Stylus pen

Abstract

To prevent unintentional loosening of fixation of a fixing member for fixing a conductor to a touch pen main body.SOLUTION: A touch pen 10 includes a shaft cylinder 20, an inner shaft 30 disposed inside the shaft cylinder 20, a tip member 40 which is mounted on a front end of the inner shaft 30 and has an engagement part 44, and a rear end member 50 mounted on a rear end of the inner shaft 30. In a usage state, at least a part of the engagement part 44 is covered with the front end of the shaft cylinder 20, and the engagement part 44 is exposed from the shaft cylinder 20 by moving the rear end member 50 and the shaft cylinder 20 backward relative to the inner shaft 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a touch pen.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a touch panel that can detect the position of a finger or a pen tip on the surface by touching the surface with a finger or a pen tip is known. As an example of such a touch panel, a capacitive touch panel provided with electrodes capable of detecting a change in capacitance can be mentioned. In a capacitive touch panel, a change in capacitance in the electrodes is detected due to the approach or contact of a conductor to the touch panel, and the position of the conductor on the touch panel is detected.

[0003] A touch pen used for input to such a touch panel is also used. When a touch pen is used for input to a touch panel, the position of a conductor provided at the tip of the touch pen is detected by bringing the conductor close to or into contact with the input surface of the touch panel. Patent Document 1 discloses an example of such a touch pen. The touch pen disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a conductive pen shaft, a conductive pen tip, and a fixing member for fixing the conductive pen tip to the conductive pen shaft. The fixing member is attached to the conductive pen shaft from the front.

[0004] With the use of a touch pen, the conductor (conductive pen tip) provided at the tip of the touch pen may be damaged or worn. In such a case, in the touch pen disclosed in Patent Document 1, the conductive pen tip can be replaced by removing the fixing member forward.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0006] Conventional styluses have a removable fixing member attached near the conductive material at the front end of the stylus. When using the stylus, the user grips the area near the fixing member at the front. In this case, the user's fingers may come into contact with the fixing member, causing the fixing member to loosen from the pen shaft. Furthermore, if the fixing member loosens, there is a risk that it may detach from the pen shaft.

[0007] This invention has been made with these points in mind, and aims to prevent the fixing member that secures the conductor from loosening unintentionally to the stylus body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The touch pen of the present invention [1] The shaft and, An inner shaft positioned inside the aforementioned shaft cylinder, A tip member having an engaging portion attached to the front end of the inner shaft, The system comprises a rear end member attached to the rear end of the inner shaft, In the operating state, at least a portion of the engaging portion is covered by the front end of the shaft cylinder. This is a stylus pen in which the engaging portion is exposed from the shaft by moving the rear end member and the shaft cylinder backward relative to the inner shaft.

[0009] The touch pen of the present invention [2] The outer surface of the inner shaft is provided with a male screw portion, The inner circumferential surface of the rear end member is provided with a female screw portion. The stylus pen according to [1], wherein the rear end member is attached to the inner shaft by screwing the female thread portion into the male thread portion.

[0010] The touch pen of the present invention [3] The stylus pen according to [1] or [2], having a restricting part that restricts the rotation of the shaft cylinder around the central axis relative to the inner shaft.

[0011] The touch pen of the present invention [4] The shaft is made of an insulating material, The inner shaft is formed of a conductive material, as described in any one of [1] to [3].

[0012] The touch pen of the present invention [5] The stylus pen according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein when at least one component constituting the shaft is reversed front to back and attached to the inner shaft, the rear end member becomes unable to be attached to the inner shaft. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the unintended loosening of the fixing member that secures the conductive material to the stylus body. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is an external view showing an example of a stylus pen according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the stylus pen shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the stylus pen shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of how to replace the tip component of a stylus pen. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method for replacing the tip component. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method for replacing the tip component. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows the stylus pen's barrel components inverted and attached to the inner shaft. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings attached to this specification, for the convenience of illustration and easier understanding, the scale, the aspect ratio of the vertical and horizontal dimensions, etc. are appropriately changed and exaggerated from those of the actual object.

[0016] In addition, regarding the terms used in this specification for specifying shapes, geometric conditions, and their degrees, such as terms like "parallel", "orthogonal", "identical", etc., and values of lengths and angles, etc., they shall not be restricted to strict meanings, and shall be interpreted to include the range where similar functions can be expected.

[0017] In this specification, the direction in which the central axis A of the touch pen extends (the longitudinal direction) is defined as the axial direction da, the direction orthogonal to the axial direction da is defined as the radial direction, and the direction along the circumference around the central axis A is defined as the circumferential direction. Also, along the axial direction da, the side close to the input surface of the touch panel during use is taken as the front, and the side separated from the input surface is taken as the rear.

[0018] FIG. 1 is an external view showing an example of the touch pen 10. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the touch pen 10. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the touch pen 10. FIGS. 1 and 2 show the touch pen 10 in a use state where it can be used for input to the touch panel.

[0019] The touch pen 10 of this embodiment is used, for example, for input to a capacitive touch panel. Note that it is not limited to this, and the touch pen 10 may be used for input to other types of touch panels. The touch pen 10 includes a shaft cylinder 20, an inner shaft 30, a tip member 40, and a rear end member 50. The touch pen 10 extends along the central axis A.

[0020] The shaft 20 is a substantially cylindrical member having a central axis extending in the axial direction da. The shaft 20 is intended to be held by the user when input is made to the touch panel using the stylus 10. The central axis of the shaft 20 coincides with the central axis A of the stylus 10. The shaft 20 may be composed of a single member or of multiple members. The shaft 20 of this embodiment includes a front shaft 22 and a rear shaft 26. The front shaft 22 is a member having a substantially cylindrical shape. The rear shaft 26 is a member having a substantially cylindrical shape located behind the front shaft 22. In the usage state shown in Figures 1 and 2, the rear end of the front shaft 22 and the front end of the rear shaft 26 are in contact with each other. An inward projection 24 is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the front shaft 22, projecting radially inward. In the example shown in Figures 2 and 3, the inward projection 24 is a flange formed in an annular shape on the inner circumferential surface of the front shaft 22. The rear axle 26 is formed such that its radial width (diameter) decreases (becomes narrower) as it approaches the rear. In particular, the radial width of both the inner and outer surfaces of the rear axle 26 decreases as it approaches the rear.

[0021] The barrel 20 may be formed of a conductive material or an insulating material. Examples of conductive materials include metal materials such as brass and aluminum, and conductive resins such as conductive polycarbonate (PC), conductive acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) copolymer resin, conductive polypropylene (PP), and conductive polyacetal (POM). Examples of insulating materials include resin materials such as polycarbonate (PC), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) copolymer resin, polypropylene (PP), and polyacetal (POM). The barrel 20 may be formed of a material that is transparent enough to allow the inner shaft 30, which is positioned inside, to be visible from the outside of the barrel 20. For example, the barrel 20 may be formed of a transparent insulating resin material. The transparent material may be colorless or colored. If the barrel 20 is made of a transparent material, for example, a sticker decorated on the outer surface of the inner barrel 30 can be attached to it, and this sticker can be seen through the barrel 20. This improves the aesthetic appeal of the stylus pen 10. In this case, since the sticker is covered by the barrel 20, peeling off the sticker during use is suppressed. Furthermore, compared to methods of decorating the outer surface of the barrel 20 by printing such as transfer, decorating by attaching a sticker has the advantage of reducing costs. The front barrel 22 and the rear barrel 26 may be made of the same material or different materials. For example, the front barrel 22 may be made of a non-transparent material and the rear barrel 26 may be made of a transparent material.

[0022] The inner shaft 30 is a member positioned inside the shaft cylinder 20. The inner shaft 30 has an inner bore 31 that extends along the central axis A and penetrates the inner shaft 30, and is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape overall. The inner shaft 30 has a main body portion 33, a tip member engaging portion 35, a rear end member engaging portion 37, a stepped portion 38, and a shaft cylinder contact portion 39. The tip member engaging portion 35 is located at the front end of the inner shaft 30. The tip member engaging portion 35 is the part into which the tip member 40 engages. In the examples shown in Figures 2 and 3, the tip member engaging portion 35 is an annular groove portion extending in the circumferential direction. The rear end member engaging portion 37 is located at the rear end of the inner shaft 30. In particular, the rear end member engaging portion 37 is located at the rear end of the main body portion 33. The rear end member engaging portion 37 is the part into which the rear end member 50 engages. In this embodiment, the rear end member engagement portion 37 is a male screw portion formed on the outer circumferential surface of the main body portion 33. The main body portion 33 is formed such that its radial width (diameter) decreases (becomes narrower) as it approaches the rear. In particular, the radial width of the outer circumferential surface of the main body portion 33 decreases as it approaches the rear.

[0023] The stepped portion 38 is a stepped portion provided behind the tip member engagement portion 35. The stepped portion 38 includes a surface facing rearward. In the usage state shown in Figure 2, the inward projection 24 of the shaft cylinder 20 (front shaft 22) is in contact with the stepped portion 38. The shaft cylinder contact portion 39 is the part that the shaft cylinder 20 (front shaft 22) contacts. In particular, in the example shown in Figure 2, in the usage state, the inward projection 24 of the front shaft 22 and the inner circumferential surface of the front end of the rear shaft 26 are in contact with the shaft cylinder contact portion 39. As a result, no gap is created between the front shaft 22 and the rear shaft 26 and the inner shaft 30, so that rattling between the shaft cylinder 20 and the inner shaft 30 can be suppressed. The shaft cylinder contact portion 39 is located between the stepped portion 38 and the main body portion 33. Also, the radial width (diameter) of the shaft cylinder contact portion 39 is larger than the radial width (diameter) of the main body portion 33. In particular, the radial width of the shaft contact portion 39 is greater than the widest part of the main body portion 33, that is, the width of the front end of the main body portion 33.

[0024] The inner shaft 30 of this embodiment is formed of a conductive material. As the conductive material, for example, metal materials such as brass and aluminum, or conductive resins such as conductive polycarbonate (PC), conductive acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) copolymer resin, conductive polypropylene (PP), and conductive polyacetal (POM) can be used.

[0025] The tip member 40 is located at the tip of the stylus pen 10 and approaches or contacts the input surface of the touch panel when the stylus pen 10 is in use. The tip member 40 has a contact portion 42 and an engaging portion 44. The contact portion 42 is the part that approaches or contacts the input surface of the touch panel when the stylus pen 10 is in use. The contact portion 42 has a relatively small thickness and is easily elastically deformable. This suppresses the occurrence of scratches on the input surface of the touch panel when the contact portion 42 comes into contact with the input surface of the touch panel.

[0026] The tip member 40 is attached to the tip member engagement portion 35 formed on the front end of the inner shaft 30 at the engagement portion 44. In the examples shown in Figures 2 and 3, the engagement portion 44 is an inward projection that protrudes inward from the rear end of the tip member 40. In the illustrated examples, this inward projection is a flange formed in an annular shape on the inner circumferential surface of the tip member 40. The tip member 40 is attached to the inner shaft 30 by the engagement portion 44 engaging with the tip member engagement portion 35 of the inner shaft 30. At this time, at least a portion of the radially inner side of the engagement portion 44 is positioned within the tip member engagement portion 35.

[0027] The tip member 40 is made of a conductive material. Examples of conductive materials that can be used include conductive polycarbonate (PC), conductive acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) copolymer resin, conductive polypropylene (PP), and conductive polyacetal (POM). Preferably, the tip member 40 is made of an elastic material. Examples of elastic conductive resins include conductive silicone, conductive nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR), and conductive elastomer. When the tip member 40 is made of an elastic material, when attaching the tip member 40 to the inner shaft 30, the front end of the inner shaft 30 can be inserted into the tip member 40 by spreading the engaging portion 44 of the tip member 40.

[0028] As shown in Figure 2, in the operating state, at least a portion of the engaging portion 44 is covered by the front end of the shaft cylinder 20 (front shaft 22). More specifically, the front end of the shaft cylinder 20 (front shaft 22) is located radially outward of at least a portion of the engaging portion 44. This restricts the engaging portion 44 from spreading radially outward. Therefore, in the operating state, it is prevented that the engaging portion 44 will disengage from the tip member engaging portion 35 and that the tip member 40 will detach from the inner shaft 30.

[0029] The rear end member 50 is a member attached to the rear end of the inner shaft 30. In particular, the rear end member 50 has an engaging portion 52, and the rear end member 50 is attached to the inner shaft 30 by the engaging portion 52 engaging with the rear end member engaging portion 37 of the inner shaft 30. The rear end member 50 is configured to be movable in the axial direction da relative to the inner shaft 30. The engaging portion 52 has a female threaded portion provided on the inner circumferential surface of the rear end member 50. In this embodiment, the rear end member 50 is attached to the inner shaft 30 so as to be movable in the axial direction da by the female threaded portion of the engaging portion 52 screwing into the male threaded portion of the rear end member engaging portion 37. However, it is not limited to this, and the engaging portion 52 of the rear end member 50 may be configured to engage with the rear end member engaging portion 37 of the inner shaft 30 by other means such as press-fitting or fitting.

[0030] In the example shown in Figure 2, the rear end member 50 further includes a projection 54, a strap hole 56, and an air hole 58. The projection 54 has the function of preventing the stylus pen 10 from rolling when it is placed on a desk or the like. The strap hole 56 is a hole for passing a strap through. The air hole 58 is a hole that ensures an air passage for breathing in case a child or the like accidentally swallows the rear end member 50.

[0031] The stylus pen 10 of this embodiment has a restricting portion 60 that restricts the rotation of the barrel 20 around the central axis A relative to the inner shaft 30. In the example shown in Figures 2 and 3, the restricting portion 60 includes a projection 62 provided on the inner circumferential surface of the barrel 20 and a groove 64 provided on the outer circumferential surface of the inner shaft 30. The projection 62 protrudes radially inward from the inner circumferential surface of the barrel 20 and extends in the axial direction da. The groove 64 is recessed radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the inner shaft 30 and extends in the axial direction da. When the inner shaft 30 is positioned inside the barrel 20, the projection 62 is positioned within the groove 64. The projection 62 is movable axially da within the groove 64. On the other hand, the circumferential movement of the projection 62 relative to the groove 64 is restricted. As a result, the restricting portion 60 allows the shaft cylinder 20 to move axially da relative to the inner shaft 30, and restricts the shaft cylinder 20 from rotating about the central axis A relative to the inner shaft 30.

[0032] Figures 2 and 3 show an example in which a ridge 62 is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the shaft cylinder 20 and a groove 64 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the inner shaft 30. However, the design is not limited to this, and the groove 64 may be provided on the inner circumferential surface of the shaft cylinder 20 and the ridge 62 on the outer circumferential surface of the inner shaft 30. Furthermore, the restricting portion 60 is not limited to being composed of a ridge 62 and a groove 64. The restricting portion 60 may have any other structure as long as it allows the shaft cylinder 20 to move axially da relative to the inner shaft 30 and restricts the shaft cylinder 20 from rotating about the central axis A relative to the inner shaft 30.

[0033] Next, an example of a method for replacing the tip member 40 will be explained with reference to Figures 4 to 6.

[0034] If the tip member 40 of the stylus pen 10 is damaged or worn out due to use, the user can replace the tip member 40. First, in the example shown in Figure 2, the rear end member 50 is moved axially da backward relative to the inner shaft 30. In the illustrated example, the rear end member engagement portion 37 of the inner shaft 30 has a male threaded portion formed on the outer circumferential surface of the main body portion 33. The engagement portion 52 of the rear end member 50 has a female threaded portion provided on the inner circumferential surface of the rear end member 50. The rear end member 50 is attached to the inner shaft 30 so as to be movable axially da by screwing the female threaded portion of the engagement portion 52 onto the male threaded portion of the rear end member engagement portion 37. Therefore, by rotating the rear end member 50 to one side in the circumferential direction relative to the inner shaft 30, the rear end member 50 moves axially da backward relative to the inner shaft 30. At this time, it is not necessary to completely remove the rear end member 50 from the inner shaft 30. By moving the rear end member 50 axially da backward relative to the inner shaft 30 while it remains attached to the inner shaft 30, the front shaft 22, rear shaft 26, and rear end member 50 are not removed from the inner shaft 30. This prevents the loss of parts that are removed from the inner shaft 30. One side in the circumferential direction may be such that, when viewed from the rear, the rear end member 50 is rotated counterclockwise relative to the inner shaft 30. In this case, the other side in the circumferential direction is such that, when viewed from the rear, the rear end member 50 is rotated clockwise relative to the inner shaft 30.

[0035] Furthermore, because the stylus pen 10 has a restricting part 60, the rotation of the barrel 20 around the central axis A relative to the inner shaft 30 is restricted. That is, when the user grips the barrel 20 and rotates the rear end member 50 around the central axis A, the barrel 20 and the inner shaft 30 do not rotate relative to each other around the central axis A, and only the rear end member 50 rotates relative to the barrel 20 and the inner shaft 30. When the rear end member 50 moves backward relative to the inner shaft 30, the rear shaft 26 and the rear end member 50 separate in the axial direction da. That is, a gap is created between the rear shaft 26 and the rear end member 50.

[0036] Next, the rear axle 26 is moved backward in the axial direction da. The restricting part 60 allows the shaft cylinder 20 to move axially da relative to the inner shaft 30. Therefore, the user can grasp the rear axle 26 and move it backward. As a result, when the rear axle 26 moves backward relative to the front axle 22, the front axle 22 and the rear axle 26 are separated in the axial direction da. That is, a gap is created between the front axle 22 and the rear axle 26 (see Figure 4).

[0037] Next, the front shaft 22 is moved to the rear in the axial direction da. This exposes the entire engaging portion 44 of the tip member 40 from the shaft cylinder 20 (front shaft 22) (see Figure 5). In this state, the tip member 40 is removed from the inner shaft 30 (see Figure 6). Specifically, the engagement between the engaging portion 44 of the tip member 40 and the tip member engaging portion 35 of the inner shaft 30 is released.

[0038] Subsequently, the other end members 40 are attached to the inner shaft 30. Then, the rear end member 50 is moved forward in the axial direction da relative to the inner shaft 30. In this embodiment, by rotating the rear end member 50 to the other side in the circumferential direction relative to the inner shaft 30, the rear end member 50 moves forward in the axial direction da relative to the inner shaft 30. As the rear end member 50 moves forward, the shaft cylinder 20 (front shaft 22, rear shaft 26) also moves forward. When the inward projection 24 of the shaft cylinder 20 (front shaft 22) comes into contact with the stepped portion 38 of the inner shaft 30, the stepped portion 38 prevents further movement of the shaft cylinder 20 (front shaft 22). As a result, at least a part of the engaging portion 44 of the end member 40 is covered by the front end of the shaft cylinder 20 (front shaft 22), preventing the end member 40 from coming off the inner shaft 30.

[0039] Figure 7 shows the components constituting the shaft cylinder 20 inverted front to back and attached to the inner shaft 30. In this embodiment, when at least one component constituting the shaft cylinder 20 is inverted front to back and attached to the inner shaft 30, the rear end member 50 becomes unattachable to the inner shaft 30. In Figure 7, the rear end member 50 is completely removed from the inner shaft 30, and the front shaft 22 and rear shaft 26 are then attached to the inner shaft 30 inverted front to back.

[0040] In the example shown in Figure 2, the inward projection 24 of the front shaft 22 is located behind the center of the axial direction da of the front shaft 22. Therefore, when the front shaft 22 is reversed front to back, as shown in Figure 7, the inward projection 24 of the front shaft 22 becomes located in front of the center of the axial direction da of the front shaft 22. In this case, even if the front shaft 22 is moved forward relative to the inner shaft 30 until the inward projection 24 contacts the stepped portion 38 of the inner shaft 30, the front shaft 22 does not move forward to the same position as the front shaft 22 in the operating state shown in Figure 2.

[0041] Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 2, the inner circumferential surface of the rear shaft 26 is formed such that its radial width (diameter) decreases (becomes narrower) as it moves towards the rear. Similarly, the outer circumferential surface of the main body portion 33 of the inner shaft 30 is formed such that its radial width (diameter) decreases (becomes narrower) as it moves towards the rear. Therefore, as shown in Figure 7, when the rear shaft 26 is reversed and moved forward relative to the inner shaft 30, the end of the rear shaft 26 with the smaller width on its inner circumferential surface moves toward the end of the main body portion 33 of the inner shaft 30 with the larger width. Consequently, when the end of the rear shaft 26 with the smaller width on its inner circumferential surface contacts the outer circumferential surface of the main body portion 33 of the inner shaft 30, the rear shaft 26 can no longer move forward relative to the inner shaft 30.

[0042] In this embodiment, when at least one component constituting the shaft cylinder 20 is reversed and attached to the inner shaft 30, the entire rear end member engagement portion 37 of the inner shaft 30 becomes located inside the shaft cylinder 20. That is, the rear end member engagement portion 37 is no longer exposed from the shaft cylinder 20. As a result, the rear end member 50 cannot be attached to the inner shaft 30.

[0043] In this embodiment, the front end of the shaft 20 (front shaft 22) is chamfered to prevent scratches on the touch panel input surface even if the front end of the shaft 20 (front shaft 22) comes into contact with the touch panel input surface during input to the touch panel. If the components constituting the shaft 20 are reversed and attached to the inner shaft 30, the unchamfered portion of the shaft 20 may come into contact with the touch panel input surface during input to the touch panel, potentially causing scratches on the input surface. In this embodiment, by making it impossible to attach the rear end member 50 to the inner shaft 30 when at least one component constituting the shaft 20 is reversed and attached to the inner shaft 30, the user can notice that the components constituting the shaft 20 have been reversed and attached to the inner shaft 30. Therefore, it becomes possible to prevent scratches on the touch panel input surface with the stylus 10.

[0044] The stylus pen 10 of this embodiment comprises a barrel 20, an inner shaft 30 disposed inside the barrel 20, a tip member 40 having an engaging portion 44 attached to the front end of the inner shaft 30, and a rear end member 50 attached to the rear end of the inner shaft 30. In use, at least a portion of the engaging portion 44 is covered by the front end of the barrel 20, and by moving the rear end member 50 and the barrel 20 backward relative to the inner shaft 30, the engaging portion 44 is exposed from the barrel 20.

[0045] With this type of stylus pen 10, the rear end member 50, which is rotatable around the central axis A relative to the inner shaft 30, is located at the rear of the stylus pen 10. In this case, when the user grips the shaft 20, the user's fingers do not come into contact with the rear end member 50, and the fixing of the rear end member 50, which functions as a fixing member for securing the conductor (tip member 40), to the inner shaft 30 is prevented from loosening against the user's intention.

[0046] Furthermore, if the rear end member 50 is moved axially da backward relative to the inner shaft 30 while remaining attached to the inner shaft 30, the front shaft 22, rear shaft 26, and rear end member 50 will not be removed from the inner shaft 30. This prevents the loss of parts that have been removed from the inner shaft 30.

[0047] In the stylus pen 10 of this embodiment, a male threaded portion is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the inner shaft 30, and a female threaded portion is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the rear end member 50. The rear end member 50 is attached to the inner shaft 30 by screwing the female threaded portion into the male threaded portion.

[0048] With this type of stylus pen 10, by connecting the inner shaft 30 and the rear end member 50 with a screw thread, a mechanism for the rear end member 50 to move in the axial direction da relative to the inner shaft 30 can be realized with a simple structure.

[0049] The stylus pen 10 of this embodiment has a restricting part 60 that restricts the rotation of the barrel 20 around the central axis A relative to the inner shaft 30.

[0050] With such a stylus pen 10, when the user grips the barrel 20 and rotates the rear end member 50 around the central axis A, the barrel 20 and the inner shaft 30 do not rotate relative to each other around the central axis A, and only the rear end member 50 rotates relative to the barrel 20 and the inner shaft 30.

[0051] In the stylus pen 10 of this embodiment, the barrel 20 is made of an insulating material, and the inner shaft 30 is made of a conductive material.

[0052] Conductive materials, such as conductive resins, have carbon powder or the like mixed into the resin material to achieve conductivity. Therefore, most of these conductive materials are black and lack aesthetic appeal. In the stylus pen 10 of this embodiment, the inner shaft 30 is made of a conductive material to ensure the conductivity required for the stylus pen 10, and the barrel 20 is made of an insulating material, making it possible to use materials of various colors for the barrel 20. This effectively improves the aesthetic appeal of the stylus pen 10.

[0053] For example, the barrel 20 can be formed from a transparent insulating resin material, such as a colorless transparent or colored transparent material. If the barrel 20 is made of a transparent material, a decorative sticker attached to the outer surface of the inner shaft 30 can be seen through the barrel 20. This improves the aesthetic appeal of the stylus pen 10. In this case, since the sticker is covered by the barrel 20, peeling off the sticker during use is suppressed. Furthermore, compared to methods of decorating the outer surface of the barrel 20 by printing such as transfer, decorating by attaching a sticker has the advantage of reducing costs.

[0054] In the stylus pen 10 of this embodiment, if at least one component constituting the shaft cylinder 20 is reversed front to back and attached to the inner shaft 30, the rear end member 50 becomes unattachable to the inner shaft 30.

[0055] In this embodiment, the front end of the shaft 20 (front shaft 22) is chamfered to prevent scratches on the touch panel input surface even if the front end of the shaft 20 (front shaft 22) comes into contact with the touch panel input surface during input to the touch panel. If the components constituting the shaft 20 are reversed and attached to the inner shaft 30, the unchamfered portion of the shaft 20 may come into contact with the touch panel input surface during input to the touch panel, potentially causing scratches on the input surface. In this embodiment, by making it impossible to attach the rear end member 50 to the inner shaft 30 when at least one component constituting the shaft 20 is reversed and attached to the inner shaft 30, the user can notice that the components constituting the shaft 20 have been reversed and attached to the inner shaft 30. Therefore, it becomes possible to prevent scratches on the touch panel input surface with the stylus 10. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0056] 10 Stylus Pens 20 shaft cylinder 22 Front axle 24 Medial process 26 rear axle 30 Inner shaft 31 Internal bore 33 Main body 35 Tip member engagement portion 37 Rear end member engagement portion 38 Step section 39 Shaft cylinder contact part 40 Tip member 42 Contact area 44 Engagement part 50 Rear end member 52 Engaging part 54 Protrusion 56 strap holes 58 air vents 60 Regulatory Department 62 protrusion 64 groove A Center axis da axis direction

Claims

1. The barrel and, An inner shaft positioned inside the aforementioned shaft cylinder, A tip member having an engaging portion attached to the front end of the inner shaft, The system comprises a rear end member attached to the rear end of the inner shaft, In the operating state, at least a portion of the engaging portion is covered by the front end of the shaft cylinder. A stylus pen in which the rear end member and the shaft cylinder are moved rearward relative to the inner shaft, thereby exposing the engaging portion from the shaft cylinder.

2. A male screw portion is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the inner shaft. The inner circumferential surface of the rear end member is provided with a female screw portion. The stylus pen according to claim 1, wherein the rear end member is attached to the inner shaft by screwing the female thread portion into the male thread portion.

3. The stylus pen according to claim 2, further comprising a restricting portion that restricts the rotation of the shaft cylinder around a central axis relative to the inner shaft.

4. The aforementioned shaft cylinder is made of an insulating material. The touch pen according to claim 1, wherein the inner shaft is made of a conductive material.

5. The stylus pen according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein when at least one component constituting the shaft is reversed front to back and attached to the inner shaft, the rear end member becomes unable to be attached to the inner shaft.

Images