EP1818181B1 - Sharpener for soft lead pencil - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a sharpener for a soft pencil, in particular a cosmetic pencil.

A sharpener is commonly used to sharpen the lead of a pencil and thereby peel off any mine sheath that may be present. Conventionally, a sharpener comprises an approximately cuboidal sharpener body, in which a substantially circular cone-shaped pointed cone is introduced as a guide for the pen tip such that its lateral surface approximately touches an outer surface of the sharpener body. In the vicinity of this tangent, the pointed cone is opened via a chip ejection slot to the adjacent outer surface of the sharpener body. A sharpener further comprises a paring knife, which is attached tangentially with respect to the lateral surface of the pointed cone on the sharpener body and protrudes with a cutting edge in the chip ejection slot, so that upon rotation of a pin inserted into the tapered cone with respect to the sharpener body by the cutting edge of the peeling knife a chip of lifted off the pen.

In addition to pins with hard lead material pins are often used with a soft, plastic mine. In particular, cosmetic pencils usually belong to these so-called soft lead pencils. When cutting a soft pencil, the problem increasingly arises that the peeled soft lead material sticks in the pointed cone or on the paring knife and forms lumpy residues. This can lead to contamination or smearing of the pin surface during the sharpening process or even to clogging of the pointed cone or any other impairment of the pointed function and is therefore undesirable.

Special sharpener for soft pencils, as for example DE 199 34 691 A1 . DE 199 15 384 A1 . DE 27 43 120 A1 . EP 1 598 215 A1 or DE 199 52 039 A1 are therefore often provided with a comparatively wide chip ejection slot and / or the sharpener blade opposite opening of the pointed cone to facilitate the ejection of the lead mass and to make the peeling blade and the tip of the pointed cone for the purpose of cleaning more accessible.

A cosmetic pencil, unlike a writing or drawing pen, generally does not desire to make a tapered pen point as a result of the sharpening process, but rather to make a rounded pen tip having a defined tip shape. From DE 199 34 691 A1 and DE 199 15 384 A1 known sharpener for cosmetic pencils therefore have in addition to the paring knife on a so-called Fassonmesser, which protrudes with a curved cutting edge in the pen tip in the pin guide channel, so scraped during the sharpening process mining mass of the pin on the Fassonmesser and the desired tip shape is formed. The Fassonmesser also referred to as a Mine Shaper is either an integral part of the sharpener body formed or connected as a separate part with this. The out DE 199 52 039 A1 known sharpener comprises a plurality of blade diameter with different degree of rounding, which can be pivoted in exchange with each other in a pin guide channel. At another US 832 . 446 a Known sharpener is a Fassonmesser provided which is accessible from a rear side of the associated sharpener body.

Disadvantageously, a conventional Fassonmesser promotes the above-described problem of clumping or fouling of the pen tip, especially since the Fassonmesser abschabt in addition in the near-to-reach, and thus particularly narrow area of the pin guide channel additional mining mass. Due to the additional removal of lead mass to form the pen tip of the pen is also consumed relatively quickly. At the same time this results in comparatively much spitz waste. Especially since cosmetic pencils and the associated sharpener can often be taken as personal items, in particular as a permanent inventory of a lady's handbag, and used in a wide variety of environments the necessary disposal of spiked waste is perceived as a nuisance and under certain circumstances even prohibits the use of the sharpener. On the other hand, when storing the spiked refuse in a chip container or the like, the spiked refuse presents a risk of contamination.

document EP 1598215 describes a pencil sharpener for sharpening a soft pencil with a sharpener body and a paring knife mounted thereon, wherein the sharpener body defining a pin guide channel bore and an obliquely with respect to an axis of the pin guide channel employed staff attitude for the paring knife, wherein the sharpener body formed a guide sleeve and the molded onto the guide sleeve Knife position comprises, wherein the pin guide channel defining hole completely passes through the guide sleeve between an inlet end and an outlet end for the pin, and wherein the knife attitude is wedge-shaped and projects beyond the outlet end of the guide sleeve in the axial direction.

document US 2309194 describes a pencil sharpener having at least one mortar former for forming the pencil tip of the pencil, which is accessible and usable separately from the pencil guide channel, wherein the mold cavity former for forming the lead material comprises an externally accessible, substantially conical recess which terminates in a rounded cone tip ,

The object of the invention is to specify a pencil sharpener which is particularly suitable for the tips of pens, in particular cosmetic pens, in the background described above.

This object is achieved according to the invention by the features of claim 1. Thereafter, the pencil sharpener comprises a sharpener body with a bore defining a pin guide channel and with an obliquely to an axis of the pin guide channel employed knife holder for a paring knife. The sharpener further comprises a mortar former placed outside the pin guide channel so as to be accessible and usable separately from the pin guide channel. The refiner is optionally formed as an integral part of the sharpener body or - as a separate part or component of a chip box, cleaning rod, etc. - connected to the latter.

By separate from the pin guide channel arrangement of the Minenformers the pencil sharpener is functionally designed such that the actual peak function is spatially and temporally separated from the function of mine forming. Accordingly, when using the pen nib, depending on how it is handled, the nib is sharpened either by peeling off the refill and the lead shroud, which may be surrounded by it, or the lead protruding in the region of the nib is brought into a desired predetermined shape.

The separation of pointed function and mine-forming function on the one hand has the advantage that in the actual sharpening process, on average, less lead mass is removed than is the case with a conventional cosmetic sharpener with a mortar shaper integrated in the pin guide channel. As a result, the problem of clogging or contamination of the pen tip is reduced in the case of the pencil sharpener according to the invention during the sharpening process. On the other hand, the pencil sharpener according to the invention has the advantage that no or only comparatively little waste is produced in the process of forming the lead. In particular, the sharpener according to the invention makes it possible to repeatedly mold the tip of a cosmetic pencil between two sharpening processes. The pen tip can thereby in the desired shape be kept without having to constantly tip the pen. As a result, a very low pin consumption and a particularly low accumulation of spiked waste is achieved at the same time very precise trimming the pen.

According to the invention, the mortar former comprises an externally accessible, substantially conical recess with a rounded cone tip, which forms a hollow shape in which the lead is trimmed by pressing the tip of the pencil by mere deformation of the lead material. This embodiment of the Mine Former has the particular advantage that during the formation of the mine virtually no Spitzabfall arises.

The mine former may be disposed in any position on the sharpener body. For handling technical reasons, however, the lead former is preferably arranged on the front side or according to the invention on the rear side of the sharpener body. The front side is that side of the sharpener body, at which also the pin guide channel opens. The reverse side of this front side opposite side of the sharpener body is called.

Advantageously, contamination of the Minenformers is effectively avoided by the fact that the recess of the Minenformers - as already out WO88 / 09267 A1 known - has an anti-adhesion surface. This is optionally realized in that the Mine shaper is made as a solid part of a material with low surface adhesion, in particular Teflon, or that the recess of the Mine Shaper is lined with an anti-adhesive coating.

Conveniently, the sharpener has a plurality of mortar shaper of the type described above, wherein the degree of fillet is different for each refiner, so that by selecting one of these Minenformer the pen point can be selectively brought into a more or less rounded shape. In one variant of the pen nib is of at least two of the sharpener body associated Minenformern a first Minenformer formed in the manner of a Fassonmessers so that it forms the pen tip by scraping of mine mass, while the second Minenformer brings the mining mold by pure forming the mining mass in the desired shape. The latter embodiment is particularly advantageous in order to be able to work with the same sharpener both pencils with a harder lead and pens with a particularly soft lead. Trained in the manner of a Fasson knife trained Minenformer is particularly advantageous for comparatively hard pen leads, while the trained as a pure mold former brings with particularly soft mining masses user benefits.

According to the invention, the sharpener body is reduced to a particular extent to the parts essential for its function, in that it comprises a guide sleeve, a knife holder molded onto it, and an end sleeve or end cap as parts which are offset from one another but are integrally connected. The guide sleeve serves to guide the pin during the sharpening process by sheathing the bore defining the pin guide channel. The guide sleeve is open at both axial ends. Thus, the bore defining the pin guide channel completely passes through the guide sleeve between an entry end and an exit end, so that the tip of the pin projects beyond the guide sleeve in the tip position in the direction of the rear side of the tip body. The knife holder is substantially wedge-shaped and formed laterally offset from the guide sleeve, so that it projects beyond the outlet end of the guide sleeve in the axial direction and flank the pin guide channel only on one side. The ferrule or cap, in turn, is located at the end of the knife holder remote from the guide sleeve and supports or holds the miner former, with the recess of the mortiser facing away from the back of the sharpener body, i. is accessible from the side facing away from the guide sleeve of the Mine shaper or cap ago.

The above-described embodiment of the pencil sharpener has the particular advantage that the sharpener body in the area in which during the sharpening process the pen tip is located, is largely open to the outside. This greatly reduces the risk of lead mass accumulating and clumping in the region of the pen tip during the sharpening process.

In order to stabilize the sharpener body, in the embodiment described above, this comprises at least one flat support wing which is formed on the outer circumference of the guide sleeve and the end sleeve or cap, so that it connects the guide sleeve and the end sleeve in the manner of a clamp. The support wing protrudes here (seen in cross-section) approximately radially from the guide sleeve, so that it does not appreciably affect the open design of the sharpener body and does not hinder the fall of the mining mass.

Conveniently, the sharpener body is provided with two support wings, which project in opposite directions from the outer circumference of the guide sleeve and the end sleeve or end cap, so that the sharpener body seen in the direction along the axis of the pin guide channel, approximately in the shape of a wing nut. In this case, advantageously, the knife holder is integrated in one of the support wings, while the other support wing is arranged on the opposite side of the knife holder pin guide channel.

Fig. 1

in Draufsicht einen Stiftspitzer, umfassend einen Spitzerkörper mit einer Führungshülse, die einen Stiftführungskanal zur Führung eines Stifts beim Spitzvorgang umgibt, sowie einen mit dem Spitzerkörper verbundenen Minenformer, der separat von dem Stiftführungskanal zugänglich und benutzbar ist,

Fig. 2

in Seitenansicht den Spitzer gemäß Fig. 1,

Fig. 3

in einem Längsschnitt III-III den Spitzer gemäß Fig. 1,

Fig. 4

in Darstellung gemäß Fig. 1 eine alternative Ausführungsform des Stiftspitzers, bei der der Minenformer in den Spitzerkörper integriert ist,

Fig. 5

in Seitenansicht den Spitzer gemäß Fig. 4, und

Fig. 6

in einem Längsschnitt VI-VI den Spitzer gemäß Fig. 4.

Embodiments of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to a drawing. Show:

Fig. 1

a pencil sharpener in plan view, comprising a sharpener body with a guide sleeve which surrounds a pin guide channel for guiding a pin during the sharpening process, as well as a lead former connected to the sharpener body, which is accessible and usable separately from the pin guide channel,

Fig. 2

in side view the sharpener according to Fig. 1 .

Fig. 3

in a longitudinal section III-III the sharpener according to Fig. 1 .

Fig. 4

in illustration according to Fig. 1 an alternative embodiment of the pencil sharpener in which the mortiser is integrated with the sharpener body,

Fig. 5

in side view the sharpener according to Fig. 4 , and

Fig. 6

in a longitudinal section VI-VI the sharpener according to Fig. 4 ,

Corresponding parts are always provided in all figures with the same reference numerals.

The in the Fig. 1 to 3 Spitzer 1 shown in a first embodiment represents a further development of an in EP 1 598 215 A1 It comprises, as already described in the aforementioned document, a one-piece sharpener body 2 made of plastic or metal and a paring knife 3.

The sharpener body 2 comprises a guide sleeve 4 and a blade holder 5 integrally formed thereon. The guide sleeve 4 is provided with a central bore 6 (FIG. Fig. 3 ) providing a pin guide channel 7 ( Fig. 3 ), wherein the bore 6 passes through the guide sleeve 4 completely. The guide sleeve 4 and in particular its bore 6 accordingly have an entry end 8, on which a pin S ( Fig. 3 ) is to be introduced into the bore 6 for the sharpening process. The entry end 8 axially opposite end of the guide sleeve 4 and the bore 6, to which the pen tip of the pin S in pointed position protrudes out of the guide sleeve 4 is referred to as the exit end 9. The pin guide channel 7 denotes the volume occupied by the pin S to be sharpened in the pointed position inside and outside of the guide sleeve 4.

In a section 10 of the guide sleeve 4 adjoining the entry end 8, the bore 6 is cylindrical, ie of constant diameter. This cylindrical portion 10 serves to ensure a good guidance of the pin S along an axis 11 of the pin guide channel 7. In an adjacent to the outlet end 9 section 12 of the guide sleeve 4, the bore 6 tapers towards the outlet end 9 conically. This conical portion 12 of the bore 6 serves as a stop of the pin S in the pointed position.

The outer circumference 13 of the guide sleeve 4 can in principle be designed arbitrarily. In the illustrated embodiments, the outer circumference 13 of the guide sleeve 4 but (in cross section) is always circular.

The knife holder 5 has, as in particular Fig. 3 can be seen, essentially the shape of a wedge whose horizontal surface 14 ( Fig. 3 ) is aligned at a small distance parallel to the axis 11 of the pin guide channel 7. The inclined surface of the wedge shape, however, forms a bearing surface 15 (FIG. Fig. 3 ) on which the paring knife 3 is positioned at an angle with respect to the axis 11. The bearing surface 15 is for this purpose in particular surrounded on its side facing away from the axis 11 edge with a rail-like positioning aid 16, on which the paring knife 3 is applied. The paring knife 3 is aligned in this position such that its cutting edge 17 (FIG. Fig. 1 ) forms a line about the axis 11 intersecting line. The paring knife 3 is fixed by means of a fastening screw 18 on the support surface 15.

The knife holder 5 is arranged with its longitudinal axis offset parallel to the axis 11, so that its wedge tip 19 is remote from the guide sleeve 4, and the wedge tip 19 opposite wedge base 20 (FIGS. Fig. 1 ) of the guide sleeve 4 faces. The knife holder 5 overlaps in the region of the wedge base 20 with the guide sleeve 4 in an axial region which exceeds the axial length of the conical section 12 of the guide sleeve 4. This overlap ensures that the pin S is peeled clean to its outer periphery. In the overlapping area, the guide sleeve 4 is provided with a chip ejection slot 21 (FIG. Fig. 1 ), in which the cutting edge 17 of the peeling blade 3 protrudes.

In the predominant region of its axial extension, the knife holder 5 projects beyond the outlet end 9 of the guide sleeve 4. In this area, the peeling blade 3 and the pin guide channel 7 occupied by the pin S during the sharpening process are virtually free in space. In particular, the pin guide channel 7 is surrounded only in a circumferential angular range of slightly more than 90 ° from the knife holder 5 and the paring knife 3. In the vast peripheral angle range, in particular upwards, downwards, and to the side facing away from the knife holder 5 side of the sharpener body 2, the pin guide channel 7 in the region of the pen tip, however, is open to the outside. "Top" here, regardless of the orientation of the sharpener 1 in the surrounding space, the side of the sharpener body 2, on which the paring knife 3 is fixed, "down" the opposite side.

The sharpener body 2 further comprises two support wings 25,26, each of which is integrally formed in the region of an end 27 on the outer circumference 13 of the guide sleeve 4 and from there - viewed in cross section along the axis 11 - projects radially. The two support wings 25,26 are arranged in particular on mutually opposite peripheral regions of the guide sleeve 4, so that the sharpener body 2 has approximately the shape of a wing nut.

Each support wing 25,26 has an elongated, flat shape whose longitudinal extent is aligned parallel to the axis 11. From the guide sleeve 4 facing the end 27 of each support wings 25,26 extends in the direction of the outlet end 9 and beyond. The support vanes 25, 26 thus flank the knife holder 5 and the paring knife 3 in the axial direction. The support vanes 25, 26 are arranged such that a respective lower surface 28 of the respective support wing 25, 26 is aligned with the horizontal surface 14 of the wedge-shaped knife holder 5. The knife holder 5 is integrated into the support wing 25, so that the lower surface 28 of the support wing 25 with the horizontal surface 14 of the knife holder 5 forms a common, contiguous surface.

With a respective opposite end 30 to the end 30 of each support wings 25,26 formed on the outer periphery 35 of an end sleeve 36 which is arranged coaxially with the guide sleeve 4 and axially offset therefrom. The support wings 25,26 thus extend like a clamp between the guide sleeve 4 and the end sleeve 36, wherein the knife holder 5 is received between the guide sleeve 4 and the end sleeve 36.

The end sleeve 36 serves as a holder for a Mine Shaper 37. The Mine Shaper 37 is formed as a separate part which is provided with a holding projection 38 (FIG. Fig. 3 ) into a corresponding bore 39 (FIG. Fig. 3 ) of the end sleeve 36 is inserted. The mine former 37 is preferably held in the end sleeve 36 by press fit; it may alternatively or additionally but also screwed to the end sleeve 36, glued or welded or held in other ways in the end sleeve 36.

For forming the pen tip of the pin S, the mortar former 37 is provided with a recess 40 which, starting from an inlet opening 41 (FIG. Fig. 3 ), conically tapered, and in a blunt, rounded tip 42 ( Fig. 3 ) expires. The inlet opening 41 of the lead former 37 is in this case diametrically opposite to the inlet opening 8 of the guide sleeve 4, and thus arranged the bore 6, so that the lead former 37 is arranged outside the pin guide channel 7 and separately accessible and usable by this.

For forming the pen tip, the pin S is optionally pressed with rotation relative to the pin body 2 in the recess 40, so that the soft lead material is formed into a well-defined, complementary to the shape of the recess 40 shape. In order to prevent adherence of residues of the lead mass in the recess 40, the lead former 37 is formed of a material with low surface adhesion, in particular Teflon.

One in the 4 to 6 illustrated alternative embodiment of the sharpener 1 substantially corresponds to the embodiment described above. Deviating from this but here is the Mine Shaper 37 as an end cap instead of the End sleeve 36 integrally integrated into the sharpener body 2. In this case, the lead former 37 consists of the same material as the remaining sharpener body 2. However, in order to prevent residues of the lead mass from adhering, the recess 40 is optionally lined with an anti-adhesive layer.

Numerous modifications and combinations of the illustrated embodiments are conceivable. In one embodiment, the sharpener body 2 carries two, in particular different, former formers 37, which are arranged in particular next to one another on the rear end of the sharpener body 2 facing away from the guide sleeve 4. The Mine shaper 37 can hereby according to Fig. 1 connected as separate parts with the sharpener body 2 or according to Fig. 4 be integrated in the same. These two mine shapers 37 differ, for example, in that one of the kind in the Fig. 1 to 6 described mine former 37 is formed as a pure mold for forming the penpoint tip, while the second Mine Former as Fassonmesser that forms the pen tip by scraping of mine mass, is formed. Alternatively, the two demineralizers may also be of similar design, but differ in the tip shape of the recess 40, in particular in the degree of rounding of the tip 42.

Furthermore, the basic idea according to the invention, namely the arrangement and accessibility of the lead former which is separate from the guide channel, can generally be applied to sharpeners with an arbitrarily shaped sharpener body. The one or more Mine Former can in principle be arranged at any point of the sharpener body. From a handling point of view, however, the one or more mortar formers are preferably arranged on the front side of the sharpener, ie next to the inlet opening of the pin guide channel, or according to the invention on the rear side of the sharpener body, ie opposite to the inlet opening of the pin guide channel.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

Sharpener

2

sharpener body

3

paring knife

4

guide sleeve

5

knife holder

6

drilling

7

Pin guide channel

8th

entry end

9

exit end

10

(cylindrical) section

11

axis

12

(conical) section

13

outer periphery

14

horizontal surface

15

bearing surface

16

positioning

17

cutting edge

18

fixing screw

19

Keilspitze

20

wedge base

21

Chip ejection slot

25

support wings

26

support wings

27

The End

28

(lower) surface

30

The End

35

outer periphery

36

ferrule

37

core shaper

38

retaining projection

39

drilling

40

recess

41

inlet opening

42

top

43

contour

44

cutting edge

45

guide ring

S

pen

Claims (8)

1. Pencil sharpener (1) for sharpening of a soft-core pencil (S) having a sharpener body (2) and a shaving blade (3) attached to the same, whereby the sharpener body (2) has a hole (6) defining a pencil-guiding channel (7) as well as a blade holder (5) being arranged at an incline with respect to an axis (11) of the pencil-guiding channel (7) intended for the shaving blade (3), and having at least one core shaper (37) for shaping the core tip of the pencil (S), said core shaper (37) being accessible and usable separately from the pencil-guiding channel (7), whereby the core shaper (37), as a hollow for deformation of the core material, comprises a basically tapered recess (40), which is accessible from the outside and which ends in a rounded cone tip (42),
   whereby
   the sharpener body (2) comprises a guide sleeve (4), the blade holder (5) moulded to the guide sleeve (4), as well as an end sleeve (36) or end cap holding or containing the core shaper (37),

   - whereby the hole (6) defining the pencil-guiding channel (7) completely permeates the guide sleeve (4) between an inlet end (8) and an outlet end (9) for the pencil, and

   - whereby the blade holder (5) is designed wedge-shaped and projects beyond the outlet end (9) of the guide sleeve (4) in axial direction, and

   - whereby the end sleeve (36) or end cap is arranged at that end of the blade holder (5) that is facing away from the guide sleeve (4) in such a way that the recess (40) is accessible from that side of the core shaper (37) that is facing away from the guide sleeve (4).
2. Pencil sharpener (1) according to claim 1,
   characterized in that
   the core shaper (37) is formed in one piece with the sharpener body (2).
3. Pencil sharpener according to claim 1,
   characterized in that
   the core shaper (37) is developed as a separate part that is combinable with the sharpener body (2).
4. Pencil sharpener (1) according to one of the claims 1 to 3,
   characterized in that
   the recess (40) is provided with an anti-stick-surface.
5. Pencil sharpener (1) according to one of the claims 1 to 4,
   characterized in
   having several core shapers (37), whereby the degree of rounding differs for each core shaper (37).
6. Pencil sharpener according to one of the claims 1 to 5,
   characterized in that
   the guide sleeve (4) and the end sleeve (36) or end cap are connected in one piece via at least one support flange (25, 26), said at least one support flange (25, 26) being moulded to the respective outer circumference (13) of the guide sleeve (4) and the end sleeve (36), and said at least one support flange (25, 26) projecting from said outer circumference in an approximately radial fashion.
7. Pencil sharpener (1) according to claim 6,
   characterized in
   having two support flanges (25, 26), which are basically moulded opposite from one another to the outer circumference (13) of the guide sleeve (4) and the end sleeve (36) or end cap.
8. Pencil sharpener (1) according to claim 6 or 7,
   characterized in that
   the blade holder (5) is integrated in a support flange (25, 26).

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