JP2007298353A - Tape measure with light - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a tape measure with a light wherein a lighting means is incorporated into a case member surely in a short time and the reduction of its manufacturing cost is expectable. <P>SOLUTION: The tape measure includes a lighting unit 1 in a case 9. The lighting unit 1 is made up of a holder 2 comprising a battery housing part 4 and a light-emitting body mounting part 3; and a battery, a light emitting body 3a, and a light switch 5, with these mounted in the holder. The emitting body and the switch face to the outside of the case. The tape measure is equipped in the case 9 with a rotary drum 12 provided rotatably around a shaft 10, a tape 13 with scale for length measurement wound around the rotary drum, and a coil spring 14 for biasing the rotary drum around the shaft in a direction that takes up the tape in the case. The lighting unit 2 is provided on the front end side of the shaft 10. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an illuminated tape measure provided with a lighting device in a case. More specifically, when the lighting device is incorporated into the case of the tape measure, the illumination device can be incorporated in a fixed position in a short time. Related to tape measure.

  Conventionally, there are various types of tape measures provided with an illuminating device inside (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2), and a battery housing portion and a power switch mounting portion that are constituent members of the illuminating device are provided on the front wall portion in the case. Generally, it is arranged on the top wall part or the rear wall part.

  The battery housing part and the power switch mounting part are usually provided by directly molding on a tape measure case member. Therefore, the battery housing part, the power switch mounting part, and the illumination are provided in the molding die for the case member. A mounting portion for the light emitter is formed.

  And, at a predetermined position of the case member in which the mounting portion is formed in advance at the time of molding, a rotating drum that is a component member on the tape measure side, a battery that is a component member of the lighting device, a power switch, a light emitter for illumination, and An electrically conductive member of an electric circuit is incorporated to complete an illuminated tape measure.

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-195611 (page 9, FIG. 2) JP 11-237201 A (page 4, FIG. 1)

  The illuminated tape measure can illuminate the scale on the tape surface with an illuminator, making it easy to read the scale, and is very convenient for users with a lot of work in the dark or at night. There is a problem like this.

  In the conventional illuminated tape measure, the components of the tape measure itself and the components of the illumination device must be incorporated simultaneously into the case member that becomes the main body of the tape measure in the assembly process. Different and complicated processes are required, and the number of assembling steps is large, and the manufacturing cost increases as the number of man-hours increases.

  In addition, as described above, the assembly work is proceeding while simultaneously incorporating both the constituent members of the lighting device and the constituent members of the tape measure itself, that is, several constituent members of the tape measure itself are incorporated, and then several constituent members of the lighting device are provided. Assembling, and assembling several parts of the tape measure, it is a cumbersome assembly work, so the rate of assembly errors in assembly work is the same as the rate of assembly mistakes in a normal tape measure that is not equipped with a lighting device It is much higher than that, and the product yield is poor.

  Further, the mold for molding the case member is not only a normal mold configuration for mounting the component of the tape measure itself, but also a battery housing portion, a power switch mounting portion and an illumination for mounting the component of the lighting device There is also a problem that the manufacturing cost of the mold is increased because each housing and mounting portion of the mounting portion of the light emitter is added to a very complicated mold configuration.

  As described above, the conventional illuminated tape measure has a much higher manufacturing cost than a tape measure having only a normal measurement function.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an illuminated tape measure in which the lighting device can be reliably incorporated into the case member in a short time and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, the illuminated tape measure according to the present invention includes a holder having a battery housing portion and a light emitter mounting portion in a case, a battery attached to the holder, a light emitter, and an illumination switch. An illumination unit is provided, and the light emitter and the switch are configured to face the outside of the case.

  In addition, the rotating drum provided in the case so as to be rotatable around an axis, a measuring tape having a scale wound around the rotating drum, and the rotating drum in a direction in which the tape is wound in the case. A coil spring that urges around the axis, and the illumination unit is provided on the tip side of the axis.

  Further, an engaging portion that is fitted to the tip of the shaft is provided at a substantially central portion of the holder in the lighting unit so that the lighting unit can be positioned in the case.

  Further, the case is constituted by two case members facing each other, and is configured such that a female screw post standing at a suitable position of one case member can be screwed through a hole provided in the other case member, and the female screw post In addition, the illumination unit is configured to be positioned in the case by engaging an engagement portion formed of a notch or a hole formed at the edge of the illumination unit.

  Further, the illumination switch is normally turned off but is turned on when pressed, and is automatically returned to the off side when released, the light emitter is composed of a light emitting diode, and the battery is a button battery. As configured.

  According to the illuminated tape measure of the present invention, since the illumination means is unitized and the unit can be assembled in advance, the assembly process of the components of the tape measure itself and the illumination device as in the prior art Easily and accurately illuminate if the lighting unit assembled in a separate process is mounted at a predetermined position in the case with the main parts of the tape measure incorporated in the case, eliminating the complications of mixing the assembly process. Means can be incorporated into the case.

  Also, one that is configured to engage the hole of the holder to the tip of the shaft that supports the rotating drum, or one that engages the notch or hole of the holder to the female screw post for fixing the case members to each other Then, when the lighting unit device is assembled into the case member, the positioning of the lighting unit in the case is reliably and easily performed, and the assembly work of the tape member after the lighting unit is assembled can be easily and smoothly performed. The occurrence rate of mistakes is also reduced and the product yield is improved.

Further, in the mold for molding the case member, it is sufficient to add a minimum configuration to which the lighting unit should be mounted. Therefore, the shape of the mold for molding the case member is not complicated, and thus the illumination device is The mold can be manufactured at a low cost with almost no change from the manufacturing cost of a normal tape measure that does not have a tape measure.
In addition, when changing the components of the lighting means such as the LED used in the lighting unit, the battery, the switch, etc., only the members of the lighting unit can be used without changing the shape, material, etc. There is also a practical merit that it is sufficient to change this, and it is easy to cope with small lots and various design changes.

Embodiments of the illuminated tape measure according to the present invention will be described below based on specific examples shown in the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an illuminated tape measure according to the present invention (battery is not shown). An illumination unit 1 includes a holder 2 molded from a resin material using a die dedicated to the unit. The LED (light emitting diode) mounting portion 3 and the battery housing portion 4 are integrally formed.

An LED 3a as a light emitter is attached to the LED mounting portion 3 of the holder 2, and one lead 3b of the LED 3a is connected to the illumination switch 5, and the other lead 3c faces the battery housing portion.
The LED 3a used for illumination is preferably a high-brightness type battery that can obtain a sufficient amount of light with a popular type button battery, and the emission color may be appropriately selected as desired.

  The lighting switch 5 is provided in a floating state with respect to the holder 2 as shown in FIG. 3, and includes an on / off push button 5a and a switch body 5b provided in the button. The switch body 5b is a normally open type that is normally off but is turned on only when the push button 5a is pressed.

  Specifically, for example, the conductive protrusion 5c provided below the switch body 5 is biased in a downward or protruding direction by, for example, a compression spring provided inside the switch body, and resists the resilience of the spring. When the button is pressed, the protrusion enters the switch body, contacts the contact point that is in conduction with the one lead 3b in the switch body, and makes the battery 4b and the LED conductive. When the pressure on the button is released, the protrusion is pushed out to release the continuity between the battery and the LED, that is, automatically return.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the push button 5 a of the illumination switch 5 is attached so that the upper part faces the outside from the opening 9 d formed in the case member 9 a on the upper side of the tape measure 8.

The battery housing part 4 of the holder 2 is surrounded by a surrounding wall 4a formed on the main body 2, and a button battery (not shown) is housed in the surrounding wall 4a.
The height of the surrounding wall 4a is substantially the same as the thickness of the accommodated button battery (the stacked height when a plurality of button batteries are used in series), and the radial movement of the button battery. To regulate.

  In this embodiment, since the button battery is used as the battery for the power source, the battery housing portion 4 is formed in a circular shape that matches the shape of the button battery. As long as it can be formed on the battery 2, a battery having a small cylindrical shape or a thin plate shape can be used as a battery for a power source.

  Further, the holder has a shaft fitting hole 6 as an engaging portion to be fitted to the tip of the shaft 10 standing in the case 9 of the tape measure 8, and a female screw post 11 standing in the lower case member 9a. 4 and 5, the shaft fitting hole 6 is fitted to the tip of the shaft 10, and the engaging portion 7 is arranged on the outer periphery of the female screw post 11. By fitting, the illumination unit 1 can be positioned in the case 9 of the tape measure 8.

The female screw post 11 is configured to engage with the screws 15 and 15 through holes 9e and 9e formed in the upper case member 9a.
Further, the shaft fitting hole 6 may be constituted by a recessed portion instead of the shaft fitting hole or may be a cylindrical receiving portion as long as it can constitute an engaging portion that fits with the shaft.

  Around the shaft 10, a rotating drum 12 wound with a length measuring tape 13 displaying a measurement scale (not shown) is rotatably provided to constitute a cantilever shaft of the rotating drum. Inside the drum 12, an inner end is attached to the shaft, an outer end is fixed to the rotating drum, and a coil spring 14 for urging the tape 13 in the winding direction is provided.

  That is, the holder 2 functions as a guide for restricting the axial movement of the rotary drum 12, the tape 13 and the coil spring 14 by the lower surface thereof and the inner surface of one case member 9a. It also functions as a pressing member for the rotary drum 12, the tape 13, and the coil spring 14.

  A hook 13 a is provided at the tip of the tape 13. When the tape is accommodated in the case 9, the hook 13 a is locked to the tape inlet / outlet 9 b of the case 9 and is wound in the winding direction by the coil spring 14. The energized tape 13 is prevented from being pulled into the case 9.

Further, the case 9 is provided with an LED fitting portion 9c into which the LED 3a of the lighting unit 1 is fitted, and the LED faces the outside from the fitting portion.
The LED mounting angle is set so that light from the LED is directed in a direction that can sufficiently illuminate the scale of the length measuring taper 13 that is drawn out from the case 9.

  Further, the LED 3a is fitted to the LED fitting portion 9c so that the lighting unit 1 is positioned around the axis, and the movement of the lighting unit 1 in the rotation direction in the case 9 is restricted.

The disassembled perspective view which shows the Example of the tape measure with illumination which concerns on this invention. The perspective view of a lighting unit. The front view which notches and shows a part of one specific example of an illumination switch. The perspective view which shows the mounting state of the illumination unit in a case. The perspective view of the state which lifted the switch from the lighting unit of the state of FIG. The perspective view which shows the Example of the tape measure with illumination.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Illumination unit 2 Holder 3 LED mounting part 3a LED
3b, 3c Lead 4 Battery housing part 4a Circumferential wall 4b Button battery 5 Illumination switch 5a Push button 5b Switch body 6 Shaft fitting hole 7 Engagement part 8 Tape measure 9 Case 9a Case member 9b Tape entrance 9c LED fitting part 9d Opening 10 Axis 11 Female thread post 12 Rotating drum 13 Measuring tape 13a Hook 14 Coil spring 15 Screw

Claims (7)

  A case includes a holder having a battery housing portion and a light emitter mounting portion, and an illumination unit including a battery, a light emitter, and a lighting switch attached to the holder, such that the light emitter and the switch face the outside of the case. Illuminated tape measure composed of   A rotating drum provided in the case so as to be rotatable around an axis, a measuring tape having a scale wound around the rotating drum, and the rotating drum in a direction in which the tape is wound in the case. An illuminated tape measure according to claim 1, further comprising a coil spring that is biased about an axis, and the illumination unit is provided on a distal end side of the axis.   The illumination according to claim 2, wherein the illumination unit is configured to be positioned in a substantially central portion of the holder of the illumination unit so as to be positioned in the case of the illumination unit by being provided with an engagement portion that is fitted to the tip of the shaft. Tape measure with.   The case is configured with two case members facing each other, and is configured so that it can be screwed through a hole provided in the other case member with respect to the female screw post erected at an appropriate position of one case member, The illumination unit according to claim 2, wherein the illumination unit is configured to be positioned in a case by engaging an engagement portion formed of a notch or a hole formed in an edge portion of the illumination unit. Tape measure.   5. The illuminated tape measure according to claim 1, wherein the illumination switch is configured to be turned on when the light switch is normally turned off, but automatically returned to the off side when the pressure is released.   The illuminated tape measure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the light emitter is composed of a light emitting diode.   The illuminated tape measure according to claim 1, wherein the battery is formed of a button battery.

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