Direct ink brush pen

Abstract

To provide a direct liquid bush pen in which the probability that the brush tip containing ink touches the inner surface of a brush tip storage portion is low, and thus the cap itself will not become dirty and look bad, there is no risk of contaminating the surroundings, and it can always be kept clean, since the ink that adheres to the inner surface of the brush tip storage portion will not harden, and the ink that has newly penetrated there will not harden.SOLUTION: The direct liquid brush pen includes an ink cartridge 1 that stores ink, a brush tip 41, a valve unit 21, a joint shaft 11, a nosepiece 31, and a cap 51. The cap 51 has a plurality of ribs 52 on its inner surface for pressing down a brush tip holder 26 when engaged with the nosepiece 31. As the brush tip holder 26 is pressed down by the ribs 52, the ink flow path in the valve unit 21 is closed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a direct ink type brush pen, and more specifically to a direct ink type brush pen that can hold sufficient ink at the tip and can prevent ink leakage by operating the cap. [Background technology]

[0002] A common type of brush pen stores ink in a flexible barrel, and when in use, the barrel is pressed to supply the ink to the tip. With this type of pen, if pressure is inadvertently applied to the barrel during storage, excessive ink is forced out to the tip, causing the excess ink to accumulate inside the cap, which can drip and stain the surrounding area when the cap is removed. This type of problem can also occur if the pen is stirred with the cap closed, or if the pressure inside the barrel changes due to temperature changes. This excessive ink impregnation of the tip can interfere with writing.

[0003] Therefore, it is conceivable to adopt a valve mechanism to supply the appropriate amount of ink to the tip of the brush, but because the tip of a brush pen is a soft brush, it is not possible to adopt the general valve mechanism used in markers, etc., where the valve is opened by pressing the tip.

[0004] In order to solve these problems, the applicant of the present application has previously proposed a direct ink brush pen that does not have the risk of excessive ink being supplied to the tip of the brush when pressure is applied to the shaft during storage, when a stirring operation is performed, or when a pressure change occurs in the shaft due to a temperature change, and there is no risk of excess ink accumulating in the cap, so it can be used in a clean state without soiling the surrounding area, and it can always supply the appropriate amount of ink for writing to the tip of the brush.

[0005] However, in the case of the direct-fill brush pen proposed above, the cap is screw-on, so the ink that seeps onto the inner surface when the brush tip touches it spreads over the entire inner surface when the cap is turned, and this dries into powder that scatters and may soil the surrounding area. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-142471 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The direct-fill brush pens proposed above have the problems described above, so the objective of this invention is to provide a direct-fill brush pen that does not have such problems. In other words, the probability that the ink-containing brush tip will come into contact with the inner surface of the brush tip storage compartment is low, and even if it does come into contact, the ink will not spread, so there is no risk of it turning into powder and scattering to soil the surrounding area, and it can be kept in a clean condition at all times. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The invention described in claim 1 for solving the above problem comprises an ink cartridge for storing ink, a brush tip, a valve unit located between the ink cartridge and the brush tip for supplying an appropriate amount of ink to the brush tip, a joint shaft whose lower half is fixed to the ink cartridge and whose upper half holds the valve unit, a nose piece that covers the upper half of the joint shaft and the base of the brush tip, and a cap that is pressed onto the nose piece and engaged therewith, The valve unit comprises a valve case, a return spring installed in the upper half of the valve case, a cup attached to an ink introduction tube formed in the lower half of the valve case, and a brush tip holder for firmly holding the lower half of the brush tip, The cap has multiple ribs on its inner surface that press down on the brush tip holder when attached to the nose piece, and as the brush tip holder is pressed down by the ribs, the ink flow path in the valve unit is closed, making this a direct-fill brush pen.

[0010] In one embodiment, the brush tip holder consists of a base having a valve core and a brush tip support tube fitted onto it, and the brush tip support tube is formed with an ink inlet for supplying ink to the brush tip, and the ink inlet of the brush tip support tube is formed small so that a wide sliding surface is secured above it with the inner surface of the nose piece.

[0011] In one embodiment, an annular packing that is in sliding contact with the brush tip support tube is disposed on the upper end of the inner peripheral surface of the nose piece. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] The direct-ink brush pen of the present invention is as described above, and has multiple ribs formed on the inside surface of the brush tip storage section of the cap, and the brush tip holder is pressed down by these ribs to open and close the valve, so that the brush tip containing ink is less likely to come into contact with the inside surface of the brush tip storage section, and even if it does come into contact, the cap is attached to the nosepiece by being pushed in rather than screwed in, so the ink does not spread as it rotates, and the adhering ink does not dry out and turn into powder, staining the surrounding area, and it has the effect of being able to be kept clean. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a direct ink type brush pen according to the present invention with the cap removed. [Figure 2] 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the state before the cap of the direct ink type brush pen according to the present invention is fitted. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the state after the cap of the direct ink type brush pen according to the present invention has been fitted. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing details of a valve unit portion of a cap of a direct ink type brush pen according to the present invention. [Figure 5] 1 is a side view showing an example of the shape of the brush tip holder of a direct ink type brush pen according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 6] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a cap portion of a direct ink type brush pen according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, for convenience, the brush tip side will be referred to as the upper side (upper end side, leading end side, etc.), and the opposite side will be referred to as the lower side (lower end side, rear end side, etc.). The direct-ink brush pen according to the present invention is broadly composed of an ink cartridge 1 that stores ink (black ink), a brush tip 41 that is a writing brush, a valve unit 21 that is located between the ink cartridge 1 and the brush tip 41 and supplies an appropriate amount of ink to the brush tip 41, a joint shaft 11 whose lower half is fixed to the ink cartridge 1 and whose upper part holds the valve unit 21, a nose piece 31 that covers the upper half of the joint shaft 11 and the lower half of the brush tip 41, and a cap 51 that is press-fitted onto the nose piece 31 to cover the brush tip 41 (see FIGS. 1 and 2).

[0015] Because the direct ink brush pen of the present invention is a valve type, the ink cartridge 1 is made of a hard resin that will not dent when pressed with a fingertip. An annular step 2 is formed at the top of the ink cartridge 1, and the portion above the annular step 2 is a male threaded tube 3 that is reduced in diameter and has a male thread 5 cut into it. A seal cap 4 is fitted onto the opening of the male threaded tube 3 (Fig. 1). This seal cap 4 is broken by the ink introduction tube 16 of the joint shaft 11, which will be described later, when the ink cartridge 1 is screwed all the way into the joint shaft 11 (see Figs. 2 and 3). Reference numeral 6 in Fig. 1 denotes an annular gasket that seals the gap between the ink cartridge 1 and the joint shaft 11.

[0016] The joint shaft 11 is composed of a large-diameter portion 12 that is exposed to the outside and a small-diameter portion 13 that is hidden within the nosepiece 31, and the large-diameter portion 12 has an internal thread 14 cut into its inner surface that meshes with the external thread 5 on the external surface of the male-threaded cylinder 3 (see Figure 1). A partition wall 15 is provided in the middle of the small-diameter portion 13, and the ink introduction tube 16 is formed so as to protrude downward from the center of the partition wall 15. As described above, when the ink cartridge 1 is screwed all the way into the joint shaft 11, the ink introduction tube 16 breaks through the seal cap 4 fitted to the top end of the ink cartridge 1, allowing the ink in the ink cartridge 1 to flow into the valve unit 21.

[0017] The valve unit 21 is assembled from the space 17 above the partition wall 15 of the narrow diameter section 13 to the upper half of the nose piece 31. The valve unit 21 comprises a valve case 22 fitted into the space 17, a return spring 23 installed in the upper half of the valve case 22, a cup 25 attached to an ink introduction tube 24 formed in the lower half of the valve case 22, and a brush tip holder 26 that firmly holds the lower half of the brush tip 41. The cup 25 is fitted onto a rib 24a formed on the outer peripheral surface of the ink introduction tube 24 of the valve case 22, and an ink flow gap 24b is maintained between the outer peripheral surface of the cup 25 and the inner peripheral surface of the valve case 22 (see Figure 4).

[0018] The brush tip holder 26 consists of a base 27 and a brush tip support tube 28 fitted onto it. The base 27 has a cylindrical portion 27a on its upper side that fits over the lower part of the brush tip 41, and a valve core 27b on its lower side that wraps around the upper part of the return spring 23 (see Figures 4 and 6). The brush tip support tube 28 holds the part of the brush tip 41 that extends from the lower part to the middle part. The brush tip support tube 28 has multiple ink inlet ports 29 that extend from the outer surface toward the inside.

[0019] The valve core 27b has a tapered portion, and as the brush tip holder 26 is pressed down by the action described below, the tapered portion comes into close contact with the curved upper end opening edge of the ink passage 24c of the ink introduction tube 24, blocking the ink passage 24c (seal portion b in Figure 4).

[0020] The upper surface of the return spring 23 wound around the valve core 27b is seated against the back surface of the base 27, and its lower surface is seated against the inner bottom surface of the valve case 22, constantly urging the brush tip holder 26 upward. The upper opening edge of the valve case 22 is curved, and when the brush tip holder 26 is pressed down, the back surface of the base 27 abuts against it, sealing that area (sealed portion a in Figure 4). When the brush tip holder 26 is pushed up by the return spring 23, the seals at sealed portions a and b are released, allowing the flow of ink, and when the brush tip holder 26 is pressed down by the cap 51, sealed portions a and b are closed, preventing the flow of ink.

[0021] The nose piece 31 is a cylindrical body that houses the portion of the joint shaft 11 from the narrow-diameter portion 13 to the brush tip holder 26. It has an annular step 32 in the middle of its outer periphery, and the portion above the annular step 32 is slightly tapered. The brush tip holder 26 is slidably housed within the upper portion of the nose piece 31. The sliding contact between the upper inner periphery of the nose piece 31 and the brush tip support tube 28 of the brush tip holder 26 forms a seal 36, sealing that portion. The inner periphery below the seal 36 is slightly spaced from the outer periphery of the brush tip holder 26, creating an ink flow gap 35. As described above, the ink inlet 29, which opens toward the ink flow gap 35, is formed in the brush tip support tube 28 of the brush tip holder 26. Therefore, ink in the ink flow gap 35 permeates the ink inlet 29 and seeps into the brush tip 41 as needed.

[0022] In this way, the sliding contact area between the upper inner peripheral surface of the nose piece 31 and the brush tip support tube 28 forms the seal portion 36, but there is a possibility that ink may rise through this seal portion 36 due to capillary action, which could result in ink leakage at the brush tip. Therefore, it is preferable to make the seal portion 36 as large as possible. On the other hand, it is preferable to make the opening area of ​​the ink inlet 29 as small as possible to prevent excessive ink from being supplied to the brush tip 41. In the illustrated example, the ink inlet 29 is formed horizontally long and low in height.

[0023] More preferably, the upper end of the nosepiece 31 extends beyond the seal portion 36. That is, the upper end of the nosepiece 31 is extended so that it comes close to the upper end of the brush tip support tube 28 when the brush tip holder 26 is pressed down (see FIGS. 3 and 4). In other words, a wall is created that covers the upper part of the brush tip support tube 28. An annular gasket 34 is then placed inside the upper end of the nosepiece 31. With this configuration, ink leakage from the gap between the nosepiece 31 and the brush tip support tube 28 is reliably prevented.

[0024] A plurality of ribs 52 extending vertically are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cap 51, from the upper end to the middle portion, which is fitted over the brush tip 41, and a plurality of protrusions 53 are provided on the lower inner peripheral surface of the cap 51. The lower end surfaces of the ribs 52 abut against the upper end surface of the brush tip support tube 28 of the brush tip holder 26, and act to press the brush tip holder 26 against the nosepiece 31, but the amount of inward protrusion is determined so as to maintain a distance from the brush tip 41 so as not to come into contact with the brush tip 41 (see Figure 4). The portion of the ribs 52 above the middle portion is sufficiently separated from the brush tip 41 as the brush tip 41 tapers (see Figure 6).

[0025] In the case of this cap 51, when it is pressed against the nosepiece 31, the lower end surface of the rib 52 comes into contact with the upper end surface of the brush tip support tube 28 of the brush tip holder 26, and when it is pressed further, the brush tip holder 26 descends inside the nosepiece 31 (see Figures 4 and 5). As will be described later, this movement of the cap 51 controls the opening and closing of the valve.

[0026] Furthermore, by pushing the cap 51 into the nosepiece 31, each protrusion 53 rides over the annular locking ridge 33 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the nosepiece 31 and becomes locked there, and at this time, the lower surface of the nosepiece 31 comes into contact with the step 32 formed below the locking ridge 33 on the outer peripheral surface of the nosepiece 31, thereby restricting the pushing end of the cap 51. Furthermore, an annular protrusion 54 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cap 51, and this slides vertically along the tapered surface 34 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the brush tip support tube 28, allowing the cap 51 to move smoothly and linearly relative to the nosepiece 31. This makes it even less likely that the brush tip 41 will come into contact with the rib 52.

[0027] In this way, in the case of the direct ink brush pen of the present invention, ribs 52 are formed on the inner surface of the cap 51, so the contact area of ​​the ink-containing brush tip 41 with the inner surface of the cap 51 is significantly reduced compared to the case of conventional caps, and because the cap 51 is not rotated, there is no risk of ink adhering to the inner surface of the cap 51 and drying out into powder.

[0028] 1 and 2(A) with the cap 51 removed for use, the brush tip holder 26 is constantly pushed up by the return spring 23, opening the seals a and b. The ink in the ink cartridge 1 then flows freely from the ink introduction tube 16 into the space 17, rises through the ink flow gap 24b on the outer periphery of the cup 25, passes through the gap on the top surface of the cup 25, and flows down through the gaps between the ribs 24a formed on the outer periphery of the ink introduction tube 24 into the cup 25 (see FIG. 4).

[0029] The ink that has entered the cup 25 then rises through the ink passage 24c of the ink introduction tube 24, filling the upper half of the valve case 22 and the ink flow gap 35, and seeps into the writing tip 41 through the ink introduction port 29. Thus, the writing tip 41 contains an appropriate amount of ink and is in a state suitable for writing. Furthermore, if the ink decreases during writing, it is automatically replenished, so that the writing tip is always kept in a moist state suitable for writing. The ink that has filled the ink flow gap 35 is sealed by the seal portion 36 above it and is further sealed by the annular packing 34, so there is no risk of it leaking out.

[0030] After use, when the cap 51 is pushed into the nosepiece 31, the lower bottom surfaces of the ribs 52 eventually come into contact with the upper end surface of the brush tip support tube 28 of the brush tip holder 26. When the cap 51 is then further pushed in against the upward force of the return spring 23, the brush tip support tube 28 is pushed in by the ribs 52, and the brush tip holder 26 descends within the nosepiece 31. This movement closes the seals a and b, preventing ink from flowing from the ink passage 24c into the valve case 22. Thus, the supply of ink to the brush tip 41 is subsequently cut off, and excess ink will not accumulate at the brush tip 41. [Industrial Applicability]

[0031] The direct-ink brush pen of the present invention is as described above, and has multiple ribs formed on the inside surface of the brush tip storage section of the cap, and the brush tip holder is pressed down by these ribs to open and close the valve, so that the brush tip containing ink is less likely to come into contact with the inside surface of the brush tip storage section, and even if it does come into contact, the cap is attached to the nosepiece by pushing it in rather than screwing it in, so the ink does not spread as it rotates, and the adhering ink does not dry out and turn into powder, staining the surrounding area, so it has the effect of being able to stay clean and has great industrial applicability. [Explanation of symbols]

[0032] 1 ink cartridge 11 Joint axis 12 Large diameter part 13 Thin section 16 Ink introduction tube 17 Space section 21 Valve unit 22 Valve case 23 Return spring 24 Ink introduction tube 26 Brush tip holder 27 Base 28 Brush tip support tube 31 Nosepiece 41 Brush Tip 51 Cap 52 Ribs 53 Protrusion

Claims

1. The brush comprises an ink cartridge for storing ink, a brush tip, a valve unit located between the ink cartridge and the brush tip for supplying an appropriate amount of ink to the brush tip, a joint shaft whose lower half is fixed to the ink cartridge and whose upper half holds the valve unit, a nose piece that covers the upper half of the joint shaft and the base of the brush tip, and a cap that is pressed onto the nose piece and engaged therewith. The valve unit comprises a valve case, a return spring installed in the upper half of the valve case, a cup attached to an ink introduction tube formed in the lower half of the valve case, and a brush tip holder for firmly holding the lower half of the brush tip, A direct ink brush pen characterized in that the cap has multiple ribs on its inner surface that press down on the brush tip holder when attached to the nose piece, and as the brush tip holder is pressed down by the ribs, the ink flow path in the valve unit is closed.

2. 2. A direct ink brush pen as described in claim 1, wherein the brush tip holder comprises a base having a valve core and a brush tip support tube fitted onto the base, the brush tip support tube is formed with an ink inlet for supplying ink to the brush tip, the ink inlet of the brush tip support tube is horizontally long and has a wide sliding surface above it between it and the inner surface of the nose piece.

3. A direct-fill brush pen as described in claim 2, wherein an annular gasket that slides against the brush tip support tube is arranged at the upper end of the inner surface of the nose piece.

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