1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transfer tool having a case member including a head cap rotatable between a close position where a transfer surface side of a transfer head is covered and an open position where a surface of the head cap is opposed to or abuts against a case member body.
2. Background of the Related Art
Conventionally, in a transfer tool in which a transfer tape supplied from a supply reel rotatable around a spindle is wound around a winding reel through a transfer head rotatable, a structure having a head cap capable of covering the transfer head at a refill which holds the supply reel, the transfer head and the winding reel is used widely. In the transfer tool having such a structure, s standing plate which is opposed to a side plate of the transfer head is provided on each of both end edges of the head cap in its widthwise direction, and a holding mechanism is provided between the standing plate and the side plate such that the head cap can be held in a close position (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-54190 for example).
To reduce the amount of waste when the refill is to be disposed, it is conceived to provide the head cap on the side of the case member. However, when the structure of the head cap described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-54190 is employed, the head and the standing plate of the head cap interfere with each other when a refill is mounted in a state where the head cap is disposed on the side of the close position, it is necessary to retract the head cap toward the open position when the mounting operation of the refill is carried out, and there is a problem that some people feel it troublesome to mount the refill.
The present invention is for solving this problem.
That is, the present invention provides a transfer tool including a transfer head which has a folded-back guide for folding and guiding a transfer tape and a pair of outer walls for supporting side ends of the folded-back guide and which forms a transfer tape inserting passage between the outer walls, a refill for holding at least the transfer head, a case capable of holding the refill such that the refill can be inserted into and pulled out from the case from one direction, and a head cap which is pivotally mounted on the case through a pivot shaft and which can turn between a close position where the transfer head is covered and an open position where the transfer head is exposed, wherein the head cap is located outside an inserting and pulling out locus of the transfer head when the head cap is disposed in the close position.
According to this structure, even when the head cap is disposed in the close position, since the head cap is located outside the inserting and pulling out locus of the transfer head, it is possible to prevent the transfer head and the head cap from interfering with each other when a refill is attached or detached. Thus, labor for retracting the head cap toward the open position can be omitted. That is, it is possible to more easily mount the refill.
To prevent the transfer head from being exposed outside immediately after the refill is mounted on a case, such a transfer tool may further include a holding mechanism for elastically urging the head cap toward the close position. With this structure, the head cap can be held in the close position in a state where the head cap is elastically urged toward the close position.
If the holding mechanism is provided in the vicinity of the pivot shaft portion of the head cap, it is unnecessary to provide a constituent part of the holding mechanism on the side of the transfer head, and it is possible to easily share the design of the transfer head or the refill with other type of transfer head.
To enhance the outward appearance of the head cap and to reduce the entire transfer tool having such a head cap in size, the transfer tool may further include a head accommodating recess portion which can accommodate the folding back guide portion of the transfer head when head cap is disposed in the close position. With this structure, if the folding back guide portion of the transfer head is accommodated in the head accommodating recess portion, it is possible to prevent the folding back guide portion of the transfer head and the head cap from interfering with each other, and bring the head cap and the transfer head close to each other when the head cap is disposed in the close position.
To more effectively cover the transfer head in the close position, the transfer tool may further include a wall body which is provided on the opposite side in a pulling-out direction of the head cap and which is superposed on one of the outer walls that is located on the opposite side in a pulling-out direction of the transfer head.
According to the structure of the transfer tool of the present invention, even when the head cap is disposed in the close position, since the head cap is located outside the inserting and pulling out locus of the transfer head, it is possible to prevent the transfer head and the head cap from interfering with each other when a refill is attached or detached. Thus, labor for retracting the head cap toward the open position can be omitted. That is, it is possible to more easily mount the refill.
An embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.
As shown in
Parts constituting the transfer tool A will be explained below. In the following explanation, unless otherwise specified, “front” means a side where the transfer head 4 exists and “back” means a side opposite from the transfer head 4. An example of a transferring object is paste, or a correcting ink coating film or the like for correcting a character or a figure written or printed on a paper sheet or a film which is an object to be transferred.
As described above, the transfer tool body 1 includes the case portion 2 and the refill 3 which is detachably held in the case portion 2. The case portion 2 includes a first case 6, a second case 7 which pairs off with the first case 6, and a hinge 21 which connects the first and second cases 6 and 7 such that they can relatively move between a use position S and an open position O.
Constituent parts of the case portion 2 will be explained in more detail. As shown in
The main wall 61 is provided therein with a supply reel mounting portion 611 for rotatably mounting a supply reel 32 of the refill 3, and a winding reel mounting portion 612 for rotatably supporting a winding reel 33 of the refill 3. The supply reel mounting portion 611 includes a supply reel support portion 611a which can rotate together with the supply reel 32 if the supply reel support portion 611a is inserted into a later-described meshing hole (not shown) of the supply reel 32, and a drive gear 611b which is coaxially mounted on the supply reel support portion 611a through a slide mechanism (not shown). The winding reel mounting portion 612 is integrally formed from the main wall 61 into a substantially cylindrical shape, and the winding reel mounting portion 612 can be inserted into a later-described winding reel mounting hole (not shown) formed in a tip end of the winding reel 33.
The outer wall 62 projects from a portion of the outer edge of the main wall 61 except the front end. The rear end of the outer wall 62 is formed as a hinge corresponding portion 62a to provide the hinge 21 on the rear end of the outer wall 62. An outer peripheral surface of the hinge corresponding portion 62a is continuous with an outer peripheral surface of other portion of the outer wall 62. The transfer head 4 passes through a head-exposing opening and is exposed outside. The head-exposing opening is a portion where the outer wall 62 is not provided.
As shown in
The lid 71 is formed with insertion projections 711 and 712 which can be fitted into supported holes 34x and 34y formed in a support plate 34 at two locations corresponding to centers of the supply reel 32 and the winding reel 33.
To provide the hinge 21 on the rear end of the outer wall 72, the rear end of the outer wall 72 is formed as a hinge corresponding portion 72a. An outer peripheral surface of the hinge corresponding portion 72a is continuous with an outer peripheral surface of the other portion of the outer wall 72.
Front engaging part and rear engaging part are provided between the first case 6 and the second case 7 to realize a reliable engagement between the first and second cases 6 and 7. The front engaging part engages a front engaging recess 62x formed in a front portion of the outer wall 62 of the first case 6 and a front engaging pawl 721 provided on the outer wall 72 of the second case 7 at a location where a position thereof in the longitudinal direction matches with the front engaging recess 62x in the use position S with each other. The rear engaging part engages a rear engaging recess 62y provided at a central portion of the outer wall 62 of the first case 6 in the longitudinal direction and a rear engaging pawl 722 with each other. The rear engaging pawl 722 is provided on a portion of the outer wall 72 of the second case 7 which matches with the rear engaging recess 62y in the use position S in the longitudinal direction. The rear engaging pawl 722 can move between an engaging position where the rear engaging pawl 722 engages with the rear engaging recess 62y and a separating position where the rear engaging pawl 722 is separated from the rear engaging recess 62y. An operating portion 723 is provided near the rear engaging pawl 722. If the operating portion 723 receives an operating force, the rear engaging pawl 722 elastically deforms and moves from the engaging position to the separating position.
On the other hand, the hinge 21 connects the first and second cases 6 and 7 with each other such that the cases can relatively move between the use position S and the open position O as described above. In this embodiment, the hinge 21 is provided inward of the outer edge of the second case 7. More specifically, the hinge 21 is formed by utilizing a shaft member 211 projecting from the second case 7, and a pair of bearings 212 and 212 which are provided on the first case 6 and which pivotally support the shaft member 211 from both sides thereof. An evacuation space SS is provided near the hinge 21 of the first case 6, preferably in front of the bearings 212 and 212 for receiving the second case 7 in the close position Q.
The transfer tool A of the embodiment further includes a transmission mechanism which is provided between the first case 6 and the refill 3 for transmitting rotation of the supply reel 32 to the winding reel 33.
The refill 3 is held between the first case 6 and the second case 7. The refill 3 includes the supply reel 32 which holds an unused transfer tape in a state, the unused transfer tape being wounded on the supply reel 32 in the state, the winding reel 33 around which a used transfer tape film is wound, and a support plate 34 which rotatably supports the supply reel 32 and the winding reel 33 and which integrally holds the transfer head 4.
The transfer head 4 can transfer a transferring object provided on a transfer tape to an object to be transferred. In this embodiment, the transfer head 4 is supported by the refill 3, and the refill 3 and the transfer head 4 are integrally handled.
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
In addition, a stopping member 9 can be inserted and pulled out between the supply reel 32 and the support plate 34 to prevent the supply reel 32 from rotating when the refill 3 is transported alone. As shown in
As shown in
The head cap 5 is pivotally supported by the first case 6 through the pivot shaft 53. The head cap 5 can turn between the close position P where the head cap 5 can cover a tip end of the transfer head 4 and an open position Q where the tip end of the transfer head 4, i.e., at least the restriction plates 43 and 43 and the transfer roller 44 are exposed.
More specifically, as shown in
An urging mechanism 54 which selectively elastically urges the head cap 5 toward the close position P or the open position Q is provided in the vicinity of the pivot shaft portion 53 of the head cap 5. More specifically, as shown in
As described above, the transfer tool according to the present invention includes a transfer tool comprising a transfer head which has a folding back guide portion for folding and guiding a transfer tape and a pair of outer walls for supporting side ends of the folding back guide and in which a transfer tape passage is formed between the outer walls; a refill for holding at least the transfer head; a case capable of holding the refill such that the refill can be inserted into and pulled out from the case in one direction; and a head cap which is pivotally mounted on the case through a pivot shaft portion and rotatable between a close position where the transfer head is covered and an open position where the transfer head is exposed, wherein the head cap is located outside an inserting and pulling out locus of the transfer head when the head cap is disposed in the close position. Therefore, even when the head cap 5 is disposed in the close position P, since the head cap 5 is located outside the inserting and pulling out locus of the transfer head 4, it is possible to prevent the transfer head 4 and the head cap 5 from interfering with each other when the refill 3 is attached or detached. Thus, labor for retracting the head cap 5 toward the open position Q can be omitted. That is, it is possible to more easily mount the refill 3.
Since the transfer tool A has the urging mechanism 54 which elastically urges the head cap 5 toward the close position P, the head cap 5 can be elastically urged toward the close position P by the urging mechanism 54 and the head cap 5 can be held in the close position P. Therefore, in the transfer tool A, it is possible to prevent the transfer head 4 from being exposed outside immediately after the refill 3 is mounted on the case portion 2.
Since the urging mechanism 54 is provided near the pivot shaft portion 53 of the head cap 5, it is unnecessary to provide a constituent part of the urging mechanism 54 on the side of the transfer head 4, and it is possible to easily share the design of the transfer head 4 or the refill 3 with other type of transfer tools.
In addition, the head cap 5 includes the head accommodating recess portion 5X which can accommodate the transfer roller 44 of the transfer head 4 therein when the head cap 5 is disposed in the close position P. Therefore, if the transfer roller 44 is accommodated in the head accommodating recess portion 5X, it is possible to prevent the transfer roller 44 of the transfer head 4 and the head cap 5 from interfering with each other, and the head cap 5 and the transfer head 4 can be brought closer when the head cap 5 is disposed in the close position P. Therefore, it is possible to enhance the outward appearance of the head cap 5 and to reduce the entire transfer tool A having such a head cap 5 in size.
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment.
For example, in the close position, a wall body which is overlapped on one of the outer walls that is located on the opposite side in the pulling out direction of the transfer head may be provided on the opposite side in the pulling out direction of the head cap. With this structure, the transfer head can be covered more effectively. In this case, a holding mechanism which holds the head cap in the close position and the open position may be provided between the case portion and the outer wall of the head cap.
It is not always necessary that the head cap is provided with the head accommodating recess portion which can accommodate the folding back guide portion for the transfer head.
It is possible to variously modify the invention in a range not departing from the subject matter of the present invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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P2007-196635 | Jul 2007 | JP | national |
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Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
1 717 180 | Nov 2006 | EP |
2003-54190 | Feb 2003 | JP |
2003-54190 | Feb 2003 | JP |
WO 9923022 | May 1999 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20090025884 A1 | Jan 2009 | US |