Marking device

Abstract

The present invention provides a marking device that can mark an object even when there is insufficient space around it. [Solution] The marking device of the present invention comprises a long body 10, a handle 11 provided at one end thereof, a support portion 12 provided at the other end of the body, and a marking member 16 formed on at least one surface of the support portion parallel to the longitudinal direction of the body. The marking member 16 is flexible, and it is preferable that the support portion 12 has a pivoting piece at its tip. The body 10 is equipped with an ink application means such as an ink roller 18 for applying ink to the marking member 16.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a marking device capable of marking an object even when there is not enough space around it.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, marking an object has been widely performed by applying or permeating ink on a printing surface to transfer the mark. Particularly at construction sites and the like, various methods are used to mark in order to clarify the planned cutting locations and fitting parts of materials. For example, in fastening members such as bolts, nuts, and washers, the fastening operation is performed in the order of primary tightening, marking, and final tightening, and the presence or absence of the rotation of the bolt and nut is determined by inspecting the deviation angle of the linear marking portion applied to the fastening member.

[0003] Although writing tools may be used for these markings, in recent years, transferable marking devices have been proposed from the perspective of work efficiency. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a device in which a marking member moves by covering the main body with a fastening member and pressing an operation portion, and markings are applied to the upper surface and side surface of the fastening member.

[0004] However, the marking device of Patent Document 1 requires covering the main body with a fastening member, so sufficient space is required around the fastening member. Therefore, due to circumstances such as the fastening members being densely arranged, there are obstacles around the marking object, and there is a problem that it cannot be used in places where there is not enough space.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] The objective of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems and to provide a marking device that can mark an object even when there is insufficient space around it. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The marking device of the present invention, which was made to solve the above problems, is characterized by comprising a long main body, a handle provided at one end of the main body, a support portion provided at the other end of the main body, and a marking member formed on at least one surface of the support portion that is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the main body.

[0008] The marking member is preferably flexible. Furthermore, the support portion is preferably equipped with a pivoting piece at its tip.

[0009] Furthermore, the main body preferably includes an ink application means for applying ink to the marking member, and the ink application means preferably is an ink roller slidably attached to the main body. Moreover, the ink roller can be slidably mounted in the longitudinal direction of the main body by means of a rack and pinion mechanism provided on the main body.

[0010] The marking device of the present invention is preferably used for marking fastening members. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The marking device of the present invention has a marking member formed on a surface parallel to the longitudinal direction of the main body of a support part provided at the end of a long main body. Therefore, even when there is insufficient space around it, the support part equipped with the marking member can be inserted to the side of the object to be marked, and the object can be marked.

[0012] By making the marking member flexible as in claim 2, or by providing a pivoting piece at the tip of the support as in claim 3, markings can be applied to non-planar parts of the object to be marked.

[0013] As described in claim 4, if an ink application means is provided on the main body, the efficiency of applying ink to the marking member can be improved.

[0014] If the ink application means is an ink roller slidably attached to the main body as in claim 5, a series of operations from ink application to marking can be performed with one hand.

[0015] As described in claim 6, if the ink roller is made slidable in the longitudinal direction of the main body by a rack and pinion mechanism provided on the main body, the ink roller can be slid sufficiently even with a short fingertip stroke, making it easier to apply ink with one hand.

[0016] The marking device of the present invention is suitable for marking fastening members that are densely arranged, as it can mark even in narrow areas. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing a marking device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a front view showing a marking device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a plan view showing a marking device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view AA in Figure 3. [Figure 5] This is a diagram illustrating the usage conditions. [Figure 6] This is a diagram illustrating the usage conditions. [Figure 7] This is a front view showing a marking device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of BB. [Figure 9]It is a plan view showing the marking device of the second embodiment. [Figure 10] It is a C-C cross-sectional view of FIG. 9 showing an operating state. [Figure 11] It is a cross-sectional view of the swinging piece.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0018] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the marking device of the first embodiment, FIG. 2 is its front view, FIG. 3 is its plan view, and FIG. 4 is an A-A cross-sectional view.

[0019] The marking device of the present invention includes a long main body 10 and a handle 11 provided at one end of the main body 10. In the first embodiment, the handle 11 stands vertically on both sides of one end of the main body 10 and is integrally formed in a U-shaped cross-section. Since the marking device of the present invention is intended to be inserted into a narrow gap between marking objects, it is preferable that the rising height of the handle 11 is set low within a range that is easy to grip with a fingertip, and in this embodiment, it is 10 to 15 mm.

[0020] The other end of the long main body 10 is a protruding support portion 12, and a swinging piece 13 is pivotally supported by a pin 14 at its tip. This swinging piece 13 is flat, and a winding spring 15 is provided at its base, elastically supporting the swinging piece 13. The swinging piece 13 is swingable in a direction away from the marking member 17 described later, and has a function of preventing the marking member 17 from being excessively deformed during marking. If this function is obtained, various elastic support means can be adopted without being limited to the winding spring 15. The tip of the support portion 12 of the main body 10 is an inclined surface 16, which regulates the maximum swing angle of the swinging piece 13.

[0021] A flexible marking member 17 is formed on one surface of the support portion 12 that is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the main body 10. This marking member 17 is made of an elastic material such as silicone rubber, and as shown in Figure 4, its base is attached to the support portion 12 of the main body 10, but the tip of the marking member 17 protrudes from the support portion 12.

[0022] The upper surface of the marking member 17 in Figures 1 and 4 is the marking surface 18 for marking an object. In the first embodiment, an ink roller 19 is provided as an ink application means for applying ink to this marking surface 18. This ink roller 19 is rotatably supported via a roller support 22 at the tip of a sliding plate 21 that can slide along the longitudinal direction of the main body 10 along a rail 20 formed on the handle 11.

[0023] As shown in Figure 3, the ink roller 19 has a porous body 23 impregnated with ink in the center in the width direction. Therefore, by holding the main body 10 and handle 11 with one hand and moving the sliding plate 21 back and forth with the thumb, the ink roller 19 rolls on the marking surface 18 of the marking member 17, and ink can be applied to the marking surface 18 in a straight line.

[0024] As shown in Figure 1, the sliding plate 21 has a side wall 24 extending toward the main body 10, and a protrusion 25, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, is formed on a part of it. A groove 26 is also formed on the inner surface of the handle 11 into which these protrusions 25 are fitted. As shown in Figure 1, if the sliding plate 21 is pulled away from the marking member 17, and the protrusions 25 of the sliding plate 21 are fitted into the groove 26 of the handle 11, the movement of the sliding plate 21 can be locked in that position. In other words, a locking mechanism is formed by the protrusions 25 and the groove 26. By providing this locking mechanism, it is possible to prevent the ink roller 19 from moving unintentionally during the marking operation.

[0025] From this locked position, force is applied to slide the sliding plate 21 toward the marking member 17, and ink is applied to the marking surface 18. Then, as shown in Figure 5, the support portion 12 at the tip of the main body 10 and the marking member 17 are inserted to the side of the object to be marked 50. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, the main body 10 is pushed down and the marking member 17 is pressed against it, so that ink is transferred from the marking surface 18 of the flexible marking member 17 to the object to be marked 50, and a linear mark is made. Conventional marking devices shown in Patent Document 1 cannot make clear markings if the size of the object to be marked 50 is different, but the marking device of the present invention can be used without problems even if the size of the object to be marked 50 is different.

[0026] In this embodiment, the object to be marked 50 is a fastening member, which is a bolt 52, nut 53, or washer 54 protruding from the surface of the base material 51. However, the object to be marked 50 is not limited to this.

[0027] In the state shown in Figure 6, the lower end of the marking member 17 is pressed against the side of the nut 53 by the oscillating piece 13 equipped with a helical spring 15, allowing for clear marking on uneven surfaces. However, if the surface of the object to be marked 50 is flat, the oscillating piece 13 and the helical spring 15 can be omitted.

[0028] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the marking surface 18 of the marking member 17 is flat. However, the marking surface 18 can be appropriately deformed to match the shape of the object to be marked 50. Also, in this embodiment, linear marking is performed, but the shape of the marking surface 18 of the marking member 17 can also be made to have letters or patterns formed on it, like a stamp.

[0029] When this marking device is used repeatedly, the flexible marking member 17 and ink roller 19 will gradually wear out, so it is desirable to make them replaceable.

[0030] Figure 7 and subsequent figures show a second embodiment. In this embodiment, a rack and pinion mechanism incorporated into the main body 30 allows the ink roller 31 to slide in the longitudinal direction of the main body 30. Its structure is described below.

[0031] As shown in Figure 10, a first rack 32 is formed on the inner surface of the elongated main body 30. Rails 34 are formed on the handles 33 that rise vertically from both sides of the main body 30, similar to the first embodiment, and a sliding plate 35 is provided that can slide along the rails 34 in the longitudinal direction of the main body 30. A second rack 36 is formed on this sliding plate 35, opposite to the first rack 32, and a pinion 37 is provided between them. The first rack 32 is fixed to the inner surface of the main body 30, and the pinion 37 rolls in the longitudinal direction of the main body 10 while meshing with the first rack 32.

[0032] The central shaft 38 of the pinion 37 is connected to an operating plate 40 that can slide along a long groove 39 formed in the handle 33. That is, the central shaft 38 of the pinion 37 passes through a long hole 41 formed in the handle 33 and is inserted into the operating plate 40 on the outer surface of the handle 33. Therefore, when the operating plate 40 is moved, the pinion 37 rotates and moves in the longitudinal direction of the main body 30, and the sliding plate 35 moves along the rail 34 at twice the speed of the operating plate 40. A roller support 42 that supports the ink roller 31 is pivotally supported at the tip of the sliding plate 35.

[0033] As shown in Figure 7, a recess 27 is formed at the rear end of the long groove 39, and a projection 29 is formed at the tip of the arm 28 extending to the rear of the operating plate 40, which fits into this recess 27. These recess 27 and projection 29 act as a locking mechanism that locks the operating plate 40 in the retracted position. This prevents the ink roller 31 from moving unintentionally during marking work.

[0034] A flexible marking member 45 is provided at the support portion 44 at the tip of the main body 30, similar to the first embodiment. The side surface of this marking member 45 is approximately a right triangle, and its surface is a marking surface 46 parallel to the longitudinal direction of the main body 30. The tip of the main body 30 is bent at an angle, and a swing piece 47, pivotally supported by a pin 49 at the support portion 44 at the tip of the main body 30, elastically supports the back surface of the tip of the marking member 45 by a helical spring 48. The very tip 45a of the marking member 45 protrudes slightly from the tip of the swing piece 47.

[0035] Figure 11 shows the DD cross-section of the oscillating piece 47. One side of the oscillating piece 47 is provided with a first projection 47a with a mountain-shaped cross-section, and this first projection 47a supports the tip of the marking member 45. As a result, the marking member 45 does not deform excessively when ink is applied, and the ink roller 31 can firmly apply the appropriate amount of ink to the tip.

[0036] As shown in Figure 11, a second projection 47b with a rectangular cross-section is provided on the opposite side of the oscillating piece 47. When the marking device of the second embodiment is pressed against the object to be marked 50, the tip of the marking member 45 bends counterclockwise in Figure 7, and at the same time, the oscillating piece 47 also swings counterclockwise around the pin 49. However, when the oscillating piece 47 swings to a predetermined angle, the tip of the second projection 47b comes into contact with the stepped portion of the support portion 44, preventing it from swinging any further. In other words, this portion functions as a stopper, similar to the inclined surface 16 in the first embodiment. Therefore, when the marking device is pressed more firmly, the leading edge 45a of the marking member 45 bends further to 90 degrees, making it possible to simultaneously mark two right-angled surfaces of the object to be marked 50.

[0037] In this second embodiment of the marking device, by utilizing a rack and pinion mechanism, the amount of movement of the sliding plate 35 and the ink roller 31 can be made twice the amount of movement of the operating plate 40. As a result, ink can be applied to the marking surface 45 of the marking member 44 with just a slight movement of the fingertip, and the ink roller 31 can be slid sufficiently even with a short stroke of the operating plate 40 operated by the fingertip, making it easy to apply ink with one hand. The method of using the marking device of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0038] As described above, the marking device of the present invention can mark even in narrow areas, and therefore can be suitably used for marking fastening members that are densely arranged, such as in a distribution board. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0039] 10 Main body (first embodiment) 11 Handle 12 Support part 13. Oscillating piece 14 pins 15 Helical spring 16 Slope 17 Marking components 18 Marking surface 19 Ink Roller 20 rails 21 Sliding plate 22 Roller support 23 Porous material 24 Side wall 25 protrusion 26 grooves 27 recess 28 Arm 29 Protrusion 30 Main body (second embodiment) 31 Ink Roller 32 First rack 33 Handle 34 rails 35 Sliding plate 36. Second rack 37 pinion 38 Center axis 39 Long groove 40 Operation board 41 Long Ana 42 Roller support 44 Supporter 45 Marking Members 45a Cutting edge part 46 Marking surface 47. Oscillating piece 47a First projection 47b Second projection 48 Helical spring 49 pins 50 items to be marked 51 Base material 52 volts 53 Nuts 54 Washers

Claims

1. A marking device comprising a long main body, a handle provided at one end of the main body, a support portion provided at the other end of the main body, and a marking member formed on at least one surface of the support portion parallel to the longitudinal direction of the main body.

2. The marking device according to claim 1, wherein the marking member is flexible.

3. The marking device according to claim 2, wherein the support portion is provided with a pivoting piece at its tip.

4. The marking apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the main body is equipped with an ink application means for applying ink to the marking member.

5. The marking device according to claim 4, wherein the ink application means is an ink roller slidably attached to the main body.

6. The marking device according to claim 5, wherein the ink roller is slidable in the longitudinal direction of the main body by a rack and pinion mechanism provided on the main body.

7. The marking device according to claim 6, wherein the marking device is for marking fastening members.

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