching the pen tip 4, it can be easily attached by inserting it backward while shaking it.

[0063] As shown in Figure 2, the exterior member 22 is a member with a roughly closed bottom cylindrical shape (detailed illustration is omitted), with an open front side and a rear wall portion 60 formed integrally with the rear portion of the outer peripheral wall. The exterior member 22 has a flange portion on the front side that protrudes outward from the outer peripheral surface. The rear wall portion 60 is provided with a valve body insertion portion 61.

[0064] The valve body insertion portion 61 is the part to which a part of the rod portion 32 described above (the middle portion in the longitudinal direction) is positioned on the inside. Detailed illustration is omitted, but it has a rod portion insertion portion 61a and a plurality of grooves (not shown). The valve body insertion portion 61 has substantially the same structure as the tip insertion portion 13 described above, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0065] In other words, the rod insertion portion 61a is a through hole that penetrates the rear side wall portion 60 in the front-to-back direction (thickness direction), and is a hole capable of accommodating a part of the rod portion 32. The applicator 1 is configured such that a part of the rod portion 32 is accommodated in the rod insertion portion 61a, so that the rod portion 32 can move in the front-to-back direction while multiple portions of the surface surrounding the rod insertion portion 61a are in contact with the outer surface of the rod portion 32 (or are slightly separated). The groove portion is formed on the surface surrounding the rod insertion portion 61a and is a recessed portion that extends outward from that surface (outward in the direction of the width of the cross-section of the applicator 1), and functions as an inflow path for the coating liquid that introduces the ink inside the main cylinder 2 into the outer casing member 22.

[0066] The biasing member 23 is a member that constantly biases the valve body 21 forward, and in this embodiment, a compression coil spring is used. That is, the biasing member 23 is a member that, when compressed, exerts an elastic restoring force in the direction opposite to the direction of compression. When compressed, the front portion of the biasing member 23 abuts against the valve body side contact portion 31 (the bottom portion of the rear recess 31b) of the valve body 21 from the rear, and the rear portion abuts against the rear side wall portion 60 from the front.

[0067] The valve mechanism 6 of this embodiment is switchable between a closed state (see Figure 2(a)) and an open state (see Figure 2(b)), and forms a valve that is in the closed state by default.

[0068] In other words, since the biasing member 23 constantly biases the valve body 21 forward, in the application tool 1, as shown in Figure 2(a), the contact surface 31a of the valve body 21 contacts the tapered rear surface of the contact projection 20a from the rear, resulting in surface contact. As a result, the portion between the rear surface of the contact projection 20a and the contact surface 31a is closed, restricting (blocking) the flow of the coating liquid from the rear to the front through this gap. In short, the flow path of the coating liquid in the rear portion of the valve seat member 20 is blocked by the valve body 21, causing the valve mechanism 6 to close. In contrast, when the applicator 1 is moved relative to the pen tip 4 backward from a state where the valve mechanism 6 is closed and the flow path of the coating liquid is blocked, the valve body 21 also moves relative to the valve body 21 backward against the biasing force of the biasing member 23. When the valve body 21 moves relative to the valve body backward, as shown in Figure 2(b), the contact surface 31a of the valve body 21 moves to a position away from the rear side surface of the contact projection 20a. As a result, the space between the rear side surface of the contact projection 20a and the contact surface 31a is opened, and the coating liquid can flow forward through this gap. That is, a flow path (supply path) for the coating liquid is formed between the rear side surface of the contact projection 20a and the contact surface 31a, and the valve mechanism 6 opens.

[0069] In the embodiment described above, an example was given in which the first projection 42 and the second projection 43 are shaped to extend in a direction intersecting the front-rear direction, but the applicator of the present invention is not limited to this. It is also conceivable that one or both of the first projection and the second projection be roughly hemispherical (shaped like a part of a sphere). Furthermore, it is also conceivable that one or both of the first projection and the second projection be projections that extend in the front-rear direction.

[0070] In the embodiments described above, an example was shown in which the protruding directions of the first projection 42 and the second projection 43 are opposite to each other, and the longitudinal directions of the first projection 42 and the second projection 43 are the same. Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, an example was shown in which the central portion of the first projection 42 in the longitudinal direction and the central portion of the second projection 43 in the longitudinal direction are positioned 180 degrees apart when viewed from the front. However, the applicator of the present invention is not limited to these. For example, as shown in Figure 7, the protruding directions of the first projection 42 and the second projection 143 do not have to be opposite directions, and their respective longitudinal directions do not have to be the same. In this embodiment, the valve body 121 has the central portion of the first projection 42 in the longitudinal direction and the central portion of the second projection 143 in the longitudinal direction positioned 135 degrees apart when viewed from the front.

[0071] As described above, the protrusions (first protrusion, second protrusion) do not necessarily have to be in a shape that extends in a straight line along a direction intersecting the front-rear direction, and may be formed at a position slightly offset in the circumferential direction of the first circumferential wall portion 37 compared to the embodiment described above. The first protrusion and the second protrusion are to be positioned offset in the front-rear direction, and one is formed so that it fits entirely within the first region 50, and the other is formed so that it fits entirely within the second region 51. Note that "positioned offset in the front-rear direction" means that the front end of one is positioned so that it is in the same front-rear direction as the rear end of the other, or the front end of one is positioned so that it is rearward than the rear end of the other. However, as in the embodiment described above, it is preferable to have the first projection and the second projection be shaped to extend linearly along a direction intersecting the front-rear direction, with at least a portion of them positioned 180 degrees apart when viewed from the front, so that their respective projection directions are opposite to each other, in order to properly hold the pen tip 4 and facilitate replacement.

[0072] In the embodiments described above, the components can be freely substituted or added between each embodiment, as long as they fall within the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0073] 1. Applicator 4. Pen tip (coating element) 6. Valve mechanism 20 Valve seat member (valve seat) 21,121 valve bodies 37 First peripheral wall part (peripheral wall part) 42 1st protrusion 43,143 2nd protrusion 50 1st area 51 Second area D1 Reference plane (reference virtual plane)

Claims

1. In a coating device that applies a coating solution via a coating body, It has a peripheral wall portion that extends in a continuous or intermittent manner in a ring shape, The peripheral wall portion is a portion that allows a part of the coating to be inserted into the inside and surrounds the outside of the part of the coating, It further has a first projection and a second projection that protrude inward from the peripheral wall portion, When a virtual plane that is parallel to the insertion direction of the coated material and includes the center line of the region enclosed by the peripheral wall is defined as the reference virtual plane, and the region located on one side of the reference virtual plane within the region enclosed by the peripheral wall is defined as the first region, and the region located on the other side is defined as the second region, An applicator in which the first projection and the second projection are formed at separate positions in the insertion direction of the applicator, and one of the first projection and the second projection is formed so that it fits entirely within one of the first and second regions, and the other projection is formed so that it fits entirely within the other of the first and second regions.

2. The applicator according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the first projection and at least a portion of the second projection have opposite projection directions in a plan view with the insertion direction of the applicator as the line of sight.

3. The applicator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first projection and the second projection extend linearly along a direction intersecting the insertion direction of the applicator.

4. The applicator according to claim 3, wherein the first projection and the second projection have the longest protruding length at the central part in the longitudinal direction, and the protruding length decreases towards the end in the longitudinal direction.

5. The applicator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first projection and the second projection have rounded ends.

6. The applicator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first projection and the second projection have a maximum protruding length of 0.13 mm or more and less than 0.6 mm.

7. It has a valve mechanism, The valve mechanism comprises a valve body and a valve seat, and the valve body switches between a closed state and an open state by contacting and separating from the valve seat, and the open state is a state in which a supply path for supplying the coating liquid to the coating body is formed. The applicator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the valve body is formed including the peripheral wall portion, and the applicator is attached to the valve body.

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