1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a composite holding tool that allows a plurality of media to be selectively used.
2. Description of the Related Art
A known composite holding tool of this type includes a front barrel, a rear barrel rotatably connected to the front barrel, a plurality of holding bodies that are housed in the front barrel non-rotatably relative to the front barrel and movably in an axial direction, and always urged backward, and a cam cylinder that rotates together with the rear barrel, and can selectively hold any of the plurality of holding bodies holding a medium, with a tip of the holding body projecting from a tip of the front barrel, by a relative rotation between the front barrel and the rear barrel (for example, see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-328393 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-208186.
In such a conventional composite holding tool, a holder is provided at a rear end of the rear barrel and houses an eraser, a stamp seal, or the like.
However, the rear end of the rear barrel simply houses a small or disposable component such as a stamp seal or an eraser, and the space in the rear barrel is insufficiently utilized. Furthermore, a coating transfer tool using a coating transfer tape has been commercially available as a correction tool, but such a tool is bulky and, in most cases, produced and used as a single component rather than in combination with other components, and thus insufficiently used.
Furthermore, in the conventional composite holding tool, if an unnecessary force acts on the holding body when the holding body is being protruded by the cam cylinder, twist or runout occurs in the holding body to cause diametrical or circumferential displacement of the holding body rather than axial displacement, thereby the operability is spoiled.
Furthermore, in the conventional composite holding tool, the number of holding bodies to be housed is previously determined, and the holding tool has a configuration corresponding to the number. Thus, in order to change the number of holding bodies, parts or the like corresponding to the number have to be manufactured, thereby the manufacturing cost is increased.
The invention is made in view of the problems, and has an object to provide a composite holding tool that allows a space in a rear barrel or an outer barrel to be effectively used to expand a range of use of one composite holding tool. Another object of the invention is to provide a composite holding tool that incorporates a coating transfer unit, which is bulky and has not been used in combination. A further object of the invention is to provide a composite holding tool that can be smoothly operated to protrude a holding body forward. A further object of the invention is to provide a composite holding tool that can provide for changes in the number of holding bodies to be used at low costs.
In order to achieve the objects, according to a first aspect of the present invention, composite holding tool includes a front barrel, a rear barrel rotatably connected to the front barrel, a plurality of holding bodies housed in the front barrel movably in an axial direction, and a cam cylinder that rotates together with the rear barrel, and can selectively hold any of the plurality of holding bodies, with a tip of the holding body protruding from a tip of the front barrel, by a relative rotation between the front barrel and the rear barrel. A cartridge is connected to one of the rear barrel and the cam cylinder and placed in the rear barrel. A part of the cartridge projectes from a rear end of the rear barrel. Rotating the rear barrel relative to the front barrel allows any of the plurality of holding bodies to be held with the tip thereof protruding from the tip of the front barrel for selective use of the holding body. Furthermore, the cartridge placed in the rear barrel can be used from the side of the rear barrel so that a range of use of the composite holding tool can be expanded.
The cartridge can be replaceably connected to one of the rear barrel and the cam cylinder. Even if the space in the rear barrel is limited, and the cartridge has a small volume and thus has a relatively short life, the cartridge can be replaced and used during the life of the composite holding tool.
The cartridge can have an engagement portion that engages an engagement portion formed on one of the rear barrel and the cam cylinder, and an inner peripheral surface of the rear barrel matches an outer peripheral surface of the cartridge. Engagement between the engagement portion of the cartridge and the engagement portion formed on one of the rear barrel and the cam cylinder allows the cartridge to be reliably held in the rear barrel. When the outer peripheral surface of the cartridge is in a noncircular shape, matching the inner peripheral surface of the rear barrel with the noncircular shape allows circumferential positioning of the cartridge.
A window can be formed in a peripheral surface of the rear barrel so that the cartridge can be operated from outside through the window. Even if the cartridge is placed in the rear barrel, the cartridge can be operated.
A cam slider that slides along a cam surface of the cam cylinder can be connected to each of the holding bodies, the cam slider makes sliding contact with an adjacent cam slider, and the cam slider slides along the cam surface and the adjacent cam slider and is movable in the axial direction. The cam sliders make sliding contact with each other, and slide along the adjacent cam sliders, and thus the cam sliders smoothly move in the axial direction. The adjacent cam slider can prevent diametrical displacement of the cam slider, and smoothly move the holding body connected to the cam slider in the axial direction.
A ridge extending in the axial direction is formed on a surface of each cam slider in contact with the adjacent cam slider, and a groove extending in the axial direction and into which the ridge fits is formed in a portion of the adjacent cam slider corresponding to the ridge. As the ridge of the adjacent cam slider fits into the groove of the cam slider, the adjacent cam slider can prevent diametrical and circumferential displacement of the cam slider, and smoothly move the holding body connected to the cam slider in the axial direction.
In the case of that the number of the holding bodies is smaller than the number of the cam sliders, a dummy holding body is connected to a cam slider to which no holding body is connected. Using the dummy holding body allows change in the number of holding bodies to be housed within the maximum number of holding bodies to be housed, without changing components, at low costs.
A coil spring that always urges the cam slider toward the cam cylinder is wound around the holding body, and when the dummy holding body is used, the coil spring is wound around the dummy holding body. The dummy holding body allows stable placement of the coil spring.
According to a second aspect of the invention according to the present invention, a composite holding tool includes an outer barrel, a holding body that is housed in the outer barrel and holds a medium having a tip that can protrude from a tip of the outer barrel and ready for use, and a cartridge that is housed in the outer barrel and has a tip projecting from a rear end of the outer barrel. The cartridge has a casing that houses the medium to be served for use, and the casing is connected to the outer barrel. When the tip of the outer barrel is on the side of use, the medium held by the holding body housed in the outer barrel can be used. Alternatively, the outer barrel is inverted, and the rear end thereof is on the side of use, the medium housed in the casing of the cartridge housed in the outer barrel can be used. Using the cartridge from the side of the rear end of the outer barrel allows a range of use of the composite holding tool to be expanded.
The casing of the cartridge in the second aspect of the invention is detachably connected to the outer barrel. Even if the space in the outer barrel is limited, and the cartridge has a small volume and thus has a relatively short life, the casing is detached from the outer barrel, and the cartridge can be replaced and used during the life of the composite holding tool.
The cartridge maybe a tape cartridge that houses a coating transfer tape. In the case of the second aspect of the invention, the medium housed in the casing is the coating transfer tape. When the holding body is a writing barrel body, and the holding body is used to write and a writing error is happened, the composite holding tool is inverted, and the coating transfer tape is pressed onto a transferred surface to be corrected and moved, thus allowing immediate and easy correction. Therefore, one composite holding tool can be used for both writing and correction of writing to increase convenience. A combination of the coating transfer tape with other holding bodies can increase availability. Because the composite holding tool houses the plurality of holding bodies, the rear barrel has a somewhat large diameter and thus has a configuration suitable for placement of the tape cartridge therein.
Preferably, the width of the coating transfer tape is more than 0 and 7 mm or less. The coating transfer tape can be housed in the rear barrel without increasing an outer diameter of the composite holding tool. Furthermore, a minute correction spot can be easily corrected.
A base material of the coating transfer tape may be a plastic film. This can reduce the volume of the coating transfer tape or allows a long coating transfer tape to be housed in the rear barrel to prolong the useful life of the cartridge.
Now, an embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
In the drawings, a composite holding tool 10 has a front barrel 12 and a rear barrel 14 connected to the front barrel 12. An elastic gripper 13 made of an elastic material fits around the front barrel 12. The front barrel 12 and the rear barrel 14 are rotatably and detachably connected via an intermediate barrel 16. Specifically, a rear portion of the intermediate barrel 16 is rotatably engaged to a cam cylinder 26 described below, i.e. an opening end 16a of the intermediate barrel 16 is engaged to an annular projection 26g of the cam cylinder 26 (see
An outer barrel constituted by the front barrel 12, the intermediate barrel 16 and the rear barrel 14 houses a plurality of holding bodies 20, 20. In this embodiment, the holding bodies 20 are two ball point pen holding bodies that hold inks of different colors as media. However, the holding body is not limited to the ball point pen holding body, but may hold a plurality of media including stationery media such as a writing lead, solid glue or an eraser, other cosmetic media, and data input media such as a stylus tip.
As shown in
As shown in
A rear surface of a rear end of the cam projection 22a of the cam slider 22 is an axially inclined surface, the center of the surface projects backward the most to form a rearmost end, and the rearmost end of the cam projection 22a forms a sharp pointed locked portion 22b.
A coil spring 24 wound around each holding body 20 is inserted between a rear end surface of the partition wall 16b of the intermediate barrel 16 and a front end surface of the cam slider 22. The coil spring 24 always urges backward the holding body 20 together with the cam slider 22, the cam projection 22a is pressed against a cam cylinder 26 described below, and the rear surface of the cam projection 22a makes sliding contact with a front surface of the cam cylinder 26.
The cam cylinder 26 is secured non-rotatably relative to the rear barrel 14. Specifically, an engagement portion 26a is formed on a rear end of the cam cylinder 26, an outer peripheral surface of a cross section of the engagement portion 26a is in a noncircular shape, and an opening in a partition wall 14a (
A front surface of the cam cylinder 26 has a cam surface 26d projecting forward. The center of the cam surface 26d projects forward the most, and a tip thereof forms a locking portion 26e to which the locked portion 22b of the cam slider 22 is locked.
An inner peripheral surface of the engagement portion 26a of the cam cylinder 26 has an engagement projection 26f (
The tape cartridge 28 includes, as shown in
The unused tape 40a of the coating transfer tape 40 unwound from the unwinding core 32 is guided by a guide pin 30a provided in the casing 30, and projects from an opening 30b of the casing 30 to be placed around a tip of the transfer head 38. The unused tape 40a becomes the used tape 40b after pressed onto a transferred surface and transferred thereto at the tip of the transfer head 38. The used tape 40b returns from the opening 30b into the casing 30, guided by a guide pin 30c and wound up by the winding core 34.
An end opposite to the opening 30b of the casing 30 is an engagement portion 30d having a somewhat smaller diameter than a body of the casing 30, and the engagement portion 30d has an engagement projection 30e and ribs 30f. The engagement projection 30e is locked to the engagement projection 26f of the engagement portion 26a of the cam cylinder 26, and the ribs 30f are fitted into the slits 26c of the engagement portion 26a of the cam cylinder 26, thus the casing 30 detachably engages the cam cylinder 26.
A side surface of the casing 30 has a window 30g that an extension 34a of an axis of the winding core 34 faces. Correspondingly to the window 30g, a side surface of the rear barrel 14 has a window 14b. The extension 34a of the winding core 34 can be rotationally operated from outside through the windows 14b and 30g. Furthermore, a grip 30h having an uneven outer surface is provided in a protruding manner on each side surface of the casing 30, and correspondingly to the grip 30h, a notch 14c that receives the grip 30h is formed in a rear end of the peripheral surface of the rear barrel 14 (see
A clip 18 is provided on the rear barrel 14. The clip 18 may be a component different from or integral with the rear barrel 14. In the case of that the clip 18 is a different component from the rear barrel 14, for example, the clip 18 is made of a material different from that of the rear barrel 14. If the rear barrel 14 is made of resin, the clip 18 can be made of metal to provide a quality appearance. As shown in
In this embodiment, the maximum number of holding bodies 20 to be housed is three, but the number of the holding bodies 20 actually housed is two. A dummy holding body 21 is connected instead of the holding body 20 to one of the three cam sliders 22. Then, the coil spring 24 is wound around the dummy holding body 21, and urges backward the cam slider 22 to which the dummy holding body 21 is connected. Using such a dummy holding body 21 allows changes in the number of holding bodies 20 to be housed within the maximum number of holding bodies to be housed, without changing parts, at low costs.
An operation of the composite holding tool configured as described above will be described. First, when the holding body 20 is unused, the locked portion 22b of the cam slider 22 connected to the holding body 20 abuts against the cam surface 26d behind the locking portion 26e of the cam surface 26d of the cam cylinder 26. When any of the plurality of holding bodies 20 is to be used, the rear barrel 14 is rotated relative to the front barrel 12. This causes the cam cylinder 26 secured to the rear barrel 14 to rotate together with the rear barrel 14. On the other hand, the cam slider 22 non-rotatable relative to the front barrel 12 and the intermediate barrel 16 does not rotate, thus the cam projection 22a of the cam slider 22 slides on the cam surface 26d of the cam cylinder 26, any of the plurality of cam sliders 22 moves forward along the cam surface 26d, the locked portion 22b of the cam projection 22a is locked to the locking portion 26e of the cam surface 26d, and the holding body 20 connected to the cam slider 22 is held in an advancing state. The cam projections 22a of the other cam sliders 22 move backward along the cam surface 26d of the cam cylinder 26. The tip of the holding body 20 that has advanced protrudes from a tip protrusion opening 12a of the front barrel 12, and the holding body 20 is ready for use.
On the other hand, when correction is required during writing using the holding body 20 as the ball point pen holding body, the composite holding tool 10 is inverted, the cap 39 placed over the transfer head 38 of the rear barrel 14 is detached, and the transfer head 38 is pressed onto the transferred surface to be corrected and moved, thus the unused tape 40a of the coating transfer tape 40 is unwound from the unwinding core 32, and the coating layer is transferred to a correction spot. The used tape 40b from which the coating layer is transferred is wound up by the winding core 34. When the winding core 34 requires to be rotated, the extension 34a can be rotated through the window 14b of the rear barrel 14 and the window 30g of the casing 30.
In this way, when a writing error occurs during writing using the ball point pen holding body 20, the composite holding tool 10 is inverted, and the coating transfer tape 40 is pressed onto the transferred surface to be corrected and moved, thus executing immediate and easy correction. Therefore, one composite holding tool 10 can be used both for writing and correction of writing to increase convenience.
When ink of the ball point pen holding body 20 runs out, the front barrel 12 is detached from the intermediate barrel 16, the ball point pen holding body 20 is drawn and detached from the cam slider 22, and then a new ball point pen holding body 20 is connected to the cam slider 22 for replacement. When the unused tape 40a of the coating transfer tape 40 completely becomes the used tape 40b and can be no longer used, the tape cartridge 28 is drawn and detached from the cam cylinder 26 with the grip 30h of the casing 30 held, and then a new tape cartridge 28 is connected to the cam cylinder 26 for replacement. When the new tape cartridge 28 is inserted, the grip 30h of the casing 30 is fitted into the notch 14c of the rear barrel 14 to align the window 30g of the casing 30 with the window 14b of the rear barrel 14, and align the rib 30f of the engagement portion 30d of the casing 30 with the slit 26c of the engagement portion 26a of the cam cylinder 26 in the rear barrel 14. Thus, the tape cartridge 28 can engage the cam cylinder 26.
As described above, according to the invention, the tape cartridge 28 is housed in the rear barrel 14 of the composite holding tool 10, and thus the inside of the rear barrel 14 can be effectively used to expand a range of use of the composite holding tool 10. Because the composite holding tool 10 houses the plurality of holding bodies 20, the rear barrel 14 has a somewhat large diameter and thus has a configuration suitable for placement of the tape cartridge 28 therein. Further, the tape cartridge 28 can be replaced by an easy operation to increase convenience. Therefore, even if the tape cartridge 28 has a small volume and the length of the coating transfer tape 40 is limited, the tape cartridge 28 can be replaced and then used again.
In this embodiment, the tape cartridge 28 engages the cam cylinder 26 and is indirectly connected to the rear barrel 14, but not limited to this, the tape cartridge 28 may directly engage and connect to the rear barrel 14. The rear barrel 14 and the cam cylinder 26 may be integrally formed. Further, in this embodiment, the outer barrel houses the plurality of holding bodies 20, and each holding body 20 selectively protrudes from the tip protrusion opening 12a of the front barrel 12 (that is, the tip of the outer barrel), but not limited to this, the outer barrel may house a single holding body 20 and the tape cartridge 28 only. In this case, the holding body 20 may always project from the tip protrusion opening 12a of the front barrel 12, or may be operated to protrude or retract.
As described above, according to the invention, the cartridge is placed in the rear barrel of the composite holding tool, and thus using the cartridge from the rear end of the rear barrel allows a range of use of the composite holding tool to be expanded.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2002-301001 | Oct 2002 | JP | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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5642953 | Kobayashi et al. | Jul 1997 | A |
5890825 | Kageyama et al. | Apr 1999 | A |
6461068 | Holmes | Oct 2002 | B1 |
6582514 | Yang | Jun 2003 | B1 |
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1 136 611 | Sep 1962 | DE |
2 774 331 | Aug 1999 | FR |
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10-025056 | Jan 1998 | JP |
WO 0125025 | Apr 2001 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20040114985 A1 | Jun 2004 | US |