Electronic pen

Abstract

Provided is an electronic pen having a structure with an easily removable power source portion.　The electronic pen is provided with: a housing that can be separated, in the axial direction, into a pen tip side and a rear end side on the opposite side to the pen tip side; an electronic pen body portion that is disposed on the pen tip side within a hollow portion of the housing; and a power source portion that is provided with a battery and is disposed on the rear end side of the hollow portion of the housing. A first terminal portion is provided on the rear end side, in the axial direction, of the electronic pen body portion, and a second terminal portion is provided on the pen tip side, in the axial direction, of the power source portion. In the hollow portion of the housing, the first terminal portion of the electronic pen body portion and the second terminal portion of the power source portion are in contact with and electrically connected to one another, and the electronic pen body portion and the power source portion are arranged side by side in the axial direction without being physically coupled by being fitted together. The power source portion can be taken out of the housing by separating the housing into the pen tip side and the rear end side.

Description

Electronic pen

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic pen having a function for performing signal interaction with a position detection sensor, and in particular to an electronic pen having a battery-powered power supply.

[0002] Well-known electronic pens include active capacitance type electronic pens and electromagnetic induction type electronic pens. Active capacitance type electronic pens include a signal transmission circuit that transmits signals for interaction with a position detection sensor, as well as a power supply unit that supplies power supply voltage to the signal transmission circuit. Electromagnetic induction type electronic pens also include a circuit that generates digital information, such as writing pressure information and identification information, when transmitting the information as digital information to an electronic device equipped with a position detection sensor, as well as a power supply unit that supplies power supply voltage to the circuit.

[0003] In conventional electronic pens, whether they are active capacitance type electronic pens or electromagnetic induction type electronic pens, the part that performs the function of signal interaction with the position detection sensor (the functional part of the electronic pen main body) is electrically connected to a power supply part equipped with a battery, and these are stored in a columnar storage space in the hollow part inside the electronic pen housing.

[0004] Recently, as shown in Patent Document 1 (Republished Patent Publication No. 2020 / 148977) and Patent Document 2 (Republished Patent Publication No. 2017 / 010336), for example, electronic pens have been proposed in which the internal components of the electronic pen are modularized or unitized and the modularized or unitized components are stored in a columnar storage space in a hollow portion of the housing of the electronic pen. In this case, too, the functional part of the electronic pen main body that performs the function of signal interaction with the position detection sensor and the power supply unit are electrically connected and configured as a single modularized or unitized component.

[0005] Batteries used in the power supply unit include primary batteries and rechargeable secondary batteries, and an electronic pen that allows the primary battery to be replaced with a secondary battery is disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 3 (WO2023 / 248507 A1). The electronic pen described in Patent Document 3 has a housing that is divided in two along the axis into a first housing portion on the pen tip side and a second housing portion on the rear end side, and the functional portion of the electronic pen main body and the power supply unit are each configured as a unit.

[0006] In the electronic pen of Patent Document 3, a power supply unit including a primary battery and a power supply unit including a secondary battery are provided as unitized power supplies (power supply units). The rear end side of the unitized electronic pen body in the axial direction is inserted into a fitting recess on the pen tip side in the axial direction of the power supply unit, and is coupled to be electrically connected, and the power supply unit is configured to be replaceable with either the power supply unit including a primary battery or the power supply unit including a secondary battery.

[0007] Recently, there has been an increasing demand for slim electronic pens. However, standardized batteries such as AA (commonly known in the United States) and AAA (commonly known in the United States) are relatively large, and even the slimmest AAA (commonly known in the United States) has a diameter of 8.3 mm, making it unsuitable for slim electronic pens. Also available as slim batteries are pin-type lithium-ion batteries, but even the slimmest of these, the Panasonic CG-320B pin-type lithium-ion battery, has a diameter of 3.5 mm, making it difficult to use in slim electronic pens.

[0008] On the other hand, element-type batteries come in a wide variety of sizes. However, due to the difficulty of handling element-type batteries, they are often fixed to a circuit board inside an electronic pen by soldering or the like. For example, Patent Document 4 (WO2021 / 084824 A1) discloses an electronic pen in which a lithium-ion battery is fixed to a circuit board by a special method in which the circuit board inside the electronic pen is made into a special shape and the positive and negative lead portions of the lithium-ion battery are soldered to the side of the circuit board.

[0009] Re-tabulation 2020 / 148977 publication Re-tabulation 2017 / 010336 publication WO2023 / 248507 A1 publication WO2021 / 084824 A1 publication

[0010] Incidentally, electronic pens equipped with the above-described power supply unit can contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by being designed with a replaceable battery. In this case, it is desirable for the electronic pen to be designed so that the battery can be easily replaced. This is because it makes it easier to repair the electronic pen by replacing the battery at a factory and also makes it easier for users to replace the battery themselves.

[0011] Furthermore, if the battery is a lithium-ion battery and the electronic pen is discarded with the battery still inside, there is a risk that the battery will catch fire during the crushing process at the waste disposal plant, when the electronic pen is crushed and sorted into metal, plastic, and other crushed materials for recycling.

[0012] Therefore, if the electronic pen is designed to allow the battery to be easily removed, users can be expected to remove the battery when disposing of the electronic pen, thereby avoiding the risk of battery fire as described above.Furthermore, if the electronic pen is designed to allow the battery to be easily removed, the battery can be easily removed at the disposal plant before crushing, thereby avoiding the risk of battery fire.

[0013] In the electronic pen disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 3, the electronic pen housing is divided into a first housing section and a second housing section, and is configured to include an electronic pen main body section and a power supply unit, so that the battery can be replaced (removed) by replacing (removing) the power supply unit.

[0014] However, in the configuration of the electronic pen in Patent Document 3, the rear end side of the electronic pen main body in the axial direction is inserted into and fitted into a fitting recess on the pen tip side in the axial direction of the power supply unit, so that the electronic pen main body and power supply unit in this coupled state must be removed from the electronic pen housing after separating the first housing and the second housing, and then the two must be released from the coupling, which makes the removal (replacement) of the power supply unit a relatively troublesome task.

[0015] In the electronic pen of Patent Document 4, the battery is fixed to the circuit board by soldering or the like, as described above, in consideration of the stability of the lithium ion battery, and there is a problem in that removing the battery is time-consuming.

[0016] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic pen that can solve the above problems.

[0017] In order to solve the above problem, an electronic pen is provided, comprising: a housing that can be separated in an axial direction into a pen tip side and a rear end side opposite the pen tip side; an electronic pen main body that is disposed on the pen tip side within a hollow portion of the housing; and a power supply unit that includes a battery and is disposed on the rear end side within the hollow portion of the housing, wherein a first terminal portion is provided on the rear end side of the electronic pen main body in the axial direction and a second terminal portion is provided on the pen tip side of the power supply unit in the axial direction, and within the hollow portion of the housing, the first terminal portion of the electronic pen main body and the second terminal portion of the power supply unit are in contact with each other and are electrically connected, but the electronic pen main body and the power supply unit are arranged side by side in the axial direction without being physically connected by inserting one axial end into the other axial end and fitting together, and the housing can be separated into the pen tip side and the rear end side, allowing the power supply unit to be removed from the housing.

[0018] In the electronic pen having the above-described configuration, the first terminal of the electronic pen body and the second terminal of the power supply are electrically connected by contact. The electronic pen body and the power supply are arranged side by side in the axial direction without being physically connected by inserting the axial end of one into the axial end of the other. Therefore, the power supply can be removed from the housing by separating the housing into the pen tip side and the rear end side. In other words, removing (replacing) the power supply is extremely simple and does not require much effort.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of the configuration of a first embodiment of the electronic pen according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining main parts of the configuration of the first embodiment of the electronic pen according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of the configuration of a pen tip side configuration part of the first embodiment of the electronic pen according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of the configuration of a rear end side of an electronic pen main body in the first embodiment of the electronic pen according to the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining an example of the configuration of a power supply unit in the first embodiment of the electronic pen according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining an example of the configuration of a part of the power supply unit in the first embodiment of the electronic pen according to the present invention. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining an electrical connection state between an electronic pen main body and a power supply unit in the first embodiment of the electronic pen according to the present invention. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining an electrical connection state between an electronic pen main body and a power supply unit in the first embodiment of the electronic pen according to the present invention. FIG. 9 is an exploded view for explaining an example of the configuration of a cap unit in the first embodiment of the electronic pen according to the present invention. A cross-sectional view for explaining coupling and decoupling of a housing main body and a cap unit in the first embodiment of the electronic pen according to the present invention. A block diagram for explaining an example of an electronic circuit in the first embodiment of the electronic pen according to the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an example of the configuration of a second embodiment of the electronic pen according to the present invention. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of the configuration of a third embodiment of the electronic pen according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of an electronic circuit in a third embodiment of the electronic pen according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a configuration example of a fourth embodiment of the electronic pen according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a configuration example of a fifth embodiment of the electronic pen according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a configuration example of a sixth embodiment of the electronic pen according to the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining an example of an electronic pen with another configuration example of the electrical connection between the electronic pen main body and the power supply unit. A sectional view for explaining another configuration example of the cap part in the first embodiment of the electronic pen according to the present invention. A sectional view for explaining another configuration example of the cap part in the first embodiment of the electronic pen according to the present invention. A sectional view for explaining another configuration example of the cap part in the first embodiment of the electronic pen according to the present invention.

[0020] Hereinafter, several embodiments of the electronic pen according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0021] [First embodiment] <Outline of electronic pen of embodiment> Figure 1 is a diagram showing an outline of the configuration of an electronic pen 1 of a first embodiment of the present invention, Figure 1(A) is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of the electronic pen 1, and Figure 1(B) is an exploded view for explaining the main components of the electronic pen 1.

[0022] The electronic pen 1 of this first embodiment is configured by housing an electronic pen main body 3 and a power supply 4 in a hollow portion of an electronic pen housing 2. The electronic pen main body 3 interacts with a position detection sensor to input a position indication, and in this embodiment, is configured using an active capacitance method. The power supply 4 supplies the necessary power supply voltage to the electronic pen main body 3, and in this example, is configured to include a rechargeable battery.

[0023] In this first embodiment, the electronic pen housing 2 is made up of a cylindrical housing body 21 and a cap 22. The housing body 21 is made of a conductive material, such as a metal or a resin mixed with conductive powder, while the cap 22 is made of a non-conductive material, such as a resin.

[0024] The housing body 21 has a tapered portion 21a that gradually tapers toward the pen tip side, which is one end side in the axial direction, and an opening (not shown in FIG. 1) into which the core 5 is inserted is formed at the tip of the tapered portion 21a. As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the core 5 is attached to the pen tip side of the electronic pen body 3 with its tip portion 5a protruding outward from the opening of the tapered portion 21a of the housing body 21.

[0025] In this first embodiment, the cap part 22 is attached to the rear end side of the housing main body 21 so as to close the opening 21b (see FIG. 1B) on the rear end side opposite the pen tip side of the housing main body 21, thereby forming the electronic pen housing 2. In this embodiment, by removing the cap part 22 from the rear end side of the housing main body 21, the electronic pen housing 2 can be separated in the axial direction into the housing main body 21 on the pen tip side and the cap part 22 on the rear end side.

[0026] In the electronic pen 1 of this embodiment, the electronic pen main body 3 is modularized and configured to be handled as a single component, and the power supply unit 4 is configured as a unit and configured to be handled as a single component. In this example, the unit of the power supply unit 4 is cylindrical.

[0027] In this example, the electronic pen body 3 is housed in the electronic pen housing 2 in a state where its pen tip side abuts against the inner wall of the hollow portion of the tapered portion 21a on the pen tip side within the electronic pen housing 2 (inside the housing body 21 in this example), and is unable to move toward the pen tip in the axial direction within the hollow portion of the electronic pen housing 2. In this embodiment, the power supply unit 4 is disposed within the electronic pen housing 2 (inside the housing body 21 in this example) on the rear end side of the electronic pen body 3, aligned in the axial direction.

[0028] In this case, the electronic pen main body 3 and the power supply unit 4 are simply arranged side by side in the axial direction, without having a physical connecting structure such as, for example, having a mating recess at one axial end and inserting the other axial end into that mating recess to fit together.

[0029] 1A and 1B, the electronic pen body 3 has a flat end surface 3s at its rear end that is perpendicular to the axial direction, and the power supply 4 has a flat end surface 4s at its pen tip side that is perpendicular to the axial direction. Electrical terminals are provided on the rear end surface 3s of the electronic pen body 3 and the pen tip side end surface 4s of the power supply 4.

[0030] Therefore, with this configuration, the electronic pen body 3 and the power supply 4 are housed within the electronic pen housing 2 (in the housing main body 21 in this example) with their end faces 3s and 4s butting against each other. In this embodiment, when the end faces 3s and 4s are in abutting contact, the terminals on the end faces 3s and 4s are electrically connected to each other. The cap 22 is provided with an elastic member, which elastically biases the power supply 4 from its rear end toward the pen tip within the electronic pen housing 2. Therefore, the end faces 3s and 4s are elastically pressed against each other to abut against each other, improving the strength of the electrical connection.

[0031] When the cap portion 22 is removed from the rear end side of the housing main body portion 21, the electronic pen main body portion 3 and the power supply portion 4 are not physically connected, so as shown in Figure 1 (B), the power supply portion 4 can be ejected to the outside from the rear end side of the housing main body portion 21 and can be easily removed.

[0032] In the electronic pen 1 of this embodiment, the electronic pen main body 3 is provided with a side switch that can be turned on and off by the operator of the electronic pen 1, and is also provided with a charging circuit that charges the battery of the power supply unit 4. As shown in Figures 1A and 1B, operation buttons 6A and 6B for the operator to operate the side switch are provided on the peripheral side of the housing main body 21 in positions that can be operated with the operator's fingers when holding the electronic pen 1, and are exposed to the outside.

[0033] In this embodiment, the charging circuit is of a type that receives a charging voltage (charging current) from outside the electronic pen 1 through a charging terminal, which in this example is a terminal consisting of a USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1A and 1B, an opening 7 for the USB connector is provided on the peripheral side of the housing main body 21 at a position corresponding to the rear end of the electronic pen main body 3. A cover that can be opened and closed can be provided for this opening 7.

[0034] <Detailed Configuration Example of Electronic Pen 1> Next, a detailed configuration example of the electronic pen 1 of this embodiment will be further described.

[0035] 2A and 2B are longitudinal cross-sectional views of the electronic pen 1 of this embodiment, excluding the pen tip side, with Fig. 2A being a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along a plane parallel to the surface of the circuit board 30 of the electronic pen body 3, and Fig. 2B being a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along a plane perpendicular to the surface of the circuit board 30 of the electronic pen body 3. However, the cross-sectional structure of the power supply unit 4 is omitted, excluding its terminal portion.

[0036] As shown in Fig. 2(B), the electronic pen body 3 has a circuit board 30 held by a holder 31 made of an insulating material, in this example, resin. As shown in Fig. 2(B), the holder 31 has a boat-like shape that extends from the pen tip side to the rear end side in the axial direction of the electronic pen body 3, and has a mounting portion for the circuit board 30 and a holding portion (not shown in Fig. 2) for the pen tip side components described below.

[0037] 2A and 2B, side switches 6AS and 6BS are disposed on the surface of the circuit board 30 of the electronic pen body 3 so as to be turned on and off by operation buttons 6A and 6B as shown in FIG. 2B. Also, as shown in FIG. 2A and 2B, a rectangular cutout 30a is provided on the rear end of the circuit board 30, and a USB connector 7UC is disposed in the position of this cutout 30a. The cutout 30a is formed to correspond to the shape and size of the USB connector 7UC, and an opening 7 for the USB connector 7UC is provided corresponding to the position of this cutout 30a.

[0038] Further arranged on the surface of the circuit board 30 are circuit elements (all elements other than IC 300 are not shown) for constituting a signal transmission circuit for signal interaction with the position detection sensor, a circuit including an IC (Integrated Circuit) 300, a circuit for generating a power supply voltage from the voltage from the power supply unit 4, a charging circuit for charging the battery of the power supply unit 4, etc.

[0039] <Example of Pen Tip Side Component of Electronic Pen Body 3> Figure 3 shows an example of the configuration of the pen tip side component of the electronic pen body 3. As shown in Figure 3, in this example, the pen tip side component is configured to include a writing pressure transmission member 8, a writing pressure detection unit 9, and a peripheral electrode 10. In the active capacitance type electronic pen 1 of this embodiment, the core body 5 is configured from a conductive member, and is inserted into the electronic pen housing 2 from an opening on the pen tip side of the electronic pen housing 2 and attached to the writing pressure transmission member 8, thereby becoming part of the pen tip side component.

[0040] The peripheral electrode 10 is cylindrical and made of a conductive material, such as a conductive metal, and is arranged to surround the core body 5 including the conductive center electrode, as will be described later. In this example, the peripheral electrode 10 has a tapered shape that tapers toward the pen tip.

[0041] The holding portion of the pen tip side component, which is part of the holder 31, is configured as a cylindrical portion 31H. A pen tip side cap member 32 made of an insulating and elastic material, such as non-conductive rubber, is attached to the pen tip side of the cylindrical portion 31H of the holder 31. A writing pressure transmission member 8 and a writing pressure detection unit 9 are provided in the hollow portion between the cylindrical portion 31H and the pen tip side cap member 32. A peripheral electrode 10 is held by the pen tip side cap member 32.

[0042] The writing pressure transmission member 8 and writing pressure detection unit 9 are housed and held in a writing pressure detection unit holder 33 disposed in the hollow space between the cylindrical portion 31H and the pen tip side cap member 32. From the rear end side of the cylindrical portion 31H, in addition to the electrical connection terminal of the writing pressure detection unit 9, a terminal electrically connected to the peripheral electrode 10 and a terminal electrically connected to the conductor portion (center electrode) of the core body 5 are led out.

[0043] 3, the pen pressure detection unit holder 33 is formed by connecting a pipe-shaped holding member 331 and a cup-shaped pen pressure detection unit holding member 332. Then, in the communicating space between the peripheral electrode 10 and the pen pressure detection unit holder 33, the core body 5, the pen pressure transmission member 8, and the pen pressure detection unit 9 are arranged in series in the axial direction with their central axes aligned.

[0044] 3, the peripheral electrode 10 is connected to a predetermined conductor pattern on the circuit board 30 through a peripheral electrode coil spring 11C made of a conductive metal in this example. An end 11Ca of the coil spring 11C is led out onto the circuit board 30.

[0045] As shown in Fig. 3, in this example, the core body 5 is configured such that most of the core body 5, excluding the rear end side of the center electrode 51 made of a conductive material, is covered with a protective member 52 made of a non-conductive material. In this example, the core body 5 has a structure in which a space (air layer) 53 is provided between the center electrode 51 and the protective member 52, as shown in Fig. 3, so that the signal (electric field) is radiated relatively efficiently from the center electrode 51 and the center electrode 51 can transmit a good signal without being unnecessarily broad.

[0046] In this embodiment, the writing pressure transmission member 8 is made of a non-conductive material, such as a hard resin, and is composed of two separate members: a core body holding member 81 located on the pen tip side and holding the core body 5, and a pressing member 82 that engages with the writing pressure detection unit 9. The core body holding member 81 has a conductive elastic member 81c in the portion that holds the core body 5. The core body 5 is connected to the signal transmission circuit of the circuit board 30 via a core body coil spring 12C made of a conductive material, in this example, a conductive metal, provided on the outer periphery of the core body holding member 81. An end portion 12Ca of the core body coil spring 12C extends onto the circuit board 30, as shown in FIG. 3 .

[0047] 3, the pen pressure detection unit 9 has a known variable capacitance capacitor configuration in which a first electrode 91 faces one surface of a dielectric body 93 via a ring-shaped spacer 92, and a second electrode 94 is attached to the other surface of the dielectric body 93. The first electrode 91 is made of a conductive elastic material such as conductive rubber.

[0048] <Configuration Example of Key Parts of Electronic Pen Body 3> The pen tip side components of the electronic pen body 3 are configured as described above. The electronic pen body 3 is housed in the housing body 21 through the opening at the rear end of the housing body 21. As shown in FIG. 3 , the outer surface of the tapered portion of the peripheral electrode 10 abuts against the inner wall surface of the hollow portion of the tapered portion 21a of the housing body 21, preventing the electronic pen body 3 from moving further toward the pen tip. In this embodiment, a stepped portion 21s having a surface perpendicular to the axial direction is formed on the inner wall surface of the tapered portion 21a at the rear end of the housing body 21, as shown in FIG. 3 . The pen tip side tip of the pen tip side cap member 32 of the electronic pen body 3 abuts against the stepped portion 21s on the inner wall surface of the housing body 21, preventing the electronic pen body 3 from moving further toward the pen tip.

[0049] In this embodiment, the boat-shaped holder 31 of the electronic pen body 3 includes a wall 310 at its rear end, which has an end face 3s perpendicular to the axial direction, as shown in Figures 2(A), (B), and 4. On the end face 3s, which is the exposed surface at the rear end of the wall 310, a terminal 3tV connected to the positive (+) terminal of the circuit that generates the power supply voltage for the circuit board 30 and a terminal 3tE connected to the earth terminal of the circuit board are provided and exposed to the outside, as shown in Figures 2(A), (B), and 4.

[0050] In this embodiment, the end face 3s of the wall portion 310 has a circular shape, and a terminal 3tV is provided at the center of the circular end face 3s. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 2A and 2B, this terminal 3tV is configured as an electrode pin 34 that is connected to the positive (+) terminal of a circuit that generates a power supply voltage for the circuit board 30 and is fixed to the circuit board 30. That is, in this embodiment, the electrode pin 34 penetrates the wall portion 310, and the end face of the pin head is exposed at the center of the circular end face 3s as the terminal 3tV.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 4 , the terminal 3tE is composed of a conductor 35 having a ring-shaped portion 35R whose inner diameter is larger than the diameter of the pin head of the electrode pin 34. The ring-shaped portion 35R of the conductor 35 is disposed around the terminal 3tV on the circular end surface 3s of the wall portion 310, with the terminal 3tV as its center. In this example, the conductor 35 also has extensions 35L1 and 35L2 extending from the ring-shaped portion 35R at positions spaced apart from each other by a predetermined angle, in this example, 180 degrees. These extensions 35L1 and 35L2 electrically connect the conductor 35 to the ground terminal of the circuit board 30 and also serve to attach and engage the conductor 35 to the wall portion 310, as will be described later.

[0052] <Configuration Example of Power Supply Unit 4> Fig. 5(A) shows an exploded view of the power supply unit 4. In this embodiment, the power supply unit 4 is configured with a battery unit 40, an outer case 41, an inner case 42, and two electrode pins 43 and 44, as shown in Fig. 5(A). In this embodiment, the battery unit 40 is configured to include a rechargeable secondary battery. In this example, the electrode pins 43 and 44 are configured as pogo pins that can elastically expand and contract in the axial direction, with the electrode pin 43 being for the positive electrode and the electrode pin 44 being for the negative electrode. Fig. 5(B) is a vertical cross-sectional view of the outer case 41, and Fig. 5(C) is a vertical cross-sectional view of the inner case 42.

[0053] In this example, the battery unit 40 has a cylindrical shape and contains one or more secondary battery elements (secondary battery cells), in this example, lithium ion battery elements, and has a positive terminal 40tV and a negative terminal 40tE on one end face in the axial direction. The positive terminal 40tV and the negative terminal 40tE are configured as lead portions consisting of lead wires connected to two electrode pins 43, 44.

[0054] The battery unit 40 can be slimmed down by incorporating one or more lithium ion battery elements, thereby slimming down the entire power supply unit 4. This allows the electronic pen 1 of this embodiment to have a slim electronic pen housing 2.

[0055] 6A and 6B show several configuration examples of the battery unit 40. The battery unit 40A shown in Fig. 6A is configured by housing one lithium-ion battery element 402A in a non-conductive case 401A made of, for example, resin. In this example, the lithium-ion battery element 402A has a positive electrode and a negative electrode on one side in the longitudinal direction, and the positive electrode of the lithium-ion battery element 402A is connected to the positive electrode terminal 40tV, and the negative electrode is connected to the negative electrode terminal 40tE.

[0056] 6B also includes a single lithium-ion battery element 402B housed in a non-conductive case 401B made of, for example, resin, etc. In this example, the lithium-ion battery element 402B has a positive electrode on one longitudinal side and a negative electrode on the other longitudinal side, with the positive electrode connected to the positive terminal 40tV and the negative electrode connected to the negative terminal 40tE.

[0057] 6C, the battery unit 40C is configured by housing two lithium ion battery elements 402C1 and 402C2 connected in series in a non-conductive case 401C made of, for example, resin, etc. In this example, the positive electrode of the lithium ion battery element 402C1 is connected to the positive electrode terminal 40tV, and the negative electrode of the lithium ion battery element 402C2 is connected to the negative electrode terminal 40tE.

[0058] 6D, a battery unit 40D is configured by housing one lithium-ion battery element 402D in a conductive case 401D made of, for example, a conductive metal. In this example, the conductive case 401D is connected to the negative terminal 40tE. In this example, the lithium-ion battery element 402A has a positive electrode and a negative electrode on one longitudinal side, with the positive electrode connected to the positive terminal 40tV and the negative electrode connected to the conductive case 401D that is connected to the negative terminal 40tE.

[0059] 6(E) , a battery unit 40E is configured by housing one lithium-ion battery element 402E in a conductive case 401E made of, for example, a conductive metal. The conductive case 401E is connected to a negative terminal 40tE. In this example, the lithium-ion battery element 402E has a positive electrode on one longitudinal side and a negative electrode on the other longitudinal side, and the positive electrode is connected to the positive terminal 40tV, and the negative electrode is connected to the case 401E that is connected to the negative terminal 40tE.

[0060] As the battery unit 40 of the power supply section 4 in FIG. 5, any of the battery units 40A to 40E shown in FIGS. 6(A) to 6(E) may be used.

[0061] 5A and 5C, the inner case 42 has an opening 42a at its rear end and is closed on the pen tip side by a disk-shaped wall portion 420 to which two electrode pins 43 and 44 are attached. In this embodiment, the end face (the exposed surface perpendicular to the axial direction) of this disk-shaped wall portion 420 constitutes the aforementioned end face 4s of the power supply unit 4.

[0062] The wall portion 420 is provided with through holes 421 and 422 that penetrate in the axial direction. The through hole 421 is formed at the center position of the end face (the exposed surface perpendicular to the axial direction) of the disk-shaped wall portion 420. The through hole 422 is formed at a position corresponding to the position of the ring-shaped portion 35R of the conductor 35 formed on the end face 3s of the electronic pen body 3 described above. In other words, the distance from the center position of the end face 3s of the ring-shaped portion 35R of the conductor 35 formed on the end face 3s of the electronic pen body 3 and the distance from the center position of the end face 4s of the wall portion 420 to the through hole 422 provided in the end face 4s of the wall portion 420 are configured to be approximately equal.

[0063] A positive electrode pin 43 passes through the through-hole 421 and is attached to the wall 420 with its tip slightly protruding from the end surface 4 s. A negative electrode pin 44 passes through the through-hole 422 and is attached to the wall 420 with its tip slightly protruding from the end surface 4 s.

[0064] The outer case 41 is cylindrical and houses an inner case 42 which houses the battery unit 40. As shown in Figures 5(A) and 5(B), the pen tip side has an opening 41a and the rear end side is closed.

[0065] The battery unit 40 is housed in the inner case 42 by being inserted through an opening 42a at the rear end of the inner case 42, starting from the side where the terminals 40tV and 40tE are formed. The lead portion constituting the positive terminal 40tV of the battery unit 40 housed in the inner case 42 is electrically connected to the rear end of the electrode pin 43 by, for example, soldering. The lead portion constituting the negative terminal 40tE of the battery unit 40 is also electrically connected to the rear end of the electrode pin 44 by, for example, soldering.

[0066] In this manner, the inner case 42 containing the battery unit 40 is inserted rearward into the outer case 41 through the opening 41a on the pen tip side of the outer case 41. In this case, the inner case 42 containing the battery unit 40 is fixed to the outer case 41 by adhesive or the like. When the inner case 42 is thus housed inside the outer case 41, the end surface 4s of the wall portion 420 of the inner case 42, from which the electrode pins 43 and 44, which form pogo pins, protrude, is exposed from the opening 41a of the outer case 41.

[0067] <Explanation of Electrical Connection Between Electronic Pen Body 3 and Power Supply 4> In the electronic pen 1 of this embodiment, the power supply 4 is arranged next to the rear end of the electronic pen body 3 within the hollow portion of the housing body 21. In this embodiment, the circular end face 3s on the rear end side of the electronic pen body 3 and the circular end face 4s on the pen tip side of the power supply 4 are arranged so that the centers of their circles are approximately aligned.

[0068] 7 , the electrode pin 34 constituting the terminal 3tV located at the center of the rear end surface 3s of the electronic pen body 3 abuts against and is electrically connected to the positive electrode pin 43 connected to the positive terminal 40tV of the battery unit 40 located at the center of the pen tip end surface 4s of the power supply 4. Also, the ring-shaped portion 35R of the conductor 35 constituting the terminal 3tE on the rear end surface 3s of the electronic pen body 3 abuts against and is electrically connected to the negative electrode pin 44 connected to the negative terminal 40tE of the battery unit 40 of the power supply 4. In this case, the electrode pin 44 of the power supply 4 abuts against and contacts the ring-shaped portion 35R of the conductor 35 of the electronic pen body 3. Therefore, regardless of the rotational position of the electrode pin 44, the power supply 4 abuts against the ring-shaped portion 35R of the conductor 35. In other words, rotational alignment around the axis is not required to electrically connect the electronic pen body 3 and the power supply 4.

[0069] Note that Figure 7 is a diagram for explaining the collision relationship between the ends 3tV and 3tE of the rear end face 3s of the electronic pen main body 3 and the terminals (electrode pins 43 and 44) ​​of the end face 4s of the power supply unit 4, and for convenience, the outer case 41 and inner case 42 of the power supply unit 4 are omitted in Figure 7.

[0070] 8 is a cross-sectional view (a cross-sectional view taken along a plane parallel to the board surface of the circuit board 30) of a portion where the end face 3s of the electronic pen body 3 and the end face 4s of the power supply unit 4 abut against each other within the housing body 21 of the electronic pen 1. As shown in Fig. 8, the electrode pin 34 to which the terminal 3tV of the electronic pen body 3 is connected is fixedly attached to the circuit board 30, and abuts against and is electrically connected to the electrode pin 43 of the power supply unit 4.

[0071] The conductor 35 to which the terminal 3tE of the electronic pen body 3 is connected has a ring-shaped portion 35R attached to the end face (end face 3s) of the wall portion 310 at the rear end of the holder 31, one extension portion 35L1 extending to the circuit board 30 and connected to the earth conductor, and the other extension portion 35L2 bent to clamp the wall portion 310, thereby allowing the conductor 35 to engage with the wall portion 310. Then, as shown in Fig. 8, the electrode pin 44 of the power supply unit 4 abuts against the ring-shaped portion 35R of the conductor 35 of the electronic pen body 3 and is electrically connected thereto.

[0072] <Configuration Example of Cap Unit 22> As described above, the electronic pen body 3 and the power supply 4 are arranged side by side in the axial direction within the hollow portion of the electronic pen housing 2 so that the end faces 3s and 4s abut against each other, and the terminals 3tV and 3tE on the end face 3s are electrically connected to the terminals (electrode pins 43 and 44) ​​on the end face 4s of the power supply 4. In this case, in this embodiment, the power supply 4 is elastically displaced toward the electronic pen body 3 by the elastic member of the cap unit 22, so that the electrical connection between the electronic pen body 3 and the power supply 4 is firmly established.

[0073] An example of the configuration of the cap portion 22 equipped with an elastic member will now be described. Fig. 9(A) is an exploded perspective view of the cap portion 22 of this embodiment, and Fig. 9(B) is its longitudinal cross-sectional view. As shown in Fig. 9, the cap portion 22 of this embodiment is composed of a cap main body portion 221, a locking control member 222, a cap bottom member 223, and a coil spring 224 that constitutes an example of the elastic member.

[0074] The cap main body 221 has a cylindrical portion 2211 whose one opening is closed by a cap head 2212. The outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 2211 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the housing main body 21. The outer diameter of the cap head 2212 is substantially equal to the outer diameter of the housing main body 21, and the cap head 2212 has a flange-like shape that protrudes radially from the cylindrical portion 2211.

[0075] An axial through-hole 2212h is formed at the center of the end face of the cap head 2212 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, into which a rod-shaped jig 23 (see FIG. 10 described later) is inserted, which is used when removing the cap part 22 from the housing main body 21. The diameter of this through-hole 2212h is not constant, and the diameter on the cylindrical part 2211 side is selected to be larger than the side into which the jig 23 is inserted. Therefore, the through-hole 2212h has a large diameter part and a small diameter part, and a step 2212ht is formed at the boundary between them.

[0076] 9(A) and 9(B), elastic pieces 2213 and 2214 that can be elastically deformed in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction are formed on the circumferential side surface of the cylindrical portion 2211 of the cap main body 221. These elastic pieces 2213 and 2214 are formed by forming hook-shaped notched through grooves 2211a at opposing positions offset from each other by an angular interval of 180 degrees on the circumferential side surface of the cylindrical portion 2211, as shown in Figs. 9(A) and 9(B). The axial direction is the longitudinal direction of the elastic pieces 2213 and 2214, and the free ends of the elastic pieces 2213 and 2214 that are formed by the presence of the notched through grooves 2211a in the longitudinal direction are elastically deformable in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction.

[0077] Protrusions 2213a and 2214a that protrude radially inward from the inner wall surface are provided on the inner wall sides of the cylindrical portion 2211 of the elastic pieces 2213 and 2214. The protrusions 2213a and 2214a are provided on the free ends of the elastic pieces 2213 and 2214 in the longitudinal direction due to the presence of the notched through-groove 2211a. For convenience of illustration, Fig. 9 only shows the protrusion 2214a provided on the inner wall surface of the elastic piece 2214 in Fig. 9(B), and does not show the protrusion 2213a provided on the inner wall surface of the elastic piece 2213 shown in Fig. 9(A).

[0078] The locking control member 222 is a member for controlling the elastic displacement state of the elastic pieces 2213 and 2214 of the cylindrical portion 221, and is provided in a state in which it is movable in the axial direction within the internal hollow space of the cylindrical portion 221. As shown in Figures 9(A) and (B) , this locking control member 222 has a configuration in which a flange-shaped protruding portion 2222 is provided at the middle portion of the rod-shaped portion 2221 in the axial direction.

[0079] The diameter of the portion 2221a of the rod-shaped portion 2221 that is closer to the cap head 2212 than the protruding portion 2222 is smaller than the large diameter portion of the through-hole 2212h but larger than the small diameter portion. Therefore, the portion 2221a of the rod-shaped portion 2221 that is closer to the cap head 2212 is inserted into the through-hole 2212h, but the step portion 2212ht acts as a stopper and prevents it from being inserted into the small diameter portion.

[0080] Furthermore, a coil spring 224 is attached to a portion 2221b of the rod-shaped portion 2221 opposite to the portion 2221a. In this example, a step 2223 is formed in the portion 2221b of the rod-shaped portion 2221, with which one end of the coil spring 224 in the axial direction abuts, and the coil spring 224 is attached so as not to fall off the locking control member 222.

[0081] The length of the protrusion portion 2222 in the protrusion direction, i.e., the size of the outer diameter of the protrusion portion 2222, is set to a size that can engage with the convex portions 2213a and 2214a on the inner wall surfaces of the elastic pieces 2213 and 2214, thereby elastically displacing the elastic pieces 2213 and 2214 outward.

[0082] The cap bottom member 223 is a member attached to the opening on the pen tip side of the cap portion 22, and has an insertion portion 2231 inserted into the cylindrical portion 221, and a bottom plate portion 2232 having a flange that abuts against the ring-shaped opening end surface of the cylindrical portion 221. The cap bottom member 223 is provided with a through-hole 223h that penetrates in the axial direction at the center of the circular surface of the bottom plate portion 2232. This through-hole 223h has a diameter large enough to allow the cap bottom member side portion 2221b of the rod-shaped portion 2221 of the locking control member 222 to be inserted with the coil spring 224 attached.

[0083] Then, with the locking control member 222 housed in the cap main body 221, the cap bottom member 223 is attached to cover the opening on the pen tip side of the cylindrical portion 2211 of the cap main body 221, and is fixed to the cap main body 221, for example, by bonding the flange portion of the bottom plate portion 2232 of the cap bottom member 223 to the ring-shaped end surface of the cylindrical portion 221 of the cap main body 221. At this time, within the cap main body 221, the locking control member 222 is in a state where a part of the portion 2221a of the rod-shaped portion 2221 on the cap head 2212 side is inserted into the through-hole 2212h, and the portion 2221b of the rod-shaped portion 2221 on the cap bottom member 223 side is inserted into the through-hole 223h of the cap bottom member 223 (see FIG. 10C , described later).

[0084] Attachment and detachment of the cap unit 22 configured as described above to and from the housing main body 21 will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10(A) is a diagram showing a state in which the cap unit 22 is attached to and locked on the housing main body 21, Fig. 10(B) is a diagram showing a state in which the locking control member 222 is pressed down by the rod-shaped jig 23 against the elastic force of the coil spring 224 in order to remove the cap unit 22 from the state in Fig. 10(A) in which the cap unit 22 is attached to and locked on the housing main body 21, and Fig. 10(C) is a diagram showing a state in which the cap unit 22 has been detached from the housing main body 21 due to the locking control member 222 being pressed down by the rod-shaped jig 23.

[0085] Then, when the cap portion 22 is detached from the housing main body portion 21 as shown in Figure 10 (C), the cap portion 22 can be pushed into the housing main body portion 21, thereby making it possible to achieve the state in which the cap portion 22 is attached to and locked onto the housing main body portion 21 as shown in Figure 10 (A).

[0086] 10A, 10B, and 10C, a ring-shaped recess 21c is formed on the inner wall surface on the rear end side of the housing main body 21 to form a step that engages with the free ends of the elastic pieces 2213 and 2214 of the locking control member 222. The position of this ring-shaped recess 21c is such that when the brim-shaped protruding portion of the cap head 2212 of the cap part 22 abuts against the rear end surface of the housing main body 21, the free ends of the elastic pieces 2213 and 2214 of the tubular part 2211 of the cap main body 221 engage with the ring-shaped recess 21c.

[0087] In addition, in this embodiment, in the cap portion 22, the protrusion 2222 of the locking control member 222 and the convex portions 2213a and 2214a on the inner walls of the elastic pieces 2213 and 2214 are shaped so that the engagement portions between them are cut at an angle, as shown in Figures 10 (A), (B), and (C), and this is configured to allow smooth elastic displacement of the elastic pieces 2213 and 2214 by the protrusion 2222 of the locking control member 222.

[0088] 10(C), when the cap 22 is not attached, the presence of the protruding portion 2222 of the locking control member 222 causes the locking control member 222 to remain within the cylindrical portion 221, and the portion 2221a of the rod-shaped portion 2221 of the locking control member 222 on the cap head 2212 side is slightly inserted into the larger-diameter portion of the through-hole 223h of the cap head 2212, while the portion 2221b of the rod-shaped portion 2221 of the locking control member 222 on the cap bottom member 223 side is inserted into the through-hole 223h of the cap bottom member 223. In this case, the coil spring 224 attached to the portion 2221b of the rod-shaped portion 2221 of the locking control member 222 on the cap bottom member 223 side protrudes further outward than the bottom plate portion 2232 of the cap bottom member 223. Furthermore, due to the elastic force of the elastic pieces 2213 and 2214, the protruding portion 2222 of the locking control member 222 and the elastic pieces 2213 and 2214 are not engaged with each other.

[0089] 10A , the coil spring 224 abuts against the rear end of the outer case 41 of the power supply unit 4 inside the housing body 21, generating a pressing elastic force that elastically displaces the power supply unit 4 toward the electronic pen body 3. However, as described above, the pen tip side of the electronic pen body 3 abuts against the inner wall of the pen tip side of the housing body 21, and the electronic pen body 3 and power supply unit 4 are prevented from moving axially toward the pen tip side within the hollow portion of the housing body 21.

[0090] As a result, a reaction force against the pressing elastic force that elastically displaces the power supply unit 4 toward the electronic pen main body 3 is generated in the cap unit 22, and this reaction force causes the locking control member 222 to be elastically displaced toward the cap head 2212 of the cap unit 22. Due to this elastic displacement, the protruding portions 2222 of the locking control member 222 engage with the convex portions 2213a and 2214a on the inner walls of the elastic pieces 2213 and 2214, generating a force that displaces the free ends of the elastic pieces 2213 and 2214 toward the inner wall surface of the housing main body 21 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction.

[0091] In this state, when the cap portion 22 is pushed into the housing main body portion 21 until the flange portion of the cap head portion 2212 abuts against the ring-shaped end surface at the rear end of the housing main body portion 21, as shown in Figure 10 (A), the free end sides of the elastic pieces 2213 and 2214 are positioned facing the ring-shaped recess 21c on the inner wall surface of the housing main body portion 21.

[0092] Then, due to the elastic force of the coil spring 224, the protrusion 2222 of the locking control member 222, which is engaged with the protrusions 2213a and 2214a on the inner walls of the elastic pieces 2213 and 2214, moves toward the cap head 2212 along the tapered portions of the protrusions 2213a and 2214a, displacing the free ends of the elastic pieces 2213 and 2214 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction and toward the inner wall surface of the housing main body 21, causing them to protrude beyond the side surface of the tubular portion 2211.

[0093] As a result, as shown in Figure 10 (A), the tips of the free ends of the elastic pieces 2213 and 2214 engage with the ring-shaped recess 21c on the inner wall of the housing main body 21, and the elastic force of the coil spring 224 firmly maintains this engagement, preventing it from coming loose.

[0094] When the cap 22 is attached to and locked in the housing body 21, the coil spring 224 constantly elastically presses the power supply 4 toward the electronic pen body 3. Therefore, the rear end face 3s of the electronic pen body 3 and the pen tip end face 4s of the power supply 4 are in pressure contact with each other, and the terminals provided on the end faces 3s and 4s are firmly electrically connected to each other.

[0095] The cap portion 22 attached as described above can be easily removed from the housing main body portion 21 by using a rod-shaped jig 23. That is, as shown in Fig. 10(B) , the rod-shaped jig 23 is inserted into the through-hole 2212h of the cap head portion 2212 of the cap portion 22, and the locking control member 222 is pressed down toward the power supply portion 4 against the elastic force of the coil spring 224.

[0096] Then, when the rod-shaped jig 23 presses the locking control member 222 toward the power supply unit 4, and the engagement between the protrusion 2222 and the convex portions 2213a and 2214a on the inner walls of the elastic pieces 2213 and 2214 is released, as shown in Figure 10 (B), the free ends of the elastic pieces 2213 and 2214 elastically return to their original position, and the engagement between the tips of the free ends of the elastic pieces 2213 and 2214 and the ring-shaped recess 21c on the inner wall surface of the housing main body 21 is released.

[0097] This allows the cap portion 22 to move freely in the axial direction within the hollow portion of the housing body portion 21. Therefore, the elastic force of the coil spring 224 applied to the locking control member 222 of the cap portion 22 causes the cap body portion 221 to pop out from the opening on the rear end side of the housing body portion 21. Therefore, it can be easily removed from the rear end side of the housing body portion 21, and the electronic pen housing 2 can be easily separated into the housing body portion 21 and the cap portion 22.

[0098] Then, when the electronic pen housing 2 is separated into the housing main body 21 and the cap 22 in this way, the electronic pen main body 3 and the power supply 4 are simply abutted against each other so that the end faces 3s and 4s are pressed together by the elastic force of the coil spring 224, which is an elastic member of the cap 22, and therefore the power supply 4 can be easily removed from the opening on the rear end side of the housing main body 21. In other words, the power supply 4 can be easily removed and replaced by removing the cap 22 from the rear end side of the housing main body 21.

[0099] <Example of electrical circuit configuration of electronic pen 1> As shown in Figure 11, the electrode pin 43 to which the positive terminal 40tV of the battery unit 40 of the power supply unit 4 is connected is connected to the terminal 3tV of the electronic pen main body 3, and the electrode pin 44 to which the negative terminal 40tE of the battery unit 40 of the power supply unit 4 is connected is connected to the terminal 3tE which is connected to an earth conductor on the circuit board 30 of the electronic pen main body 3.

[0100] In the electronic pen body 3, the terminal 3tV is connected to the input terminal of the power supply voltage generating circuit 301 and to the output terminal of the charging circuit 302. The input terminal of the charging circuit 302 is connected to the USB connector 7UC. The USB connector 7UC is also connected to a ground conductor.

[0101] The charging circuit 302 supplies a charging current input via the USB connector 7UC to the battery unit 40 of the power supply section 4 via the terminal 3tV and the electrode pin 43 (pogo pin) to charge the battery unit 40.

[0102] The power supply voltage generating circuit 301 receives voltage from the power supply unit 4 through the electrode pin 43 and the terminal 3tV, and generates a power supply voltage +B. The generated power supply voltage +B is supplied to a signal transmitting circuit 303, a signal receiving circuit 304, and a control circuit 305. In this example, a variable capacitance capacitor 9C that constitutes the writing pressure detection unit 9 is connected to the control circuit 305, and the control circuit 305 detects the writing pressure value from the electrostatic capacitance of this variable capacitance capacitor 9C.

[0103] The signal transmission circuit 303 includes an oscillator circuit of a predetermined frequency, generates a signal under the control of the control circuit 305, and transmits the signal to the position detection sensor by electrostatic coupling through the central electrode 51 of the core body 5. The signal transmitted from the signal transmission circuit 303 includes a position detection signal and a writing pressure value information signal. The position detection signal is transmitted as a burst signal of a predetermined frequency, and the writing pressure value information, in this example, is converted into a binary digital signal, and the binary digital signal is transmitted as, for example, an ASK (Amplitude Shift Keying) modulated signal or an OOK (On Off Keying) modulated signal.

[0104] In this example, the peripheral electrode 10 receives a signal from the position detection sensor by electrostatic coupling and supplies the signal to the control circuit 305. The control circuit 305 controls the output timing of the signal from the signal transmission circuit 303 based on the timing of the signal received from the position detection sensor.

[0105] As described above, in the electronic pen 1 in which the electronic pen body 3 and power supply 4 are housed side by side in the axial direction within the electronic pen housing 2, the electronic pen body 3 receives voltage from the battery unit 40 of the power supply 4 to generate a power supply voltage and performs signal interaction with the position detection sensor. As a result, the position detection sensor can detect the position indicated by the electronic pen 1 and the value of the writing pressure applied to the tip of the core 5.

[0106] [Second Embodiment] The electronic pen 1A of the second embodiment differs from the electronic pen 1 of the first embodiment only in the configuration of the housing, and the electronic pen main body 3 and power supply 4 are configured in exactly the same manner as the electronic pen 1 of the first embodiment. Fig. 12(A) is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the electronic pen 1A of the second embodiment. Fig. 12(A) corresponds to Fig. 2(A) showing the example of the configuration of the electronic pen 1 of the first embodiment described above. In the electronic pen 1A of the second embodiment shown in Fig. 12, parts that are the same as those of the electronic pen 1 of the first embodiment described above are given the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0107] In the electronic pen 1A of the second embodiment, the electronic pen housing 2A is also composed of a housing main body 21A and a cap portion 22A. Fig. 12(B) is a perspective view showing an example of the cap portion 22A. As shown in Fig. 12(B), the cap portion 22A in the electronic pen 1A of the second embodiment is configured such that a cap head portion 222A is integrally formed on one axial side of a cylindrical portion 221A.

[0108] The diameter of the cylindrical portion 221A of the cap portion 22A is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the housing main body 21A. A threaded portion 22As is formed on the circumferential side surface of the cylindrical portion 221A. Furthermore, an elastic member 24 made of an elastic material, in this example, elastic rubber, is attached to the end face of the cylindrical portion 221A opposite to the cap head 222A side.

[0109] The cap head 222A has a flange-like shape that protrudes radially from the side peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 221A, and the outer diameter of the cap head 222A is approximately equal to the outer diameter of the housing main body 21A.

[0110] In the electronic pen 1A of the second embodiment, the cylindrical portion 221A of the cap portion 22A is inserted into the rear end of the hollow portion of the housing body portion 21A and is screwed (threaded) into the housing body portion 21A by the threaded portion 22As, thereby forming the electronic pen housing 2A. As shown in Fig. 12A, a threaded portion 21As that threadably engages with the threaded portion 22As of the cap portion 22A is formed on the inner wall surface on the rear end side of the hollow portion of the housing body portion 21A.

[0111] In the electronic pen 1A of the second embodiment, similarly to the electronic pen 1 of the first embodiment, the electronic pen body 3 and the power supply unit 4 are housed in the hollow portion of the housing body 21A, aligned in the axial direction, and then the cap unit 22A is screwed onto the rear end of the housing body 21A. In the second embodiment, when the cap unit 22A is attached to the rear end of the housing body 21A in this manner, the power supply unit 4 is biased toward the electronic pen body 3 by the elastic member 24 attached to the cap unit 22A within the hollow portion of the housing body 21A. Therefore, similarly to the first embodiment, the rear end surface 3s of the electronic pen body 3 and the pen tip end surface 4s of the power supply unit 4 are in pressure contact, and the terminals on the end surfaces 3s and 4s are firmly electrically connected to each other.

[0112] The electronic pen housing 2A is separated into the housing body 21A and the cap 22A by unscrewing the cap 22A from the housing body 21A. Therefore, similar to the electronic pen 1 of the first embodiment, the power supply unit 4 can be easily removed from the opening on the rear end side of the housing body 21A. In other words, the power supply unit 4 can be easily removed and replaced by removing the cap 22A from the rear end side of the housing body 21A.

[0113] The elastic member 24 is not limited to elastic rubber, and may be configured as a leaf spring or a coil spring. The elastic member 24 may not be attached to the cap portion 22A, but may be a separate, independent member interposed between the cap portion 22A and the power supply unit 4. The cap portion 22A may also be configured to include a cylindrical portion instead of the columnar portion 221A. In this case, the elastic member 24 may be configured as elastic rubber, a coil spring, a leaf spring, or the like provided inside the cylindrical portion, or may be configured such that the ring-shaped end surface of the cylindrical portion is covered with elastic rubber, for example.

[0114] Furthermore, in the electronic pen 1A of the second embodiment described above, the housing main body 21A and the cap 22A are configured to be coupled and locked together by being screwed together, but the configuration for coupling and locking them together is not limited to this. For example, a ring-shaped protrusion or recess may be provided on the inner peripheral side surface of the rear end of the housing main body 21A, and a ring-shaped recess or protrusion may be formed on the outer peripheral side surface of the cylindrical portion 221A of the cap 22A that fits into the ring-shaped protrusion or recess on the inner peripheral side surface of the rear end of the housing main body 21A, so that by pushing the cap 22A into the housing main body 21A, the ring-shaped recess or protrusion on the outer peripheral side surface of the cylindrical portion 221A of the cap 22A fits into the ring-shaped protrusion or recess on the inner peripheral side surface of the rear end of the housing main body 21A, thereby coupling and locking them together.

[0115] [Third Embodiment] The electronic pen 1B of the third embodiment differs from the electronic pen 1 of the first embodiment in the configuration of the electronic pen housing and in the way in which the power supply unit 4 is charged, and therefore the configuration of the corresponding parts of the electronic pen main body is also different. Figure 13 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the electronic pen 1B of the third embodiment. This Figure 13 corresponds to Figure 2(A) showing the example of the configuration of the electronic pen 1 of the first embodiment described above. In the electronic pen 1B of the third embodiment shown in Figure 13, parts that are the same as those of the electronic pen 1 of the first embodiment described above are given the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0116] The electronic pen body 3B of the electronic pen 1B of the third embodiment does not have a USB connector 7UC for charging, but instead has a coil 13 for generating a charging current as an electromagnetically induced current provided on a circuit board 30. In this example, the coil 13 is wound around a magnetic core, in this example a ferrite core 14. The rest of the configuration of the electronic pen body 3B of the electronic pen 1B of the third embodiment is the same as that of the electronic pen body 3 of the electronic pen 1 of the first embodiment, and includes terminals 3tV and 3tE on the end surface 3s on the rear end side.

[0117] An example of the circuit configuration of the electronic pen body 3B of the third embodiment is shown in Figure 14. As shown in Figure 14, in the electronic pen body 3B of the third embodiment, one end of the coil 13 is connected to a charging circuit 302 via a rectifier circuit 306. The other end of the coil 13 is connected to a ground conductor. The other circuit configuration is the same as that of the electronic pen body 3 of the electronic pen 1 of the first embodiment.

[0118] In the electronic pen 1B of the third embodiment, an alternating magnetic field generating means is provided externally, and an electromagnetic induction current is generated in the coil 13 by the alternating magnetic field generated by the alternating magnetic field generating means. This electromagnetic induction current is rectified by the rectifier circuit 306, and the rectified current is supplied as a charging current to the charging circuit 302. The charging circuit 302 charges the battery element of the battery unit 40 of the power supply unit 4 with this charging current.

[0119] In the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13 , the electronic pen housing 2B is composed of a pen tip side housing 21B and a rear end side housing 22B, which are screwed together near the axial center of the electronic pen housing 2B. In this example, as shown in FIG. 13 , a small diameter portion 21Ba having an outer diameter smaller than the diameter of the pen tip side is formed on the rear end side of the pen tip side housing 21B, and a threaded portion 21Bs is provided on this small diameter portion 21Ba. In this case, the rear end of the small diameter portion 21Ba of the pen tip side housing 21B is located near the rear end surface 3s of the electronic pen main body 3B. In the example of FIG. 13 , the rear end of the small diameter portion 21Ba of the pen tip side housing 21B extends slightly rearward beyond the rear end surface 3s of the electronic pen main body 3B, allowing a portion of the pen tip side of the power supply unit 4 to be housed within the small diameter portion 21Ba.

[0120] The rear-end housing 22B has an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the small-diameter portion 21Ba of the nib-side housing 21B, and the small-diameter portion 21Ba of the nib-side housing 21B is inserted into the rear-end housing 22B. A threaded portion 22Bs that screws into the threaded portion 21Bs of the small-diameter portion 21Ba is provided on the inner wall of the rear-end housing 22B that covers the small-diameter portion 21Ba of the nib-side housing 21B. An elastic member 25 made of an elastic material, in this example, elastic rubber, is attached to the bottom of the rear end of the hollow portion of the rear-end housing 22B.

[0121] In the electronic pen 1B of the third embodiment, a rear housing 22B housing a power supply unit 4 is screwed into the rear end of a pen tip housing 21B housing an electronic pen body 3B. The electronic pen body 3B and the power supply unit 4 are then housed in the hollow portion of the electronic pen housing 2B, arranged sequentially in the axial direction. In this case, the power supply unit 4 is biased toward the electronic pen body 3B by an elastic member 25 attached to the rear housing 22B within the hollow portion of the electronic pen housing 2B, so that the end surface 3s of the electronic pen body 3B and the end surface 4s of the power supply unit 4 are elastically pressed against each other. Therefore, as in the first embodiment, the terminals on the rear end surface 3s of the electronic pen body 3B and the end surface 4s of the power supply unit 4 are firmly electrically connected to each other.

[0122] The electronic pen housing 2B is separated into the pen tip side housing 21B and the rear end side housing 22B by releasing the screw connection between the rear end side housing 22B and the pen tip side housing 21B. When the rear end side housing 22B is separated from the pen tip side housing 21B, the power supply unit 4 is separated from the electronic pen main body 3B together with the rear end side housing 22B, and the power supply unit 4 can be easily removed from the rear end side housing 22B. In other words, the power supply unit 4 can be easily removed from the electronic pen 1B by releasing the screw connection between the rear end side housing 22B and the pen tip side housing 21B, and can also be easily replaced.

[0123] Like the elastic member 24 of the second embodiment, the elastic member 25 is not limited to elastic rubber and may be a leaf spring or a coil spring. The elastic member 25 may not be attached to the rear housing 22B, but may be a separate, independent member interposed between the power supply unit 4 and the rear housing 22B.

[0124] Furthermore, in the electronic pen 1B of the third embodiment described above, an electronic pen main body 3B is used that charges the power supply unit 4 by electromagnetic induction, but instead of the electronic pen main body 3B, an electronic pen main body 3 that charges the power supply unit 4 using a charging current obtained from the outside through the USB connector 7UC may be used.

[0125] Conversely, in the electronic pen 1 of the first embodiment and the electronic pen 1A of the second embodiment, the electronic pen body 3 may be replaced with an electronic pen body 3B.

[0126] Furthermore, in the electronic pen 1B of the third embodiment described above, the pen tip side housing 21B and the rear end side housing 22B are configured to be coupled and locked together by being screwed together, but the configuration for coupling and locking them together is not limited to this. For example, a ring-shaped protrusion or recess may be provided on the peripheral side surface of the small diameter portion 21Ba of the pen tip side housing 21B, and a ring-shaped recess or protrusion that fits into the ring-shaped protrusion or recess on the peripheral side surface of the small diameter portion 21Ba of the pen tip side housing 21B may be formed on the inner wall surface of the rear end side housing 22B, and by pushing the rear end side housing 22B into the pen tip side housing 21B, the ring-shaped recess or protrusion on the inner wall surface of the rear end side housing 22B fits into the ring-shaped protrusion or recess on the peripheral side surface of the small diameter portion 21Ba of the pen tip side housing 21B, thereby coupling and locking them together.

[0127] [Fourth Embodiment] The electronic pens 1, 1A, 1B of the first to third embodiments described above have a structure in which, when the electronic pen housings 2, 2A, 2B are separated into the pen tip side and the rear end side, the electronic pen main body 3, 3A, 3B and the power supply unit 4 are automatically separated electrically and physically. In contrast, the electronic pen 1C of the fourth embodiment described below is an example of a structure in which, simply by separating the electronic pen housing 2C into the pen tip side and the rear end side, the electronic pen main body 3C and the power supply unit 4 maintain an electrically and physically connected state, but the power supply unit 4 can be easily separated from the electronic pen main body 3C by a user's removal operation.

[0128] Fig. 15 is a diagram for explaining an example of the configuration of an electronic pen 1C of this fourth embodiment. In this example, as in the above-described embodiments, parts that are the same as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted. Fig. 15(A) is a vertical cross-sectional view of the electronic pen 1C of this fourth embodiment, and corresponds to Fig. 2(A) showing the example of the configuration of the electronic pen 1 of the first embodiment. Fig. 15(B) is a diagram for explaining a configuration in which the electronic pen housing 2C is separated into a pen tip side and a rear end side to extract the power supply unit 4.

[0129] 15A and 15B, the electronic pen housing 2C of the electronic pen 1C of the fourth embodiment is configured to include a pen tip side housing 21C and a rear end side housing 22C, similar to the electronic pen housing 2B of the electronic pen 1B of the third embodiment, and these are joined near the center in the axial direction of the electronic pen housing 2C. In this example, too, a small diameter portion 21Ca is formed on the rear end side of the pen tip side housing 21C, and this small diameter portion 21Ca is inserted into the hollow portion of the rear end side housing 22C, thereby joining the pen tip side housing 21C and the rear end side housing 22C to form the electronic pen housing 2C.

[0130] In this case, the pen tip side housing 21C and the rear end side housing 22C may be joined by screwing as in the electronic pen housing 2B of the third embodiment, or by providing a ring-shaped protrusion or recess on one side and a recess or protrusion on the other side that fits into the ring-shaped protrusion or recess on the other side. In this example, too, the position of the rear end face of the small diameter portion 21Ca of the pen tip side housing 21C is located near the position of the end face 3s of the wall portion 310.

[0131] The holder 31C of the electronic pen body 3C of the electronic pen 1C of the fourth embodiment has a wall 310 at the rear end of the mounting portion for the circuit board 30, and the circular end face of the wall 310 serves as the end face 3s that abuts against the end face 4s of the power supply unit 4, similar to the configuration of the above-described embodiments. The holder 31C of the electronic pen body 3C in this embodiment extends further rearward than the wall 310, and this extension includes a storage section 311 for the power supply unit 4. The storage section 311 for the power supply unit 4 has a storage space 311a that is slightly longer than the axial length of the cylindrical power supply unit 4. An elastic member 26 is attached to the rear end of the storage space 311a of the storage section 311. In this example, the elastic member 26 is made of elastic rubber. Note that the elastic member 26 is not limited to elastic rubber, and may be a leaf spring, a coil, or the like, similar to the elastic members 24 and 25 of the electronic pens 1A and 1B of the second and third embodiments.

[0132] In the electronic pen 1C of the fourth embodiment, the holder 31C extends further rearward than the storage portion 311, and a holding portion 312 for the USB connector 7UC is provided on the extension. In this example, the USB connector 7UC (e.g., a connector jack) is held and fixed by the holding portion 312 so that an external USB connector (e.g., a connector plug) can be inserted from the rear end side in the axial direction of the electronic pen housing 2C, as shown in Figures 15(A) and 15(B) . Although not shown in Figure 15 , the electrical connection between the USB connector 7UC and the circuit board 30 is made via the storage portion 311, and is achieved by, for example, printing a copper foil pattern on the inner or outer wall surface of the storage space of the storage portion 311.

[0133] Since the USB connector 7UC is provided at the rear end of the electronic pen housing 2C, a through hole 22Ca is provided at the rear end of the rear housing 22C to expose the connector portion of the USB connector 7UC to the outside, as shown in Figures 15 (A) and (B).

[0134] 15(B), when the pen tip side of the electronic pen body 3C is stored in the hollow portion of the pen tip side housing 21C, the storage portion 311 for the power supply unit 4 of the holder 31C is exposed to the outside at the rear end side of the pen tip side housing 21C. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 15(B), the power supply unit 4 can be stored in the storage space 311a of the storage portion 311 from a direction perpendicular to the axial direction.

[0135] When the power supply unit 4 is stored in the storage section 311, the power supply unit 4 is elastically biased toward the end surface 3s of the wall section 310 of the electronic pen body 3C by the elastic member 26 provided on the rear end side of the storage section 311. As a result, the terminals 3tV and 3tE on the end surface 3s of the electronic pen body 3C are in firm electrical contact with the electrode pins (pogo pins) 43 and 44 protruding from the end surface 4s of the power supply unit 4, and the power supply unit 4 is also physically locked in the storage section 311.

[0136] In this state, by joining the rear end side housing 22C to the pen tip side housing 21C, the state shown in FIG. 15A can be achieved, and the electronic pen 1C can be formed.

[0137] 15(A), when the connection between the rear end housing 22C and the pen tip side housing 21C is released and the rear end housing 22C is removed from the pen tip side housing 21C as shown in Fig. 15(B), the power supply unit 4 stored in the storage section 311 of the holder 31C of the electronic pen main body 3C becomes exposed to the outside, as described above. Therefore, the power supply unit 4 can be removed from the storage section 311 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, and the power supply unit 4 can be replaced.

[0138] In the fourth embodiment of the electronic pen 1C shown in the example of Figure 15, the USB connector 7UC is configured to be located at the end of the electronic pen housing 2D, closer to the rear end than the storage section 311 of the power supply unit 4. However, as with the electronic pen main body 3 of the first embodiment, a cutout portion may be provided in the circuit board 30, and the USB connector may be configured to be connected to an external USB connector through an opening 7 on the side surface of the electronic pen housing 2C, and may be located closer to the pen tip than the power supply unit 4.

[0139] Furthermore, the electronic pen main body 3C is configured to have a USB connector 7UC as a configuration for charging the power supply unit 4, but it may also be configured to have an electromagnetic induction coil and use the induced current as a charging current, as in the electronic pen main body 3B of the electronic pen 1B of the third embodiment.

[0140] Fifth Embodiment Fig. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an electronic pen 1D according to a fifth embodiment. Fig. 16(A) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the electronic pen 1D according to the fifth embodiment, corresponding to Fig. 15(A) illustrating the example of the configuration of the electronic pen 1C according to the fourth embodiment. Fig. 16(B) is a diagram illustrating a configuration in which the electronic pen housing 2D of the electronic pen 1D according to the fifth embodiment is separated into a pen tip side and a rear end side to allow the power supply unit 4 to be removed. In the electronic pen 1D according to the fifth embodiment shown in Fig. 16, parts similar to those of the electronic pen 1C according to the fourth embodiment shown in Fig. 15 are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0141] 16A and 16B , like the holder 31C of the electronic pen body 3C of the electronic pen 1C of the fourth embodiment, the holder 31D of the electronic pen body 3D of the electronic pen 1D of the fifth embodiment is provided with a storage section 311 that extends further rearward than the wall section 310 and has a storage space 311a for the power supply unit 4 at its extension. The power supply unit 4 is stored in the storage space 311a of the storage section 311 while being elastically biased toward the wall section 310 of the holder 31D of the electronic pen body 3D by the elastic member 26. As a result, in the fifth embodiment as well, the terminals 3tV and 3tE on the end surface 3s of the electronic pen body 3D are in firm electrical contact with the electrode pins (pogo pins) 43 and 44 protruding from the end surface 4s of the power supply unit 4, and the power supply unit 4 is also physically locked in the storage section 311.

[0142] In the electronic pen 1D of the fifth embodiment, the holder 31D also extends further rearward than the storage portion 311, and a holding portion 312D for the USB connector 7UC is provided on the extension. However, unlike the fourth embodiment, the fifth embodiment differs in that the USB connector 7UC (e.g., a connector jack) is held and fixed by the holding portion 312D so that it can be inserted into an external USB connector (e.g., a connector plug) in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the electronic pen housing 2D, as shown in Figures 16(A) and 16(B). Although not shown in Figure 16, the electrical connection between the USB connector 7UC and the circuit board 30 is established via the storage portion 311, for example, by providing a copper foil pattern by printing on the inner or outer wall surface of the storage space of the storage portion 311, as in the fourth embodiment.

[0143] As shown in Figures 16 (A) and (B) , the electronic pen housing 2D of the electronic pen 1D of this fifth embodiment is composed of a housing main body portion 21D and a cap portion 22D, similar to the electronic pen housing 2A of the electronic pen 1A of the second embodiment, and the cap portion 22D is screwed onto the housing main body portion 21D to form the electronic pen housing 2D.

[0144] In this fifth embodiment, the USB connector 7UC is held by the holding portion 312D as described above, and therefore an opening 7D for exposing the connector portion of the USB connector 7UC to the outside is provided near the rear end of the side surface of the housing main body portion 21D of the electronic pen housing 2D, as shown in Figures 16 (A) and (B).

[0145] In the electronic pen 1D of the fifth embodiment, the power supply unit 4 is stored in the storage section 311 of the holder 31D of the electronic pen main body 3D, and then the electronic pen main body 3D with the power supply unit 4 stored in the holder 31D is inserted into the housing main body 21D from the opening on the rear end side. In this state, the electronic pen main body 3D with the power supply unit 4 stored in the holder 31D is movable in the axial direction within the hollow section of the housing main body 21D.

[0146] In the fifth embodiment, the cap 22D is then screwed onto the housing body 21D, so that the holder 31D of the electronic pen body 3D is immovable in the axial direction within the hollow portion of the electronic pen housing 2D. An elastic member such as elastic rubber may be provided between the end of the cap 22D on the pen tip side and the end of the holder 31D on the rear side of the electronic pen body 3D.

[0147] In the electronic pen 1D of the fifth embodiment, the power supply unit 4 can be removed from the electronic pen housing 2D and replaced as follows. First, in the state shown in Fig. 16A, the housing body 21D and the cap 22D are unscrewed, and the cap 22D is removed from the housing body 21D. Then, the electronic pen body 3D, with the power supply unit 4 housed in the holder 31D, becomes movable axially within the hollow portion of the housing body 21D. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 16B, the housing portion 311, which houses the power supply unit 4 of the holder 31D of the electronic pen body 3D, can be pulled out from the rear end of the housing body 21D.

[0148] Therefore, the power supply unit 4 can be easily removed in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction from the storage unit 311 that has been pulled out to the outside, and can also be easily replaced.

[0149] In the fifth embodiment of the electronic pen 1D shown in the example of Figure 16, the USB connector 7UC is configured to be located at the end of the electronic pen housing 2D, closer to the rear end than the storage section 311 of the power supply unit 4. However, as with the electronic pen main body 3 of the first embodiment, a cutout portion may be provided in the circuit board 30, and the USB connector may be connected to an external USB connector through an opening 7 on the side surface of the housing 3C, and may be located closer to the pen tip than the power supply unit 4.

[0150] Furthermore, the electronic pen main body 3D is configured to have a USB connector 7UC as a configuration for charging the power supply unit 4, but it may also be configured to have an electromagnetic induction coil and use the induced current as a charging current, as in the electronic pen main body 3B of the electronic pen 1B of the third embodiment.

[0151] In the electronic pen 1C of the fourth embodiment and the electronic pen 1D of the fifth embodiment, the holders 31C and 3D of the electronic pen main bodies 3C and 3D are configured to be extended toward the rear end to provide the storage section 311 for the power supply unit 4, but a holder having a storage section for the power supply unit 4 may be configured separately from the holders 31C and 31D. In that case, the holder having a storage section for the power supply unit is configured to be aligned in the axial direction with the holders 31C and 3D of the electronic pen main bodies 3C and 3D that do not have an extension section.

[0152] [Sixth embodiment] In the electronic pens 1, 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D of the above embodiments, the pen tip side housing portion (housing main body portion 21, 21A, 21D or pen tip side housing 21B, 21C) constituting the electronic pen housing 2, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D is separated from the rear end side housing portion (cap portion 22, 22A, 22D or rear end side housing 22B, 22C) so that the electronic pen housing 2, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D is separated into the pen tip side and the rear end side, and the power supply unit 4 can be removed from the electronic pen housing 2, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D of the electronic pen 1, 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D.

[0153] However, for example, when a waste disposal company disposes of a large number of electronic pens, as described above, it may be troublesome to separate the housing part on the pen tip side (housing main body part 21, 21A, 21D or pen tip side housing 21B, 21C) from the housing part on the rear end side (cap part 22, 22A, 22D or rear end side housing 22B, 22C).

[0154] The electronic pen of the sixth embodiment is configured so that the electronic pen housing can be relatively easily separated into a pen tip side and a rear end side with a simple operation. The sixth embodiment can be applied to each of the first to fifth electronic pens 1 to 1D described above, and is characterized in that by applying a force to the electronic pen housings 2, 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D so as to bend them at a predetermined intermediate position in the axial direction of the electronic pen housings 2, 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D, the electronic pen housings 2, 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D can be easily separated into a pen tip side and a rear end side from the predetermined intermediate position.

[0155] In this case, in this embodiment, the specified intermediate position is a position in the axial direction of the outer peripheral side surface of the electronic pen housing 2, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, near the position corresponding to the position where the end face 3s of the electronic pen main body 3, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D stored in the electronic pen housing 2, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D collides with the end face 4s of the power supply unit 4.

[0156] In this embodiment, a recess is provided in the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral side surface of each of the electronic pen housings 2, 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D at a predetermined intermediate position in the axial direction, thereby thinning the thickness of the electronic pen housings 2, 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D at the predetermined intermediate position, thereby making the electronic pen housings 2, 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D more easily breakable. However, even though the recess is made more easily breakable, the shape, width, and depth (thickness of the thin wall) of the recess are selected so that the electronic pen housings 2, 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D will not break under normal use conditions of the electronic pens 1, 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D and have appropriate strength.

[0157] The recesses may be formed in a ring shape with a uniform shape, width, and depth at a predetermined intermediate position in the axial direction on the outer peripheral side surface of the electronic pen housing 2, 2A, 2B, 2C, or 2D. However, when forming the ring shape, one or more of the shape, width, and depth may be changed to form the recesses unevenly, taking into consideration the strength of the electronic pens 1, 1A, 1B, 1C, or 1D under normal use conditions. Furthermore, the recesses may not be formed continuously in a ring shape, but may be formed in ring shapes at discrete positions. Furthermore, the recesses may be formed in a portion of the ring shape, such as a semicircle.

[0158] 17A is a diagram illustrating an electronic pen 1E when the sixth embodiment is applied to the electronic pen 1 of the first embodiment described above. In this Fig. 17A, parts similar to those of the electronic pen 1 of the first embodiment described above are given the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted. In the electronic pen 1E of this example, as shown in Fig. 17A, the housing main body 21E that is combined with the cap portion 22 to form the electronic pen housing 2E has a ring-shaped V-groove 21Ev as an example of a recess on its outer peripheral side, which is different from the electronic pen 1 of the first embodiment. In other respects, the electronic pen 1E is configured similarly to the electronic pen 1 of the first embodiment.

[0159] 17A, the ring-shaped V-groove 21Ev is located at a predetermined intermediate position in the axial direction on the outer peripheral side surface of the housing main body 21E constituting the electronic pen housing 2E, near a position corresponding to a collision between an end face 3s of the electronic pen main body 3 housed in the housing main body 21E and an end face 4s of the power supply unit 4. As shown by a balloon in FIG. 17A, the V-groove 21Ev is thin-walled at that portion and is formed with a width and depth that provide sufficient strength during normal use.

[0160] In the electronic pen 1E configured in this manner, when the housing main body 21E in which the V groove 21Ev is formed is fixed, for example, at one position on either side of the V groove 21Ev in the axial direction, and a strong force is applied to the other position in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, the housing main body 21E is broken so as to break at the V groove 21Ev portion, since the V groove 21Ev portion is thin and has little strength, and is separated into a portion closer to the pen tip than the V groove 21Ev and a portion closer to the rear end than the V groove 21Ev.

[0161] Then, since the electronic pen main body 3 and the power supply 4 inside the housing main body 21E of the electronic pen 1E of this example are not physically connected, the power supply 4 can be removed to the outside. That is, in the electronic pen 1E of this example, the power supply 4 can be removed by folding and breaking the housing main body 21E at the V-shaped groove 21Ev, which makes it easy to remove and discard the power supply 4 when disposing of the electronic pen 1E.

[0162] In the electronic pen 1A of the second embodiment in which the electronic pen housing 2A is composed of a housing main body portion 21A and a cap portion 22A, and in the electronic pen 1D of the fifth embodiment in which the electronic pen housing 2D is composed of a housing main body portion 21D and a cap portion 22D, as in the electronic pen 1E of the example in Figure 17 (A), a recess, for example a V-groove, is provided at the above-mentioned predetermined intermediate position in the axial direction on the outer peripheral side surface of the housing main body portions 21A and 21D, so that the housing main body portion 21E can be folded and broken at the V-groove portion to remove the power supply unit 4, making it easy to remove and discard the power supply unit 4 when disposing of the electronic pens 1A and 1D.

[0163] 17B is a diagram illustrating an electronic pen 1F when the sixth embodiment is applied to the electronic pen 1B of the third embodiment described above. In this Fig. 17B, parts similar to those of the electronic pen 1B of the third embodiment described above are given the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted. As shown in Fig. 17B, the electronic pen 1F of this example differs from the electronic pen 1B of the third embodiment in that a rear-end housing 22F, which is coupled to a pen tip housing 21B to form an electronic pen housing 2F, has a ring-shaped V-groove 22Fv as an example of a recess on its outer peripheral side surface. The rest of the electronic pen 1F is configured similarly to the electronic pen 1B of the first embodiment.

[0164] 17(B), the predetermined intermediate position of the ring-shaped V-groove 22Fv on the outer peripheral side surface of the rear-end housing 22F constituting the electronic pen housing 2F is located near a position corresponding to a position where an end surface 3s of the electronic pen main body 3 and an end surface 4s of the power supply unit 4 inside the rear-end housing 22F collide with each other. As shown by a balloon in FIG. 17(B), the V-groove 22Fv is thin-walled at that portion and is formed with a width and depth that provide sufficient strength during normal use.

[0165] Even in an electronic pen 1F configured in this manner, if an electronic pen housing 2F having a V groove 22Fv formed in a rear end housing 22F is fixed at one position on either side of the V groove 22Fv in the axial direction and a strong force is applied to the other position in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, the electronic pen housing 2F will bend so as to break at the V groove 21Ev portion, since the V groove 22Fv portion of the rear end housing 22F is thin and has little strength, and will be separated into a portion closer to the pen tip than the V groove 22Fv and a portion closer to the rear end than the V groove 22Fv.

[0166] Then, since the electronic pen main body 3B and the power supply unit 4 inside the electronic pen housing 2F of the electronic pen 1F of this example are not physically connected, the power supply unit 4 can be removed to the outside. That is, in the electronic pen 1F of this example as well, the power supply unit 4 can be removed by folding and breaking the electronic pen housing 2F at the V-shaped groove 21Ev, making it easy to remove and discard the power supply unit 4 when disposing of the electronic pen 1F.

[0167] In the fourth embodiment of the electronic pen 1C, in which the electronic pen housing 2C is composed of a pen tip side housing 21C and a rear end side housing 22C, as in the electronic pen 1F of the example in Figure 17 (B), a recess, for example a V-groove, is provided at the above-mentioned predetermined intermediate position in the axial direction of the outer peripheral side surface of the rear end side housing 22C, so that the electronic pen housing 2C can be folded and broken at the V-groove portion to remove the power supply unit 4, making it easy to remove and discard the power supply unit 4 when disposing of the electronic pen 1C.

[0168] In the examples of Figures 17(A) and (B), the shape of the recess is a V-shaped groove, but as described above, the shape of the recess is not limited to a V-shape and may be, for example, a U-shape or other shape.

[0169] Furthermore, in the sixth embodiment of the electronic pen, if the configuration does not require replacement of the power supply unit 4, the connection between the housing part on the pen tip side (housing main body part 21, 21A, 21D or pen tip side housing 21B, 21C) and the housing part on the rear end side (cap part 22, 22A, 22D or rear end side housing 22B, 22C) may be by adhesive bonding or the like.

[0170] [Another Example of Electrical Connection Between Electronic Pen Body and Power Supply Unit] In the configuration of the electronic pen of the above-described embodiment, the electronic pen body and the power supply unit are arranged side by side in the axial direction within the housing, and the rear end face of the electronic pen body and the pen tip end face of the power supply unit are configured to abut against each other, thereby electrically connecting the electronic pen body and the power supply unit. However, the method of electrically connecting the electronic pen body and the power supply unit is not limited to this.

[0171] In the electronic pen 1G of the example of Figure 18, the electronic pen main body 3G and the power supply unit 4G are electrically connected by coupling the connector (connector plug or connector jack) of the power supply unit 4G to a connector (connector jack or connector plug) arranged on a circuit board 30G placed on a holder 31G of the electronic pen main body 3G.

[0172] Fig. 18 is a diagram for explaining an example of the configuration of the electronic pen 1G of this example, Fig. 18(A) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the electronic pen 1G of this example, and Fig. 18(B) is a diagram for explaining a configuration in which the electronic pen housing 2G of the electronic pen 1G of this example is separated into a pen tip side and a rear end side to extract the power supply unit 4G. In Fig. 18, parts that are the same as those in the electronic pens of the above-mentioned embodiments are given the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0173] In this example of the electronic pen 1G, the electronic pen housing 2G is composed of a pen tip side housing 21G and a rear end side housing 22G, as shown in Figure 18 (A), and the two are joined near the center of the axial direction of the electronic pen housing 2G.

[0174] 18 is configured to apply the sixth embodiment, and a circumferential recess, in this example a V-groove 22Gv, is formed at a predetermined axial position on the outer peripheral side surface of the rear housing 22G. In this case, the pen tip housing 21G and the rear housing 22G may be joined by screwing or by fitting a ring-shaped protrusion into a ring-shaped recess. Furthermore, if the power supply unit 4G does not need to be replaced, the pen tip housing 21G and the rear housing 22G may be joined by adhesive or the like.

[0175] The electronic pen body 3G of the electronic pen 1G of this example, like the electronic pen body 3 of the electronic pen 1 of the first embodiment described above, has a circuit board 30G provided on the board mounting portion of a holder 311G, an IC 300 on the circuit board 30G, side switches 6AS and 6BS, and a pen tip side component as shown in Fig. 3. However, the holder 311G of the electronic pen 1G of this example is configured to extend to the rear end side of the electronic pen housing 2G, i.e., into the rear end housing 22G, and the circuit board 30G held by the holder 311G also extends to the rear end side of the electronic pen housing 2G.

[0176] In the electronic pen 1G of this example, a USB connector 7UC constituting a charging terminal is provided at the rear end of the circuit board 30G. An opening 22Ga is provided at the rear end surface of the rear housing 22G to expose the connector connection portion of the USB connector 7UC.

[0177] Furthermore, in this example of the electronic pen 1G, a connector 15, in this example a connector jack 15J, for electrically connecting to the power supply unit 4G is provided at a position closest to the pen tip side housing 21G in the part of the circuit board 30G located within the rear end side housing 22G.

[0178] The power supply unit 4G of this example has a similar configuration to the above-described power supply unit 4, except for the configuration of the terminals. That is, the power supply unit 4G of this example is not provided with pogo pins 43, 44, and instead, the electrode terminals 40tV and 40tE of the battery unit 40 are connected to lead portions 43G and 44G, and the lead portions 43G and 44G are connected to the connector 15, which in this example is a connector plug 15P.

[0179] In the electronic pen 1G of this example, as shown in Figure 18 (A), with the power supply unit 4G placed between the USB connector 7UC and the connector jack 15J of the circuit board 30G, the connector plug 15P to which the lead portions 43G and 44G of the power supply unit 4G are connected is inserted into the connector jack 15J of the circuit board 30G and electrically connected.

[0180] As shown in Figure 18A, the axial length of the hollow space of the rear housing 22G of the electronic pen 1G in this example is long enough to accommodate the connector 15, power supply unit 4G, and USB connector 7UC. As shown in Figures 18A and 18B, the rear end of the circuit board 30G relative to the portion where the connector jack 15P is formed is further rearward than the rear end of the tip housing 21G. In other words, when the rear housing 22G is not coupled to the tip housing 21G, the rear end of the circuit board 30G relative to the portion where the connector jack 15P is formed is exposed to the outside.

[0181] As shown in Figures 18(A) and 18(B), the axial position of the V-groove 22Gv formed on the outer peripheral side surface of the rear housing 22G is such that when the rear housing 22G is broken and separated at the position of the V-groove 22Gv, the connector jack 15P provided on the circuit board 30G is exposed to the outside, allowing the connector plug 15P to be removed from the connector jack 15J. In the example of Figures 18(A) and 18(B), the V-groove 22Gv is formed at a position that coincides with the position of the connector jack 15P provided on the circuit board 30G closest to the pen tip. Note that the position of the V-groove 22Gv is preferably the position closest to the pen tip of the connector jack 15P, or a position further toward the pen tip than that position.

[0182] 18B , when a force is applied to the electronic pen casing 22G so as to break it at the V-groove 22Gv, the rear-end casing 22G is broken at the position of the V-groove 22Gv and separated into a portion 22Gb on the pen tip side of the V-groove 22Gv and a portion 22Gc on the rear end side of the V-groove 22Gv, exposing the portion of the circuit board 30G on the rear end side of the connector 15. Therefore, by disconnecting the connector plug 15P to which the power supply unit 4G is connected from the connector 15, the power supply unit 4G can be separated and removed.

[0183] In addition, if the rear end side housing 22G is configured to be able to be released from its connection with the pen tip side housing 21G, by releasing the connection between the rear end side housing 22G and the pen tip side housing 21G, the power supply unit 4G can be separated and removed in the same manner as described above, and the power supply unit 4G can be replaced, just like in the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0184] In addition, in the electronic pen 1G of the example in Figure 18, the USB connector 7UC may be provided closer to the pen tip than the power supply unit 4G, or an electromagnetic induction coil may be provided instead of the USB connector 7UC, allowing charging to be performed contactlessly from the outside.

[0185] [Modifications of Cap Section] The cap section detachably coupled to the housing main body section 21, 21E in the electronic pen of the above-described embodiment is not limited to the configuration of the above-described cap section 22. Figures 19 to 21 show other configuration examples of the cap section detachably coupled to the housing main body section 21, 21E.

[0186] The cap portion 22H in the example of Fig. 19 is made of an elastic material, in this example, resin, and is made up of a cap main body portion 221H and a screw member 222H. Fig. 19(A) is a diagram showing the state of the cap portion 22H in this example before it is attached and fixed to the housing main body portion 21H, and Fig. 19(B) is a diagram showing the state after it has been attached and fixed to the housing main body portion 21H.

[0187] The cap body 22H has a cap head 221Ha and an insertion portion 221Hb that is inserted into the hollow portion of the housing body 21H. A through hole 221Hc is provided at the center of the cap body 221H. A screw member 222H is inserted and screwed into this through hole 221Hc. A threaded portion 221Hd that screws into the threaded portion 222Ha of the screw member 222H is formed in at least the narrowed portion of the through hole 221Hc on the tip side of the insertion portion 221Hb.

[0188] As shown in FIG. 19A, a protrusion 221He is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the narrowed portion on the tip side of the insertion portion 221Hb, protruding in a direction intersecting the axial direction.

[0189] On the other hand, as shown in Figures 19(A) and (B) , when the cap portion 22H is coupled to the rear end of the housing main body 21H, a ring-shaped recess 21Ha is formed on the inner wall surface of the housing main body 21H. In this example, a ring-shaped recess 21Ha is formed at a position that can engage with the protrusion 221He of the insertion portion 221Hb of the cap main body 221H. The screw member 222H includes a screw head 22Ha and a screw shank 22Hb with a threaded portion 222Hc formed at least on the tip end. In this example, the screw shank 22Hb, including the threaded portion 222Hc, has the same diameter.

[0190] In this example, as shown in FIG. 19A, after the cap main body 221H of the cap part 22H is attached to the rear end side of the housing main body 21, the screw member 222H is inserted into the through hole 221Hc of the cap main body 221H and screwed in.

[0191] Then, as shown in Figure 19 (B), the narrowed portion of the insertion portion 221Hb of the cap main body portion 221H of the cap portion 22H is elastically pushed open in a direction intersecting the axial direction as the screw member 222H is screwed in, and the protrusion portion 221He of the insertion portion 221Hb engages with the recess 21Ha of the housing main body portion 21H, and the cap portion 22H is engaged with the rear end side of the housing main body portion 21H.

[0192] Conversely, when the screw member 222H is removed from the cap main body 221H of the cap portion 22H, the engagement between the protrusion 221He of the insertion portion 221Hb and the recess 21Ha of the housing main body 21H is released as shown in Figure 19 (A), and the cap portion 22H can be separated from the rear end of the housing main body 21H.

[0193] 20 includes a cap body 221I, a locking control member 222I, and a coil spring 223I that constitutes an example of an elastic member. The cap body 221I includes a cylindrical portion 2211I and a cap head 2212I that is provided on one side of the cylindrical portion 2211I in the axial direction.

[0194] The locking control member 222I is provided in a hollow portion of the cylindrical portion 2211I and is locked in a state in which it is pressed and displaced by a coil spring 223I in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction. In this case, a through hole 2211Ia is formed in the side peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 2211I, and one end 222Ia of the locking control member 222I can be inserted through the through hole 2211Ia of the cylindrical portion 2211I, and the one end 222Ia of the locking control member 222I is configured to protrude further than the outer peripheral surface through the through hole 2211ia of the cylindrical portion 2211I due to the elastic displacement force of the coil spring 223I.

[0195] Furthermore, on the inner wall surface of the housing main body 21I to which the cap portion 22I is joined at the rear end side, a through hole 21Ia is formed into which one end portion 222Ia of the locking control member 222I of the cap portion 22I is inserted and engaged, as shown in Figure 20.

[0196] The cap portion 22I in this example is attached by pushing the cap portion 22I into the rear end portion of the housing main body 21I in a state in which one end portion 222Ia of the locking control member 222I does not protrude from the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 2211I of the cap main body 221I. In this attached state, the one end portion 222Ia of the locking control member 222I of the cap portion 22I is inserted into and engaged with the through-hole 21Ia of the housing main body 21I through the through-hole 2211ia of the cylindrical portion 2211I by the elastic displacement force of the coil spring 223I, and the cap portion 22I is locked to the rear end side of the housing main body 21I.

[0197] The cap 22I thus attached to the housing body 21I is removed as follows: In this example, as shown in Fig. 20 , a rod-shaped jig 23I is inserted into the through-hole 21Ia of the housing body 21I, and one end 222Ia of the locking control member 222I of the cap 22I is pressed against the elastic force of the coil spring 223I so as to be housed within the cylindrical portion 2211I.

[0198] This disengages one end 222Ia of the locking control member 222I from the through hole 21Ia of the housing main body 21I, and in this state, by pulling the cap head 2212I of the cap part 22I, the cap part 22I can be separated from the rear end of the housing main body 21I.

[0199] 21A, the cap portion 22J is configured as a single piece of elastic resin. As shown in FIG. 21A, the cap portion 22J in this example is configured with a cap head 221J and two insertion engagement pieces 222J and 223J that are formed integrally with the cap head 221J, inserted into the hollow portion of the housing main body 21J, and engaged with the housing main body 21J as described below.

[0200] The two insertion engaging pieces 222J and 223J are provided to stand on a circular surface 221Ja of the cap head 221J facing the hollow portion of the housing body 21J, and are provided at positions that are point-symmetrical with respect to the center of the circular surface 221Ja. In this case, the standing positions of the two insertion engaging pieces 222J and 223J on the circular surface 221Ja of the cap head 221J are set to positions that fit within the hollow portion of the housing body 21J.

[0201] In this example, protrusions 222Ja and 223Ja are provided on the outer peripheries of the tip ends of the insertion engagement pieces 222J and 223J. As shown in Figure 21(A), these protrusions 222Ja and 223Ja protrude in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction to form a step, and have a tapered portion that slopes from this step toward the tip end. In this example, the tip ends of these two insertion engagement pieces 222J and 223J are configured to be elastically displaceable in a direction intersecting the axial direction.

[0202] On the other hand, the housing main body 21J to which the cap portion 22J is attached at the rear end side is provided with through holes 21Ja and 21Jb into which the step portions of the convex portions 222Ja and 22Ja of the insertion engagement pieces 222J and 223J respectively engage when the cap portion 22J is attached at the rear end side of the housing main body 21J, as shown in Figure 21 (A).

[0203] The cap portion 22J in this example is attached to and engaged with the rear end portion of the housing body 21J as follows: That is, the cap portion 22J is attached by pushing the insertion engagement pieces 222J and 223J into the rear end portion of the housing body 21J. Then, the tapered portions of the protrusions 222Ja and 223Ja of the insertion engagement pieces 222J and 223J of the cap portion 22J abut against the inner wall surface of the housing body 21J, and as the cap portion 22J is pushed into the hollow portion of the housing body 21J, the insertion engagement pieces 222J and 223J are elastically displaced inward so as to approach each other.

[0204] Then, as shown in Figure 21 (A), when the cap head 221J of the cap portion 22J abuts against the ring-shaped end surface on the rear end side of the housing main body portion 21J, the stepped portions of the convex portions 222Ja and 223Ja of the insertion engagement pieces 222J and 223J of the cap portion 22J are positioned so that they can engage with the through holes 21Ja and 21Jb of the housing main body portion 21J.

[0205] Therefore, when the positions of the convex portions 222Ja and 223Ja of the insertion engagement pieces 222J and 223J of the cap portion 22J are aligned with the positions of the through holes 21Ja and 21Jb of the housing main body portion 21J, the step portions of the convex portions 222Ja and 223Ja of the insertion engagement pieces 222J and 223J engage with the through holes 21Ja and 21Jb of the housing main body portion 21J, and the cap portion 22J is engaged with the rear end side of the housing main body portion 21J.

[0206] The cap portion 22J thus attached to the housing body portion 21J is removed as follows using a jig 23J shown in FIG. 21(B).

[0207] As shown in Fig. 21(B), the jig 23J is made of an elastic material, such as resin, and has rod-shaped protrusions 23Jb and 23Jc formed on one end and the other end of the semicircular arc portion 23Ja, extending toward the center of the semicircular arc portion 23Ja. The distance between the tips of the rod-shaped protrusions 23Jb and 23Jc is equal to or slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the housing main body 21J. The jig 23J configured in this manner can be elastically displaced by applying a force as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 21(B) to reduce the distance between the tips of the rod-shaped protrusions 23Jb and 23Jc.

[0208] In this example, when separating the cap portion 22J from the housing main body portion 21J, the rod-shaped protrusions 23Jb and 23Jc of the jig 23J are inserted into the through holes 21Ja and 21Jb of the housing main body portion 21J, and then a force as shown in Figure 21 (B) is applied to the jig 23J to shorten the distance between the tips of the rod-shaped protrusions 23Jb and 23Jc.

[0209] Then, the rod-shaped protrusions 23Jb and 23Jc of the jig 23J elastically displace the protrusions 222Ja and 223Ja of the insertion engagement pieces 222J and 223J of the cap portion 22J inward, disengaging the steps of the protrusions 222Ja and 223Ja of the insertion engagement pieces 222J and 223J of the cap portion 22J from the through-holes 21Ja and 21Jb of the housing body 21J. Therefore, when the cap head 221J of the cap portion 22J is pulled in this state, the cap portion 22J can be separated from the rear end of the housing body 21J.

[0210] The configuration of the cap portion is not limited to the above configuration, and it goes without saying that various other configurations are possible.

[0211] [Other Embodiments or Modifications] In the above-described embodiment, the electronic pen main body is configured to correspond to an active capacitance type electronic pen. However, it goes without saying that the electronic pen main body may be configured to correspond to other types of electronic pens, such as an electromagnetic induction type electronic pen. That is, even in an electromagnetic induction type electronic pen, when transmitting the writing pressure value detected by the writing pressure detection unit as digital information to the position detection sensor or when transmitting additional information such as the electronic pen's ID (identification information) to the position detection sensor, a control circuit is required to generate the digital information, and the control circuit is required to receive a power supply voltage from the power supply unit. Furthermore, in an electromagnetic induction type electronic pen, when transmitting additional information or writing pressure information to the position detection device via a wireless connection, a power supply voltage is required not only for the control circuit but also for the wireless communication circuit.

[0212] Although the power supply unit in the electronic pen of the above embodiment uses a lithium ion battery element as the battery element (battery cell), it goes without saying that the battery element is not limited to this. Also, although the power supply unit in the electronic pen of the above embodiment is configured as a rechargeable secondary battery, it may of course be configured as a primary battery.

[0213] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F, 1G... Electronic pen, 2, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G... Electronic pen housing, 3, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 3G... Electronic pen main body, 4, 4G... Power supply unit, 3s, 4s... End surface, 5... Core body, 7UC... USB connector, 8... Pressure transmission member, 9... Pen pressure detection unit, 10... Peripheral electrode, 21, 21A, 21D, 21E, 21H, 21I, 21J... Housing main body, 22, 22A, 22D, 22E, 22H, 22I, 22J... Cap portion, 21B, 21C, 21F, 21G... Pen tip side housing, 22B, 22C, 22F, 22G... Rear end side housing, 30... Circuit board, 31... Holder

Claims

1. An electronic pen comprising: a housing that can be separated in an axial direction into a pen tip side and a rear end side opposite the pen tip side; an electronic pen main body portion disposed on the pen tip side within a hollow portion of the housing; and a power supply unit that includes a battery and is disposed on the rear end side within the hollow portion of the housing; a first terminal portion is provided on the axial rear end side of the electronic pen main body portion and a second terminal portion is provided on the axial tip side of the power supply unit; within the hollow portion of the housing, the first terminal portion of the electronic pen main body portion and the second terminal portion of the power supply unit are in contact with each other and electrically connected, but the electronic pen main body portion and the power supply unit are arranged side by side in the axial direction without being physically connected by inserting one axial end into the other axial end and fitting together; and by separating the housing into the pen tip side and the rear end side, the power supply unit can be removed to the outside of the housing.

2. The electronic pen described in claim 1, characterized in that the electronic pen main body comprises a core body whose tip protrudes outward from the opening on the pen tip side of the housing, a pen pressure detection unit that detects the pressure applied to the tip of the core body, a transmitter unit that emits a signal to be sent from the pen tip side to the outside, and a circuit board on which at least a part of the transmitter unit is arranged, and receives a power supply voltage from the power supply unit through the first terminal unit and the second terminal unit.

3. The electronic pen described in claim 1, characterized in that the power supply section is configured as a unit containing one or more battery cells, and the second terminal section is formed with a positive terminal and a negative terminal for an output voltage.

4. The electronic pen described in claim 1, characterized in that the front end side of the separable housing is a cylindrical pen case, and the rear end side of the housing is a cap member attached to the rear end side of the pen case, and when the cap member is attached to the rear end side of the pen case, the first terminal portion of the electronic pen main body portion and the second terminal portion of the power supply portion are elastically pressed together and electrically connected, and when the cap member is separated from the rear end side of the pen case, the power supply portion can be removed from the rear end side of the pen case.

5. The electronic pen according to claim 4, characterized in that the cap member has an elastic member that elastically displaces the power supply unit toward the electronic pen main body.

6. The electronic pen described in claim 4, characterized in that the cap member has a cylindrical portion that is inserted into the rear end side of the pen case, and the cylindrical portion is provided with an elastic displacement mechanism for engaging the cap member with the pen case by pressing against the inner wall surface of the pen case when the cap member is attached to the pen case, and the cap portion is provided with a through hole into which a member for releasing the pressing of the elastic displacement mechanism against the inner wall surface of the pen case is inserted.

7. The sub-pen described in claim 1, characterized in that the electronic pen main body has a first terminal portion on a first end face toward the rear end in the axial direction, the power supply unit has a second terminal portion on a second end face toward the pen tip in the axial direction, and within the hollow portion of the housing, the electronic pen main body and the power supply unit are arranged side by side in the axial direction with the first end face on which the first terminal portion is arranged and the second end face on which the second terminal portion is arranged facing and in contact with each other.

8. The electronic pen according to claim 7, characterized in that at least one of the first terminal portion on the first end surface and the second terminal portion on the second end surface is configured to include a pogo pin (contact probe) that is elastically displaceable in the axial direction of the columnar storage space.

9. The electronic pen described in claim 1, characterized in that the front and rear ends of the separable housing are connected by screwing, and the separation is achieved by releasing the screwing, and in a connected state in which the front and rear ends of the housing are screwed together, the first terminal portion of the electronic pen main body and the second terminal portion of the power supply portion are elastically pressed together and electrically connected.

10. The electronic pen according to claim 1, characterized in that the battery of the power supply unit is a secondary battery, and the electronic pen main body unit is provided with a charging circuit for charging the secondary battery and an external power supply connection unit for connecting the charging circuit to an external power supply for charging.

11. The electronic pen according to claim 10, wherein the external power supply connection section is configured as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector.

12. The electronic pen described in claim 11, characterized in that the USB connector has an opening for a terminal portion for connection to an external power source provided on a side surface of the housing, and a power connector connected to the external power source is configured to be inserted into the USB connector through the opening in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the housing.

13. The electronic pen described in claim 12, characterized in that the electronic pen main body comprises a core body whose tip protrudes outward from the opening on the pen tip side of the housing, a pen pressure detection unit that detects pressure applied to the tip of the core body, a transmitter that emits a signal to be sent from the pen tip side to the outside, and a circuit board on which at least a part of the transmitter is arranged, and the USB connector is arranged in a cutout portion of the circuit board of the electronic pen main body.

14. The electronic pen according to claim 10, characterized in that the external power supply connection section is configured to connect to the external power supply in a non-contact manner.

15. The electronic pen according to claim 14, characterized in that the external power supply connection section includes an electromagnetic induction coil.

16. The electronic pen described in claim 1, characterized in that a recess is formed in the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral side surface at an axial position of the housing near the position where the rear end side of the electronic pen main body and the pen tip side of the power supply unit collide, the recess being thinner than other portions, and the housing is separated into the pen tip side and the rear end side by breaking at the recess.

17. The electronic pen described in claim 1, characterized in that the power supply unit is configured to be exposed to the outside so that it can be removed in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the housing when the housing is separated into the pen tip side and the rear end side.

18. The electronic pen described in claim 17, characterized in that the electronic pen main body and the power supply unit are arranged in a boat-shaped holder within the hollow portion of the housing, and the power supply unit is configured to be removable from the holder in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the housing, and when the housing is separated into the pen tip side and the rear end side, the boat-shaped holder in which the electronic pen main body and the power supply unit are arranged is movable without being fixed within the hollow portion of the housing, and the power supply unit is exposed to the outside so as to be removable in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the housing.

19. The electronic pen according to claim 10, characterized in that the secondary battery uses a lithium ion battery element.

20. The electronic pen according to claim 1, characterized in that the electronic pen body has an active capacitance type configuration.

21. The electronic pen according to claim 1, characterized in that the electronic pen body has an electromagnetic induction type configuration.

Images