Applicator

Abstract

This applicator sprays a liquid impregnated in a pen core that holds the liquid with capillary force, and the applicator is provided with: a through-hole formed in the pen core; a nozzle that supplies compressed air to the inside of the through-hole; a pen core holder that holds the pen core; and a nozzle holder that holds the nozzle and is attached to the pen core holder. When the compressed air is supplied from the nozzle to the inside of the through-hole while one end of the through-hole is sealed or the inflow of air is kept at or below a predetermined level, the liquid impregnated in the pen core is sprayed from the other end of the through-hole.

Description

Coating tool

[0001] The present invention relates to a coating tool for spraying and applying liquids.

[0002] Recently, due to the increasing demand for art and crafts, there is a need for a coating tool that sprays using high-color-developing and high-hiding ink. For example, Patent Documents 1 to 4 disclose coating tools or writing tools that eject ink in a mist form.

[0003] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-276975, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2021-115800, International Publication No. 2023 / 063367, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2024-123778

[0004] However, when spraying ink through a thin nozzle like the writing tools described in Patent Documents 1 and 4, there is a problem that ink clogging frequently occurs in the nozzle, and the nozzle needs to be cleaned and replaced frequently. Also, in a structure where ink is sprayed by blowing compressed air onto the surface of a pen core impregnated with ink, like the airbrush unit described in Patent Documents 2 and 3, a large amount of ink cannot be sprayed unless the pressure of the compressed air is increased, and there is a problem that the surface of the pen core dries easily.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a coating tool that can spray a liquid abundantly even when the pressure of compressed air is weak.

[0006] The inventors of the present invention completed the present invention in order to solve the above problems. The present invention provides the following.

[0007] (1) An applicator for spraying a liquid that has soaked into a pen nib that holds the liquid by capillary force, comprising: a through hole formed in the pen nib, or formed by bringing into close contact one surface of the pen nib and the surface of an auxiliary member on which a groove is formed; a nozzle for supplying compressed air into the through hole; a pen nib holder for holding the pen nib, or for holding the pen nib and the auxiliary member; and a nozzle holder for holding the nozzle and being attached to the pen nib holder, wherein one end of the through hole is sealed or the inflow of air is kept below a certain level, and when compressed air is supplied from the nozzle into the through hole, the liquid that has soaked into the pen nib is sprayed from the other end of the through hole. (2) The pen nib is a porous body made of felt, fiber bundle, or sintered body. (3) The nozzle holder is detachable from the pen nib holder. (4) The pen body further comprises a pen body that stores the liquid and into which the pen nib is attached, and the pen nib holder is characterized in that it houses the pen nib and the pen body, holds the pen body and is capable of housing a writing pen nib. (5) The pen body further comprises a pen body that stores the liquid and into which the pen nib is attached, and the pen nib holder holds the pen body, and it is preferable that the pen body is held in the pen nib holder with the ink supply passage open when the applicator is in use. (6) The mechanism for generating the compressed air is preferably a compressor, a manual compressed air pump, an air gun, or exhaled breath from a person.

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a coating device that can spray liquid abundantly even when the compressed air pressure is low.

[0009] (a) Front view, (b) Top view, (c) Perspective view of the right side seen from diagonally above, (d) Perspective view of the left side seen from diagonally above, (e) Left side view, and (f) Right side view showing the appearance of the applicator according to the first embodiment. (a) A-A cross-sectional view and (b) B-B cross-sectional view of the applicator according to the first embodiment. A cross-sectional view of the pen according to the first embodiment, where (a) a cross-sectional view showing the ink supply passage in an open state and (b) a cross-sectional view showing the ink supply passage in a closed state. An exploded view of the pen according to the first embodiment. (a) Front view, (b) Top view, (c) Bottom view, (d) Left side view, (e) C-C cross-sectional view, (f) Right side view, (g) Perspective view of the top seen from diagonally above, and (h) Perspective view of the left side seen from diagonally above. (a) Front view, (b) Left side view, (c) D-D cross-sectional view, (d) Perspective view of the left side viewed from the diagonal right, (e) Perspective view of the left side viewed from the diagonal left, (h) Perspective view of the front view, (c) Perspective view of the front view, (d) Perspective view of the front view, (e) Perspective view of the front view, (g) Perspective view of the front view, (h) Perspective view of the front view, (c) Perspective view of the front view, (d) Perspective view of the front view, (e) Perspective view of the left side viewed from the diagonal upper, (g) Perspective view of the back viewed from the diagonal upper, (h) Perspective view of the front view, (c) Perspective view of the front view, (d) Perspective view of the left side viewed from the diagonal upper, (e) Perspective view of the left side viewed from the diagonal upper, (g) Perspective view of the left side viewed from the diagonal upper, (h) Perspective view of the front view, (c) Perspective view of the left side viewed from the diagonal upper, (d) Perspective view of the left side viewed from the diagonal upper, (g) Perspective view of the left side viewed from the diagonal upper, (h) Perspective view of the front view, (cg) Per (a) Front view, (b) Top view, (c) Perspective view of the right side seen from diagonally above, (d) Left side view, and (e) Right side view showing the appearance of the applicator according to the embodiment. A diagram showing a cross-section of the applicator according to the third embodiment, where (a) is a G-G cross-sectional view and (b) is an H-H cross-sectional view. (a) Front view, (b) Top view, (c) Perspective view of the right side seen from diagonally above, (d) I-I cross-sectional view, (e) Left side view, (f) Right side view, and (g) Perspective view of the left side seen from diagonally above, showing the configuration of the pen tip holder according to the third embodiment. (a) Front view, (b) Top view, (c) Left side view, (d) Right side view, (e) J-J cross-sectional view, (f) Perspective view of the right side seen from diagonally above, and (g) Perspective view of the left side seen from diagonally above, showing the configuration of the nozzle holder according to the third embodiment.(a) Front view, (b) Top view, (c) Bottom view, (d) Left side view, (e) Right side view, (f) Perspective view of the left side viewed from diagonally below, and (g) Perspective view of the right side viewed from diagonally above, showing the configuration of the trigger member according to the third embodiment. This is an exploded view of the applicator according to the third embodiment. This is a diagram showing the configuration of the applicator according to the third embodiment, before the nozzle holder is attached to the pen tip holder. This is a diagram showing the configuration of the nozzle according to another embodiment.

[0010] Hereinafter, an applicator according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a diagram showing the external appearance of the applicator 2 according to the first embodiment, where (a) is a front view, (b) is a plan view, (c) is a perspective view of the right side seen from diagonally above, (d) is a perspective view of the left side seen from diagonally above, (e) is a left side view, and (f) is a right side view. Figure 2 is a diagram showing a cross-section of the applicator 2 shown in Figure 1, where (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along A-A in Figure 1(b), and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along B-B in Figure 1(b).

[0011] The applicator 2 is an applicator that sprays ink soaked into the pen tip, and as shown in Figures 1 and 2, it comprises a pen body 11 consisting of a barrel 10 and an ink tank 14, a spray pen tip 12 attached to the tip of the barrel 10, a storage section 13 installed in the narrow diameter of the barrel 10, a pen tip holder 17 that holds the pen body 11 and the spray pen tip 12, a nozzle 18 that supplies compressed air into the through hole 12e formed in the spray pen tip 12, a nozzle holder 20 that holds the nozzle 18, and an ink receiver 22.

[0012] The barrel 10 of the pen body 11 has a stepped, tapered tip and a long cylindrical structure in the axial direction. A pen tip mounting section 10a for attaching the spray pen tip 12 is formed at the tip of the barrel 10, and a tapered section 10b is formed behind it, with a cylindrical storage section 13 installed inside. The pen tip mounting section 10a is rectangular in shape for attaching the spray pen tip 12 and has an opening that communicates with the inside of the barrel 10.

[0013] The ink tank 14 of the pen body 11 is mounted inside the barrel 10 and has an ink storage chamber 14a for storing ink. A valve 15 is provided at the tip of the ink tank 14. The valve 15 adjusts the amount of ink supplied to the spray pen tip 12 by opening and closing it. Specifically, the valve body 28 of the valve 15 is movable forward and backward relative to the valve hole 26. As shown in the cross-sectional view of Figure 3(a) (a vertical cross-sectional view of the pen 4, consisting of the pen body 11, spray pen tip 12, and storage section 13, viewed from the left side), the inclined surface of the valve body 28, which is formed by a tapered inclination, moves away from the edge of the valve hole 26 to open the ink supply passage. As shown in the vertical cross-sectional view of the pen 4 viewed from the left side in Figure 3(b), the inclined surface of the valve body 28 hits the edge of the valve hole 26 to close the ink supply passage. Normally, the valve 15 is held in a closed state by the valve body 28 (see Figure 3(b)).

[0014] The spray pen tip 12 and the ink reservoir 13 are formed from a porous material consisting of felt, fiber bundles, or sintered bodies, and hold the ink by capillary action. A porous material refers to a material formed from a porous structure having holes. Examples of porous materials used for the spray pen tip 12 and the ink reservoir 13 include sponges, sintered bodies, fiber bundles, foams, sponges, felts, porous materials, and structures having channels with capillary action inside. Examples of materials that can be used for the porous material include natural fibers, animal hair fibers, polyacetal resins, polyethylene resins, acrylic resins, polyester resins, polyamide resins, polyurethane resins, polyolefin resins, polyvinyl resins, polycarbonate resins, polyether resins, and polyphenylene resins.

[0015] Furthermore, the pore diameter of the porous material in the storage section 13 is larger than the pore diameter of the spray pen tip 12, and the porosity of the porous material in the storage section 13 is greater than the porosity of the spray pen tip 12. Porosity is the percentage of the volume of pores to the total volume of the porous material including pores, and can be expressed as 100 × (V2 / V1) if the volume of each component is V1 and the volume of pores is V2.

[0016] The composition of the ink stored in the spray pen tip 12 and the storage section 13 is not limited to oil-based ink or water-based ink; various types of ink can be used.

[0017] For example, the aqueous ink used contains composite particles comprising water or a water-soluble organic solvent, a pH adjuster, a surfactant, a preservative, and a fungicide, as well as titanium dioxide particles and resin particles with a particle size smaller than the titanium dioxide particles that adhere to the surface of the titanium dioxide particles and cover part or all of the surface. The ratio of the average particle size of the titanium dioxide particles to the resin particles in the composite particles is titanium dioxide particles / resin particles = 1.1 to 10, and the content of the composite particles in the total ink composition is 1 to 60% by mass. The average particle size of the titanium dioxide particles is 200 to 400 nm. The average particle size of the titanium dioxide particles is the volume-based arithmetic mean diameter based on the Heywood diameters of the titanium dioxide and resin particles, obtained from image analysis of the dispersion of the composite particles. Note that the titanium dioxide may include not only primary particles but also secondary particles. The resin particles are preferably acrylic resins, and their average particle size is smaller than that of the titanium dioxide particles and within the range of 40 to 300 nm. The average particle size of the composite particles is 300-600 nm. When using this water-based ink, it has a high opacity and can be applied smoothly without smudging during writing on the coated surface. It also exhibits excellent non-drying properties.

[0018] The oil-based ink used is an ink composition containing an organic solvent, a pH adjuster, a surfactant, a preservative, and a fungicide, as well as a metal oxide pigment such as titanium dioxide, a binder resin, an organic solvent, and fluororesin particles such as polytetrafluoroethylene particles, wherein the total content of the pigment and the fluororesin particles is 35 to 70% by mass, based on the mass of the solid content of the ink composition, and the ratio of the mass of the fluororesin particles to the total mass of the pigment and the fluororesin particles is 0.10 to 0.45, and the ratio of the average particle diameter of the metal oxide pigment to the average particle diameter of the fluororesin particles, as measured by dynamic light scattering, is 0.2 to 4.0. Specifically, this average particle size is the value of the average particle size in the cumulant method analysis of the scattering intensity distribution, calculated using the nanoparticle analyzer nanoPartica SZ-100V2 (HORIBA Corporation). When using this oil-based ink, it is possible to obtain scratch-resistant lines that can withstand repeated rubbing and rubbing with stronger force, and that are maintained even after resistant to ultraviolet light.

[0019] Furthermore, a thermochromic ink can also be used that contains thermochromic microcapsules containing a leuco dye, a color developer, a color change temperature regulator, and a nucleating agent which is a wax made of an aliphatic ester compound having a melting point 2°C to less than 15°C higher than the melting point of the color change temperature regulator which is a wax made of an ester compound having an aromatic ring. A thermochromic ink is an ink that uses thermochromic microcapsules in which the types and contents of the leuco dye, color developer, color change temperature regulator, and nucleating agent are appropriately combined, and can be set to suitably develop color below the color development temperature and suitably decolorize (or change color) above the decolorization (or color change) temperature. Preferably, a thermochromic ink that develops color (e.g., pink) in an atmosphere below the color development temperature (e.g., 0°C) and changes to another color (e.g., red) at the color change temperature (e.g., 50°C) due to heat such as friction heat, can be used, so that paintings and letters applied outdoors change color in response to changes in the temperature environment, allowing for a variety of unprecedented changes to be enjoyed. Furthermore, the size of the thermochromic microcapsules is preferably 0.3 to 10 μm as the average particle diameter, in order to obtain sufficient stability, color development and decolorization of the lines, and to suppress a decrease in writing performance and dispersion stability of the microcapsules. The "average particle diameter" specified here is the D50 value measured by laser light diffraction / scattering method in accordance with JIS Z 8825. The content of thermochromic microcapsules should be 10 to 30% by mass of the total amount of ink composition to ensure the hue and color development of the ink.

[0020] The spray pen tip 12 has a rectangular parallelepiped coating portion 12a, a prismatic shaft portion 12b extending to the rear of the coating portion 12a, and two locking portions 12c protruding in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the shaft portion 12b. The coating portion 12a of the spray pen tip 12 has a through hole 12e through which compressed air supplied from the nozzle 18 passes. Furthermore, as shown in the exploded view of Figure 4, the spray pen tip 12 can be easily removed from the pen tip mounting portion 10a of the shaft 10.

[0021] Furthermore, the pen 4 (see Figures 3 and 4), which consists of a pen body 11, a spray pen tip 12, and a storage section 13, can be used not only as an applicator 2 that sprays the ink absorbed in the spray pen tip 12, but also as a pen on its own, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. When stored, the spray pen tip 12 is covered with a cap 16 (see Figure 4) to prevent the ink from drying out.

[0022] The pen tip holder 17 holds the spray pen tip 12 by holding the pen body 11 (barrel 10). At this time, the pen body 11 is mounted and held in the pen tip holder 17 such that the spray pen tip 12 is on the underside of the pen body 11 when the applicator 2 is in use.

[0023] Figure 5 shows the configuration of the pen nib holder 17, where (a) is a front view, (b) is a top view, (c) is a bottom view, (d) is a left side view, (e) is a cross-sectional view of C-C in Figure 5(b), (f) is a right side view, (g) is a perspective view of the top view from diagonally above, and (h) is a perspective view of the left side view from diagonally above. The pen nib holder 17 has a hollow main body portion 17a. The right side of the main body portion 17a has a curved recessed portion as shown in Figures 5(e) and (f), and an opening 17h is formed in the center of the recessed portion. The left side of the main body portion 17a is provided with a mounting portion 17b for attaching the nozzle holder 20 as shown in Figures 5(a), (e) and (h), and an opening 17c is formed in the center of the mounting portion 17b. As shown in Figure 5(e), the opening 17h on the right side and the opening 17c on the left side are in communication within the main body portion 17a (receiving portion 17i, which will be described later).

[0024] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 5(b), (e), (g), and (h), the pen tip holder 17 is equipped with a receiving portion 17i that receives the tip of the barrel 10 and the spray pen tip 12. By inserting the tip of the barrel 10 and the spray pen tip 12 into the receiving portion 17i, the pen tip holder 17 and the barrel 10 are connected. Also, by connecting the pen tip holder 17 and the barrel 10, the spray pen tip 12 is held in the pen tip holder 17. The shape of the receiving portion 17i is such that, when the tip of the barrel 10 and the spray pen tip 12 are inserted, the spray pen tip 12 is positioned at a location where the direction along the axis in which the openings 17h and 17c communicate coincides with the direction along the axis of the through hole 12e of the spray pen tip 12, as shown in Figure 2(a).

[0025] As shown in Figures 5(d) and (h), the peripheral edge of the mounting portion 17b is provided with two curved protrusions 17d and 17e, and the tips of the protrusions 17d and 17e have flange portions 17f and 17g that protrude outward, respectively.

[0026] As shown in Figure 2, the nozzle 18 is attached to the nozzle holder 20 and supplies compressed air into the through hole 12e. As shown in Figure 2, the tip of the nozzle 18 is provided with an injection part 18a for injecting compressed air. As shown in Figure 2, the rear end of the nozzle 18 has a male thread 18b that engages with the female thread 20c (see Figure 6) of the nozzle holder 20.

[0027] Figure 6 shows the configuration of the nozzle holder 20, where (a) is a front view, (b) is a left side view, (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line D-D in Figure 6(b), (d) is a perspective view of the left side taken from the right, and (e) is a perspective view of the left side taken from the left. As shown in Figures 6(b), (d), and (e), a mounting portion 20a for attaching the nozzle 18 is provided in the center of the left side of the nozzle holder 20. A recess 20b for accommodating the rear end of the nozzle 18 is provided in the center of the mounting portion 20a. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6(c), a female screw 20c is formed on the inner circumferential surface of a hole in the mounting portion 20a that communicates with the recess 20b of the nozzle holder 20, and the female screw 20c is screwed into the male screw 18b (see Figure 2) of the nozzle 18. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6(c), the nozzle holder 20 is provided with a through hole 20h that penetrates the nozzle holder 20 by communicating with a hole in which a recess 20b and a female screw 20c are formed. A mechanism for generating compressed air (not shown) is connected directly or via a hose to the inlet of the through hole 20h formed on the right side. The mechanism for generating compressed air can be, for example, a compressor, a manual compressed air pump, an air gun, or exhaled breath, and can be electric or manual.

[0028] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 6(b), (d), and (e), two semicircular holes 20d and 20e are provided on the outside of the mounting portion 20a for attaching the nozzle holder 20 to the pen nib holder 17. In addition, a locking portion 20f protruding toward the mounting portion 20a is formed within hole 20d, as shown in Figures 6(b) and (e), and a locking portion 20g protruding toward the mounting portion 20a is formed within hole 20e, as shown in Figures 6(b) and (d). The nozzle holder 20 is detachable from the pen nib holder 17. The method of attachment and detachment will be described later.

[0029] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the ink receptacle 22 is attached to the main body 17a. The ink receptacle 22 is detachable from the pen tip holder 17. The ink receptacle 22 is a tray provided to catch any ink that may accidentally drip from the spray pen tip 12, and it collects the dripped ink.

[0030] Next, the use of the applicator according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 7 is an exploded view of the applicator 2 shown in Figure 1, and Figure 8 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the applicator 2 shown in Figure 1, before the nozzle holder 20 is attached to the pen tip holder 17.

[0031] First, the pen body 11 (barrel 10) is attached to the pen tip holder 17. Specifically, the pen body 11, with the cap 16 removed, is inserted into the receiving portion 17i of the pen tip holder 17. At this time, the pen body 11 and the spray pen tip 12 are positioned so that the direction along the axis through which the openings 17h and 17c communicate coincides with the direction along the axis of the through hole 12e of the spray pen tip 12, as shown in Figure 8. The pen body 11 can be attached to and detached from the pen tip holder 17 by inserting it into the receiving portion 17i or removing it from the receiving portion 17i, as shown in Figures 7 and 8.

[0032] Next, the nozzle 18 is attached to the nozzle holder 20 by screwing the male thread 18b of the nozzle 18 into the female thread 20c of the nozzle holder 20, and then the nozzle holder 20 is attached to the pen nib holder 17. Specifically, the projection 17d of the pen nib holder 17 is inserted into the hole 20d of the nozzle holder 20, and the projection 17e of the pen nib holder 17 is inserted into the hole 20e of the nozzle holder 20, and the nozzle holder 20 is rotated around the insertion direction as its axis. The locking part 20f of the nozzle holder 20 locks into the flange part 17f of the pen nib holder 17, and the locking part 20g of the nozzle holder 20 locks into the flange part 17g of the pen nib holder 17, thereby fixing the nozzle holder 20 to the pen nib holder 17. At this time, the tip of the nozzle 18 (spray part 18a) is inserted into the entrance of the through hole 12e of the spray pen nib 12. The entrance to the through-hole 12e into which the tip of the nozzle 18 is inserted is closed by pressing the nozzle 18 against it, resulting in a sealed environment or limiting air inflow to a certain level. When removing the nozzle holder 20 from the pen nib holder 17, rotate the nozzle holder 20 in the opposite direction to when it was attached to the pen nib holder 17 until the locking mechanism 20f and 20g is released, and then remove the nozzle holder 20 from the pen nib holder 17.

[0033] Finally, a compressor is connected to the inlet of the through-hole 20h of the nozzle holder 20, and the compressor is turned on to supply compressed air from the nozzle 18 into the through-hole 12e. When compressed air is supplied into the through-hole 12e from the inlet, a negative pressure is generated inside the through-hole 12e that exceeds the capillary force that holds the ink in the spray pen nib 12, and the ink that has soaked into the spray pen nib 12 is drawn out into the through-hole 12e. The ink drawn out into the through-hole 12e is then sprayed from the opening 17h of the pen nib holder 17 through the outlet of the through-hole 12e.

[0034] According to the applicator 2 of this first embodiment, even when the compressed air pressure is weak, the ink that has soaked into the spray pen tip 12 can be sprayed. That is, one end (inlet) of the through hole 12e provided in the spray pen tip 12 is sealed or the air inflow is kept below a certain level, and the other end (outlet) of the through hole 12e is small enough that air cannot flow in from the outside due to the flow velocity of the compressed air inside the through hole 12e, so that a strong negative pressure can be created inside the through hole 12e. Therefore, since the pressure inside the through hole 12e exceeds the ink retention force due to the capillary action of the spray pen tip 12, the ink that has soaked into the spray pen tip 12 is supplied into the through hole 12e as droplets, and the ink can be sprayed together with the compressed air.

[0035] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that, for this second embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for components identical to those in the first embodiment of the applicator 2 shown in Figure 1, and their descriptions will be omitted. Figure 9 shows a cross-section of the applicator 30 according to the second embodiment, where (a) is a vertical cross-sectional view from the front and (b) is a vertical cross-sectional view from the right side.

[0036] The applicator 30 according to the second embodiment includes an auxiliary member 32 in addition to the configuration of the applicator 2 according to the first embodiment. Figure 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of the auxiliary member 32, where (a) is a front view, (b) is a top view, (c) is a left side view, (d) is a rear view, (e) is a cross-sectional view taken along E-E in Figure 10(b), (f) is a cross-sectional view taken along F-F in Figure 10(b), (g) is a perspective view of the rear taken from diagonally above, and (h) is a perspective view of the front taken from diagonally above. An opening 32c is formed on the front of the auxiliary member 32 as shown in Figures 10(a) and (h), and an opening 32d is formed on the back of the auxiliary member 32 as shown in Figures 10(d) and (g). The front opening 32c and the back opening 32d are in communication within the pen tip receiving portion 32a, which will be described later, as shown in Figures 10(b) and (f).

[0037] As shown in Figures 10(e), (f), (g), and (h), the auxiliary member 32 is provided with a pen tip receiving portion 32a for receiving the spray pen tip 12. As shown in Figure 10(b), a groove 32b is formed at the bottom of the pen tip receiving portion 32a, extending from the front to the back of the auxiliary member 32. As shown in Figures 10(a), (d), and (h), the groove 32b is positioned where the center of the opening 32c coincides with one end of the groove 32, and where the center of the opening 32d coincides with the other end of the groove 32. In this embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the groove is semicircular, but it may be approximately circular or the like.

[0038] By inserting the spray pen tip 12 into the pen tip receiving portion 32a of the auxiliary member 32, the tip of the spray pen tip 12 and the surface of the auxiliary member 32 where the groove 32b is formed (the bottom surface of the pen tip receiving portion 32a) come into close contact, and this close contact forms a pore composed of the spray pen tip 12 and the groove 32b. This through hole, composed of this pore and the openings 32c and 32d (hereinafter referred to as the "through hole of the auxiliary member 32") functions as a through hole to which compressed air is supplied, in place of the through hole 12e of the spray pen tip 12 in the applicator 2 according to the first embodiment.

[0039] The auxiliary member 32 is attached to the pen body 11 by inserting the spray pen tip 12 into the pen tip receiving portion 32a, and then, together with the pen body 11 and the spray pen tip 12, is inserted into the receiving portion 17i of the pen body holder 17, thereby being attached to and held in the pen body holder 17. As shown in Figure 9(a), the pen body 11, the spray pen tip 12, and the auxiliary member 32 are positioned so that the direction along the axis of the through hole of the pen tip holder 17 coincides with the direction along the axis of the through hole of the auxiliary member 32.

[0040] After attaching the nozzle 18 to the nozzle holder 20, the nozzle holder 20 to the pen nib holder 17, and the compressor etc. to the nozzle holder 20, the compressor is turned on and compressed air is supplied from the nozzle 18 to the inside of the through-hole of the auxiliary member 32. When compressed air is supplied to the inside of the through-hole of the auxiliary member 32, a negative pressure is applied inside the through-hole of the auxiliary member 32, such that the pressure inside the through-hole of the auxiliary member 32 becomes less than or equal to the capillary force that holds the ink in the spray pen nib 12, and the ink that has soaked into the spray pen nib 12 is drawn out into the through-hole of the auxiliary member 32. Then, the ink drawn out into the through-hole of the auxiliary member 32 is sprayed from the opening 17h of the pen nib holder 17 through the outlet of the through-hole of the auxiliary member 32.

[0041] According to the applicator 30 of this second embodiment, similar to the applicator 2 of the first embodiment, one end (inlet) of the through hole of the auxiliary member 32 is sealed or the air inflow is kept below a certain level, and the other end (outlet) of the through hole of the auxiliary member 32 is small enough that air cannot flow in from the outside due to the flow velocity of compressed air inside the through hole of the auxiliary member 32, thereby creating a strong negative pressure inside the through hole of the auxiliary member 32. Therefore, the pressure inside the through hole of the auxiliary member 32 exceeds the ink retention force due to the capillary action of the spray pen tip 12, so that the ink soaked into the spray pen tip 12 is supplied as droplets into the through hole of the auxiliary member 32, and the ink can be sprayed together with compressed air.

[0042] In the second embodiment described above, a spray pen tip 12 having a through hole 12e is used, but a general pen tip without a through hole may also be used.

[0043] Next, a coating tool according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that for the coating tool according to this third embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for the same configurations as those of the coating tool 2 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 and the description of the configuration is omitted. FIG. 11 is a view showing the appearance of the coating tool 40 according to the third embodiment, where (a) is a front view, (b) is a plan view, (c) is a perspective view of the right side surface viewed obliquely from above, (d) is a left side view, and (e) is a right side view. FIG. 12 is a view showing a cross section of the coating tool 40 shown in FIG. 11, where (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line G-G of FIG. 11(b), and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line H-H of FIG. 11(b).

[0044] The coating tool 40 according to the third embodiment includes a pen core holder 42 instead of the pen core holder 17 and the ink receiver 22 included in the coating tool 2 according to the first embodiment, and a nozzle holder 44 instead of the nozzle holder 20. Further, the coating tool 40 according to the third embodiment includes a trigger member 46 in addition to the configuration of the coating tool 2 according to the first embodiment.

[0045] FIG. 13 is a view showing the configuration of the pen core holder 42, where (a) is a front view, (b) is a plan view, (c) is a perspective view of the right side surface viewed obliquely from above, (d) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line I-I of FIG. 13(b), (e) is a left side view, (f) is a right side view, and (g) is a perspective view of the left side surface viewed obliquely from above. The pen core holder 42 includes a housing portion 42a that houses the entire lengths of the pen body 11 (the shaft cylinder 10 and the ink tank 14) and the spray pen core 12 so as to cover them. On the inner surface of the upper surface of the housing portion 42a, fixing protrusions 42b for fixing the pen body 11 are formed. The pen body 11 (the shaft cylinder 10 and the ink tank 14) and the spray pen core 12 are fixed and held in the pen core holder 14 by fitting the fixing protrusions 42b into the depressions formed on the outer surface of the upper surface of the ink tank 14.

[0046] In addition, two through holes 42c and 42d are formed on the left side surface of the pen core holder 42. The two through holes 42c and 42d are provided to easily remove the pen body 11 from the pen core holder 42. Specifically, by inserting a finger or the like from the outside of the through holes 42c and 42d and pushing out the pen body 11, the pen body 11 is removed from the pen core holder 42.

[0047] At the lower part of the pen refill holder 42, there is provided a pen refill accommodating portion 50 for accommodating a writing pen refill 48 (see FIG. 12) used when writing with the pen body 11. The writing pen refill 48 has the same outer shape as the spray pen refill 12, and no spray through-hole 12e is formed. The pen refill accommodating portion 50 has an insertion port 50a on the right side surface and a protrusion 50b on the inner surface of the bottom surface. The writing pen refill 48 is inserted through the insertion port 50a and lightly press-fitted by the protrusion 50b. Therefore, even when the applicator 40 is in use, the writing pen refill 48 stays within the pen refill accommodating portion 50 and does not fall.

[0048] At the lower part of the pen refill holder 42 and on the upper surface of the pen refill accommodating portion 50, a plurality of ink grooves 42e are formed. Since the ink grooves 42e are penetrating, even if ink leaks from the spray pen refill 12 when the applicator 40 is in use, the leaked ink passes through the ink grooves 42e and is absorbed by the writing pen refill 48 accommodated in the pen refill accommodating portion 50.

[0049] On the lower left side surface of the pen refill holder 42, there is formed a nozzle holder accommodating portion 52 for accommodating a nozzle accommodating portion 44c (described later) of the nozzle holder 44. In the nozzle holder accommodating portion 52, screw holes 52a and 52b for fixing the nozzle holder 44 (nozzle accommodating portion 44c) to the pen refill holder 42 with screws are provided.

[0050] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the configuration of the nozzle holder 44, where (a) is a front view, (b) is a plan view, (c) is a left side view, (d) is a right side view, (e) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line J - J of FIG. 14(b), (f) is a perspective view of the right side seen obliquely from above, and (g) is a perspective view of the left side seen obliquely from above. The nozzle holder 44 includes a main body portion 44a and a member 44b having a cross-sectional arc shape extending leftward from the left upper end of the main body portion 44a. In the central portion of the right side surface of the main body portion 44a, a nozzle accommodating portion 44c for accommodating the nozzle 18 is provided. Further, in the main body portion 44a, a through-hole 44d communicating with the nozzle accommodating portion 44c is provided. At the tip of the member 44b, a groove 44e having a C-shaped cross-section for mounting the trigger member 46 is formed.

[0051] Figure 15 shows the configuration of the trigger member 46, where (a) is a front view, (b) is a top view, (c) is a bottom view, (d) is a left side view, (e) is a right side view, (f) is a perspective view of the left side seen from diagonally below, and (g) is a perspective view of the right side seen from diagonally above. The trigger member 46 is a member for attaching a mechanism that generates compressed air (not shown). The trigger member 46 has a receiving portion 46c that receives the mechanism that generates compressed air. A round bar 46a is provided at the upper left end of the trigger member 46 for fixing the trigger member 46 to the nozzle holder 44. The longitudinal direction of the round bar 46a is oriented perpendicular to the axial direction of the shaft cylinder 10 (see Figure 12). When using the applicator 40, the user grips the lower part of the trigger member 46 together with the mechanism that generates compressed air, so a non-slip rib 46b is provided on the lower right side of the trigger member 46.

[0052] Next, the use of the applicator according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 16 is an exploded view of the applicator 40 shown in Figure 11, and Figure 17 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the applicator 40 shown in Figure 11, and is a diagram showing the state before the nozzle holder 44 is attached to the pen tip holder 42.

[0053] First, while pressing the right side of the pen body 11, the pen body 11 and the spray pen tip 12 are inserted into the pen tip holder 42 from the right side and installed. The pen body 11 and the spray pen tip 12 are fixed to the pen tip holder 42 by the fixing projection 42b (see Figure 13) of the pen tip holder 42 fitting into a recess formed on the upper outer surface of the ink tank 14. At this time, as shown in Figure 12(a), the spray pen tip 12 is positioned so that the direction along the axis of the through hole 12e of the spray pen tip 12 coincides with the direction along the axis of the through hole that constitutes the nozzle holder housing 52.

[0054] Next, the nozzle 18 is attached to the nozzle housing portion 44c of the nozzle holder 44, and the nozzle holder 44 is attached to the pen nib holder 42. Specifically, the nozzle housing portion 44c of the nozzle holder 44 is inserted into the nozzle holder housing portion 52 of the pen nib holder 42, and screws (not shown) are inserted into the screw holes 52a and 52b and screwed in, thereby fixing the nozzle holder 44 to the pen nib holder 42.

[0055] Furthermore, regardless of the timing (it doesn't matter whether it's before or after attaching the pen body 11 and spray pen tip 12 to the pen tip holder 42, or before or after attaching the nozzle holder 44 to the pen tip holder 42), the writing pen tip 48 is placed in the pen tip housing section 50 of the pen tip holder 42 (see Figure 13). Also, regardless of the timing (it doesn't matter whether it's before or after attaching the nozzle 18 to the nozzle housing section 44c of the nozzle holder 44, or before or after attaching the nozzle holder 44 to the pen tip holder 42), the trigger member 46 is attached to the nozzle holder 44. Specifically, the round bar 46a of the trigger member 46 is inserted into the groove 44e of the nozzle holder 44 from the front or back and slid to fix the trigger member 46 to the nozzle holder 44.

[0056] Finally, the power supply of a compressor or the like, which is attached to the trigger member 46 either in advance or at the time of use, is turned on to supply compressed air from the nozzle 18 into the through hole 12e. When compressed air is supplied to the inside of the through hole 12e from the inlet, a negative pressure is generated inside the through hole 12e that exceeds the capillary force that holds the ink in the spray pen tip 12, and the ink that has soaked into the spray pen tip 12 is drawn into the inside of the through hole 12e and sprayed from the outlet of the through hole 12e.

[0057] According to this third embodiment of the applicator 40, in addition to the same effects as the applicator 2 according to the first embodiment and the applicator 30 according to the second embodiment, it is equipped with a trigger member 46 for attaching a mechanism that generates compressed air, such as a compressor, so that the compressor, etc. can be easily connected to the nozzle holder 44 via the trigger member 46.

[0058] Furthermore, according to the applicator according to each of the embodiments described above, by balancing the ink flow rate, the ink retention capacity of the spray pen tip 12, and the flow resistance, ink can be sprayed in a stable state for a long period of time without ink clogging. Therefore, the present invention can be applied even to configurations that were previously prone to clogging, such as when using ink containing large particle sizes that tend to clog the nozzle 18, when ink is replaced frequently, or when using two-component suction-mixed inks or pen tips with a high oil content.

[0059] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, ink was used as an example of the liquid supplied from the spray pen tip 12 and sprayed from the opening 17h of the pen tip holder 17 or the through hole 12e of the spray pen tip 12, but other liquids such as water may also be used. Also, in the embodiments described above, the case in which the spray pen tip 12 is attached to the pen body 11 was used as an example, but instead of the pen body 11, for example, a spray pen tip 12 attached to a liquid supply body capable of supplying liquid to the spray pen tip 12 may be used. The pen tip holders 17 and 42 hold the pen body 11, and when the applicators 2, 30, and 40 are in use, the pen body 11 is held by the pen tip holders 17 and 42 such that the spray pen tip 12 is on the underside of the pen body 11, thereby keeping the ink supply passage open and enabling continuous spraying of ink.

[0060] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, the nozzle 18 shown in Figure 18(f) was used as an example of the nozzle shape, but other nozzle shapes may be used instead of nozzle 18, for example, a nozzle 34a with a conical tip as shown in Figure 18(a), a nozzle 34b with an overall conical shape as shown in Figure 18(b), a cylindrical nozzle 34c as shown in Figure 18(c), a nozzle 34d with a narrow front and a cylindrical rear as shown in Figure 18(d), or a nozzle 34e with a tip shorter than nozzle 18 as shown in Figure 18(e). Note that in Figures 18(a) to (f), the top figure is a perspective view seen from diagonally above the front, the middle figure is a front view, and the bottom figure is a longitudinal cross-sectional view seen from the front. Furthermore, when the applicator 2 is in use, the tip (spraying part) of the nozzles other than the nozzle 34b shown in Figure 18(b) is inserted into the through hole 12e of the spray pen core 12 or the through hole of the auxiliary member 32. However, the tip (spraying part) of the nozzle 34b shown in Figure 18(b) is not inserted into the through hole 12e or the through hole of the auxiliary member 32, and is configured to block the entrance of the through hole 12e or the through hole of the auxiliary member 32.

[0061] Furthermore, in addition to the configurations of the applicators 2, 30, and 40 according to the above-described embodiments, an adjustment mechanism may be provided that can adjust the position and angle of the spray portion 18a of the nozzle 18 relative to the through hole 12e of the spray pen tip 12. The adjustment mechanism adjusts the position in which the spray portion 18a is inserted into the entrance of the through hole 12e and the angle at which the spray portion 18a is inserted into the entrance of the through hole 12e, as it is desirable for the compressed air sprayed from the spray portion 18a to be sprayed in a direction along the axial direction of the through hole 12e and to pass through the through hole 12e.

[0062] This invention can be used not only as a writing instrument but also as an applicator.

[0063] 2, 30, 40... Applicator, 4... Pen, 10... Shaft, 10a... Pen tip mounting section, 10b... Thin diameter section, 11... Pen body, 12... Spray pen tip, 12a... Applicator section, 12b... Shaft section, 12c... Locking section, 12e... Through hole, 13... Storage section, 14... Ink tank, 14a... Ink storage chamber, 15... Valve, 16... Cap, 17, 42... Pen tip holder, 17a, 44a... Main body section, 17b... Mounting section, 17c... Opening, 17d, 17e... Projection section, 17f, 17g... Flange section, 17h... Opening, 17i... Receiving section, 18... Nozzle, 18a... Spray section, 18b... Male screw, 20, 44... Nozzle holder, 20a... Attachment part, 20b...recess, 20c...female thread, 20d, 20e...hole, 20f, 20g...locking part, 20h, 42c, 42d, 44d...through hole, 22...ink receptacle, 26...valve hole, 28...valve body, 32...auxiliary member, 32a...pen nib receiving part, 32b...groove, 32c, 32d...opening, 42a...storage part, 42b...fixing projection, 42e...ink groove, 44c...nozzle housing part, 44e...groove, 46...trigger member, 46a...round bar, 46b...rib, 46c...receiving part, 48...writing pen nib, 50...pen nib housing part, 50a...insertion opening, 50b...projection, 52...nozzle holder housing part, 44f, 52a, 52b...screw hole.

Claims

1. An applicator for spraying a liquid that has permeated a pen nib which holds the liquid by capillary force, comprising: a through hole formed in the pen nib, or formed by bringing into close contact one surface of the pen nib and the surface of an auxiliary member on which a groove is formed; a nozzle for supplying compressed air into the through hole; a pen nib holder for holding the pen nib, or for holding the pen nib and the auxiliary member; and a nozzle holder for holding the nozzle and being attached to the pen nib holder, wherein one end of the through hole is sealed or the inflow of air is kept below a certain level, and when compressed air is supplied from the nozzle into the through hole, the liquid that has permeated the pen nib is sprayed from the other end of the through hole.

2. The applicator according to claim 1, characterized in that the pen tip is a porous body made of felt, fiber bundles, or a sintered body.

3. The applicator according to claim 1, characterized in that the nozzle holder is detachable from the pen tip holder.

4. The applicator according to claim 1, further comprising a pen body that stores the liquid and into which the pen nib is attached, wherein the pen nib holder houses the pen nib and the pen body, holds the pen body, and is capable of housing the writing pen nib.

5. The applicator according to claim 1, further comprising a pen body that stores the liquid and into which the pen nib is attached, wherein the pen nib holder holds the pen body, and the pen body is held in the pen nib holder with the ink supply passage open when the applicator is in use.

6. The applicator according to claim 5, characterized in that the mechanism for generating the compressed air is a compressor, a manual compressed air pump, an air gun, or exhaled breath from a person.

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