GB2193881A

GB2193881A - Liquid applicator

Info

Publication number: GB2193881A
Application number: GB08714617A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Yasuyuki Iwase
Original assignee: Mitsubishi Pencil Co Ltd
Current assignee: Mitsubishi Pencil Co Ltd
Priority date: 1986-06-23
Filing date: 1987-06-23
Publication date: 1988-02-24
Anticipated expiration: 2007-06-23
Also published as: JPS631674U; GB8714617D0; KR880000204U; JPH0618616Y2; GB2193881B; FR2600270B1; IT8720984A0; KR900006963Y1; FR2600270A1; IT1205163B; DE3720592A1

Description

1 GB 2 193 881 A 1 SPECIFICATION cosmetic product, and the main body may

be in the form of an elongate sleeve for storing Liquid applicator the appropriate application liquid.

A preferred embodiment of the invention The present invention relates to a liquid appli- 70 will now be described by way of example and cator such as a writing instrument or a cos- with reference to the accompanying drawings.

metic instrument, provided with a bellows unit Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a marking at the rear of a main body, the bellows units pen in accordance with the present invention, being arranged to control the discharge of ap- in which both a rigid cover and a cap thereof plication liquid to a liquid application portion of 75 are separated from a shaft sleeve or main the applicator. body of the marking pen; and In liquid applicators such as writing instru- Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the ments or cosmetic instruments it is known to marking pen of the present invention, to provide a valve unit in an application liquid, which the rigid cover is attached.

containing portion of the liquid applicator in 80 The marking pen has a shaft sleeve or a order to control the application liquid to be main body 1 made of a synthetic resin and to fed to a liquid application portion of the liquid the rear end portion of the shaft sleeve an applicator, regardless of whether an incorpor- axially compressible bellows unit 2 is integrally ated application liquid reservoir or a detacha- connected. The shaft sleeve 1, bellows unit 2 ble application liquid cartridge is employed. In 85 and other components of the marking pen or some of such liquid applicators, an axially of other embodiments of the invention can be compressible bellows unit serves as a so- made of any material used to manufacture called push-out mechanism for opening/closing conventional liquid applicators.

the valve unit incorporated in the liquid appli- The shaft sleeve 1 of the marking pen also cator, for example, as disclosed in Japanese 90 serves as an application liquid reservoir 3 in a Utility Model Application No. 60-122082. front end opening portion of which is provided However, such a liquid applicator provided a valve unit 4. A liquid application member 5 with a bellows unit at its rear end to serve as extends axially through a front shaft 6 which the push-out mechanism suffers from a prob- is threadedly connected to a front end portion lem in that the bellows unit thereof can be 95 of the shaft sleeve 1 of the marking pen.

accidentally pushed axially forward to be com- The valve unit 4 is constructed of a valve pressed so as to open the valve unit. This is stem 7, a valve seat 8, and a coil spring 9 particularly likely when the user covers the urging the valve stem 7 in the axial direction liquid application portion of the applicator with thereof towards the rear of the pen. A thin a cap while he holds the main body or shaft 100 connecting rod 10 is fixedly mounted to the of the liquid applicator stationary against the rear end of the valve stem 7 and extends to cap's axial rearward motion. an inner surface of a rear end wall of the According to the invention, there is provided bellows unit 2.

a liquid applicator comprising a main body, a In operation, the user pushes the rear end compressible bellows unit at the rear of the 105 of the bellows unit 2 forward while he holds main body arranged to control the discharge the shaft sleeve 1 stationary, so that the con of application liquidto a liquid application por- necting rod 10 is moved forward and pushes tion of the applicator, and a rigid member ar- the valve stem 7 against a resilient force of ranged adjacent the rear of the bellows unit the coil spring 9 to open the valve unit 4.

such that when the bellows unit is in its un- 110 When the bellows unit 2 is released from the compressed condition it does not project rear- user's pushing force, the valve stem 7 is wardly beyond the rearward extent of the rigid moved rearward to return to its initial position member. under the influence of the resilient force of the With this arrangement the bellows unit is coil spring 9 so that the valve unit is closed generally prevented from being compressed 115 while the connecting rod and the bellows unit unless it is intentionally operated by the user 2 return to their respective initial positions.

so that e.g. when a cap is replaced at the - The shaft sleeve 1 is reduced in diameter at front of the main body the discharge of appli- its rear end to form a shoulder 11 and a cation liquid to the liquid application portion of reduced diameter portion 12. The bellows unit the applicator is avoided. 120 2 is integrally provided at the rear end of the Preferably the rigid member comprises a reduced diameter portion 12 of the shaft cover sleeve open at both axial ends thereof sleeve 1. Accordingly, the bellows unit 2 is and arranged to cover substantially the entire slightly smaller in outer diameter than the outer peripheral portion of the bellows unit. shaft sleeve 1.

In a preferred embodiment the rigid member 125 A circumferentially extending projection 13 is removably connected to the main body by is provided on the reduced diameter portion means provided at the forward end of the 12 of the shaft sleeve 1. In this embodiment rigid member. a single continuous annular projection 13 is The liquid applicator may be a writing in- provided, but instead the reduced diameter strument or an instrument for dispensing a 130 portion 12 may have a plurality of intermittent 2 GB2193881A 2 projections or alternatively one or more sleeve 1 with the use of a finger passing grooves. The interior of the bellows unit 2 through the cut-off portions of - the cover 14 communicates with that of the shaft sleeve 1, between these projections 15 and 15'. The while the bellows unit 2 is closed at its rear cover 14 can prevent the bellows unit 2 from end. Thus the application liquid reservoir 3 of 70 being pushed forward relative to the shaft the marking pen is constructed of the shaft sleeve 1 with the use of the user's palm, sleeve 1, the bellows unit 2, and the valve because the user's palm is considerably larger unit 4. in area than the rear end opening of the cover The reference numeral 14 denotes a sleeve- 14. Thus when the cap 17 is replaced on the like rigid cover open at both axial ends. The 75 front shaft 6 of the liquid applicator, the rear cover 14 is arranged to cover substantially the end of the shaft sleeve 1 is usually supported entire outer peripheral surface of the bellows by the user's palm so as to be held stationary unit 2, and is detachably mounted on the rear against the cap's rearward motion. Conse end portion of the shaft sleeve 1 of the mark- quently, in this case, it is possible to prevent ing pen. As seen in Figure 1, the cover 14 is 80 the accidental pushing operation of the bel diametrically cut at its rear end portion to lows unit 2 from occurring, which leads to the form a pair of diametrically opposed projec- prevention of the accidental opening operation tions 15 and 15'. Although preferred, the pro- of the valve unit 4.

jections 15 and 15' are not essential features. Modifications to the invention both in its The axial length of the cover 14 is substanbroad aspects and its specific embodiments tially the same as that of the bellows unit 2 may be apparent to a person skilled in the art between the shoulder portion 11 and the rear and it is intended that such modifications are end of the bellows unit 2 in the uncom- included within the scope of the disclosure of pressed state. If projections 15 and 15' are this specification.

provided at the rear of the cover 14, the axial 90

Claims

length of the cover 14 will include the axial CLAIMS length of the projections 15 and 15'.

1. A liquid applicator comprising a main The cover 14 receives the rear end portion body, a compressible bellows unit at the rear of the shaft sleeve 1 of the liquid applicator of the main body arranged to control the dis and abuts on the shoulder portion 11 so that 95 charge of application liquid to a liquid applica the cover 14 is detachably mounted on the tion portion of the applicator, and a rigid rear end portion of the shaft sleeve 1. In such member arranged adjacent the rear of the bel mounting, the projection 13 formed in the re- lows unit such that when the bellows unit is duced diameter portion 12 of the shaft sleeve in its uncompressed condition it does not pro- 1 snaps into place in an annular groove 16 100 ject rearwardly beyond the rearward extent of formed in the inner wall of the cover 14 at a the rigid member.

position corresponding to that of the projec-

2. A liquid applicator as claimed in claim 1, tion 13, so that the cover 14 is firmly held by wherein the rigid member comprises a cover the reduced diameter portion 2 of the shaft sleeve open at both axial ends thereof and sleeve 1. 105 arranged to cover substantially the entire outer Preferablyl- the cover 14 is made of the. peripheral portion of the bellows unit.

same material as that of the shaft sleeve 1.

3. A liquid applicator as claimed in claim 1 However, it is also possible that the cover 14 or 2, wherein the rigid member is removably is made of a material. different from that of connected to the main body by means pro- the shaft sleeve 1. 110 vided at the forward end of the rigid member. I I i 1 Further, it is also possible that the bellows 1

4. A liquid applicator as claimed in claim 1, 41 4- unit 2 is equal in outer diameter to the shaft 2 or 3, wherein the main body comprises an o I: N, sleeve 1, the cover 14 then being larger in elongate sleeve for storing application liquid.

outer diameter than the shaft sleeve 1.

5. A liquid applicator as claimed in any pro- The cover 14 is mounted on the shaft 115 ceeding claim, being a writing instrument.

sleeve 1 in use to cover substantially the en-

6. A liquid applicator as claimed in any of tire outer peripheral surface of the bellows claims 1 to 4, being an instrument for dis unit 2 so as to prevent an accidental pushing pensing a cosmetic product.

operation of the bellows unit 2 from occuring,

7. A liquid applicator, substantially as herein which leads to prevention of an accidental 120 described with reference to the accompanying opening of the valve unit 4. drawings.

When the pushing operation of the bellows unit 2 is required, it is performed by inserting Published 1988 at The Patent Office, State House, 66/71 High Holborn, London WC 1 R 4TP. Further copies may be obtained from a finger into the rear end opening of the cover The Patent Office, Sales Branch, St Mary Cray, Orpington, KentBR5 3RD, 14 to axially push the rear end of the bellows Printed by Burgess & Son (Abingdon) Ltd. Con. 1/87.

unit 2 forward while the shaft sleeve 1 is held stationary. In the preferred embodiment in which projections 15 and 15' are provided in the cover 14, it is possible to push the bel lows unit 2 forward relative to the shaft