JP2012035487A - Thermochromic writing utensil - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a thermochromic writing utensil wherein an annular friction body can be easily attached on an exterior of the writing utensil storing a thermochromic ink in a state that an upper outer edge can be certainly brought into contact with a handwriting, and which has high decorativeness while having a high friction heat generation efficiency during friction.SOLUTION: In the thermochromic writing utensil 1 storing an ink of which the color can be extinguished or changed by heating, and includes a friction body 5, with which a handwriting with the ink is rubbed, in a cap 3 or a shaft tube 21, the friction body 5 is an annular body having a hole part 51, and is attached on a cap body 4 or the shaft tube 21 by inserting a locking member 6 into the hole part 51 in a state that the upper outer edge 53 of the friction body 5 can be brought into contact with the handwriting.

Description

  The present invention relates to a thermochromic writing instrument. In detail, it is related with the thermochromic writing instrument provided with the friction body which discolors the handwriting by a thermochromic ink with frictional heat.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a writing instrument that contains thermochromic ink, a friction body is attached for easily decoloring and discoloring the handwriting by ink with frictional heat. In particular, when attaching to the end of a cap or shaft cylinder, a mounting hole is provided in the cap or shaft cylinder to provide an inward projection, and a friction body having an outward projection for locking is inserted into the mounting hole. Thus, the friction body is attached by both protrusions without dropping from the shaft cylinder or the like (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the above structure, although the friction body can be attached to the shaft cylinder or the like with a configuration having a small number of parts, the shape of the friction body is limited and the decorativeness is low.

Further, as a general-purpose writing instrument exterior, an annular member attached to a cap or a shaft cylinder is disclosed (for example, see Patent Documents 2 and 3).
In Patent Document 2, an annular decorative member is sandwiched so as to be interposed between a locking crown and a cap body, but the applied decorative member is a member that provides only a decorative effect. Therefore, it is attached in a structure in which only the outer peripheral portion is exposed, and the upper outer edge portion is in contact with the crown.
Further, in Patent Document 3, the annular elastic body is disposed so as to be interposed between the tip of the shaft tube and the tip member, and thereby the tip member can be tilted at the time of writing, thereby improving writing feeling. It is. Therefore, the elastic body is attached without protruding from the outer surface of the tip member or the shaft tube, and the upper outer edge portion is in contact with the tip member.
In any case, since the application of the constitution containing the thermochromic ink is not considered, it did not have a structure in which the upper outer edge is brought into contact with the handwriting (writing surface) of the ink.

JP 2007-144991 A JP-A-8-164893 JP 2002-331789 A

  The present invention can stably attach an annular friction body to a writing instrument exterior housing a thermochromic ink in a state where the upper outer edge portion can reliably contact the handwriting, and has a high frictional heat generation efficiency during friction However, the present invention provides a thermochromic writing instrument having high decorativeness.

The present invention is a writing instrument that contains an ink that can be decolored or discolored by heating, and that has a friction body for rubbing a handwriting by the ink on a cap or a shaft tube, wherein the friction body is an annular body having a hole. There is a requirement for a thermochromic writing instrument in which the friction body is attached to the cap body or the shaft cylinder with the upper outer edge of the friction body in contact with the handwriting by inserting a locking member into the hole. .
Furthermore, the friction body is clamped between the cap body or the shaft tube and the locking member, and a clamping step portion for locking the locking member is formed in the hole of the friction body. To do.
Furthermore, the upper end surface of the locking member is submerged below the upper end surface of the friction body, the locking member is colored in ink, and the ball diameter or handwriting on the outer end surface of the locking member. It is a requirement that an indication of line width is formed and that the friction body is colored in ink.
Further, it is a requirement that the hole of the friction body and the cross-sectional shape of the locking member are circular, and that the locking member is provided with a detent portion that suppresses radial rotation.
In the present invention, “upper” indicates the cap side, and “lower” indicates the writing instrument main body side.

  According to the present invention, even when an annular friction body is provided on a writing instrument exterior housing thermochromic ink, it can be stably attached without falling off in a state in which the upper outer edge can reliably contact the handwriting, It becomes a thermochromic writing instrument having an external appearance with high decorativeness while having a structure with high frictional heat generation efficiency during friction.

It is external appearance explanatory drawing which shows an example of the thermochromic writing instrument of this invention. It is an exploded view of the friction body latching | locking part (cap) of FIG. It is sectional drawing of the cap of FIG. It is external appearance explanatory drawing which shows the other example of the thermochromic writing instrument of this invention.

  The thermochromic writing instrument of the present invention contains an ink that can be decolored or discolored by heating, and a friction body for discoloring the handwriting by the ink with frictional heat (meaning color erasure and color change) is an annular body. It is attached to the writing instrument exterior by a method such as clamping and press fitting using a locking member.

The friction body is an annular body having a through-hole portion, and at least an upper outer edge portion is formed in a shape that can come into contact with the handwriting by the thermochromic ink. Examples of the external shape (upper visual recognition shape) include a circular shape (a donut shape) and a polygonal shape such as a triangle having a hole, a quadrangle, a trapezoid, and a hexagon. In addition, examples of the vertical cross-sectional shape include a quadrilateral having a through hole, a trapezoid, a hexagon, an ellipse, and the like, and a portion that becomes an outer edge during mounting may be chamfered.
As the material of the friction body, resin, rubber, elastomer material and the like are preferably used. For example, polypropylene, polyethylene, polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate, polyacetal, acrylic, nylon, acrylonitrile / styrene copolymer resin (AS resin), acrylonitrile.・ Relatively hard synthetic resin such as butadiene / styrene copolymer resin (ABS resin), styrene, olefin, polystyrene and polyolefin block copolymer, urethane, polyester, polyamide, 1,2-polybutadiene , Vinyl chloride, fluorine and other thermoplastic elastomers, blends of polypropylene and ethylene propylene rubber, blends of butadiene and acrylonitrile copolymers, blends of chlorinated polyethylene and nylon Elastomers and blended such command, a rubber elastomer such as silicone rubber, natural rubber, synthetic rubber, silica flour, metal powders, foams with various resins, thermal fusion or resin processing and the like of the fibers.
In particular, among the above materials, a material made of a synthetic resin or elastomer (referred to as a soft resin) having softness (flexibility) that hardly generates a scum at the time of friction is preferable, for example, a Shore hardness A of 40 or more (JIS K6253A). ). The soft resin has elasticity when it is brought into contact with the paper surface at the time of rubbing, and exhibits appropriate resistance, so that the generation efficiency of frictional heat is high. Specifically, silicone resin, polyester elastomer resin, styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) copolymer, styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS) copolymer, and the like are preferable.
The friction body can be colored in a desired color by adding a colorant such as a dye or a pigment, and can be made more decorative. In particular, when the color is the same as the color of the ink to be stored (in the ink exhibiting a color change, either before or after the color change, or both), the ink body is provided with an ink color display function.

The cross-sectional shape of the hole may be any shape such as a triangle, a quadrangle, a polygon such as a trapezoid, or a circle, but a circle is preferable in terms of formability.
In addition, it is preferable to form the clamping step part clamped by the cap main body or a shaft cylinder, and a locking member in the said hole part. In addition to being provided over the entire inner circumference so that the locking member is locked, the clamping step may be provided partially. Moreover, stability can also be improved by making the step lower part thick.

The said locking member locks a friction body to a writing instrument member (a cap or a shaft cylinder) by inserting in the hole of an annular friction body. Specifically, the locking member is locked in the press-fitting locking into the hole, the upper surface of the friction body near the hole or the clamping step provided in the hole, and the friction body is moved up and down with the writing instrument member. A structure that sandwiches the step part for clamping (the thick part below the step part) is more specific because it can be stably fixed with the handwriting contactability of the upper outer edge part being high. Specifically, a structure in which the stepped portion and the hooked upper end portion (top plate) of the locking member are brought into contact with each other so as to be locked is preferable.
In this case, it is preferable that the upper end surface of the locking member is immersed below the upper end surface of the friction body (that is, the locking member cannot be viewed from above when viewed from the side). With this structure, the locking member does not come into contact with the writing surface during friction and the handwriting can be rubbed on the upper surface of the friction body (upper end surface) together with the upper outer edge portion. It is possible to change the color at a time.

  Further, the locking member can be colored in a desired color by adding a colorant such as a dye or pigment, printing, coating, or the like, and can be made more decorative. In particular, when the color is the same as the color of the ink to be stored (in the case of a color-changing ink, either the color before or after the color change, or both), an ink color display function is imparted to the friction body. Furthermore, the part visually recognized from above such as the upper end surface (top surface) can be a display unit that displays numbers and characters representing the ball diameter, handwriting line width, ink color, and the like. Thereby, the user can be notified of various information displayed by visually recognizing the display unit from the outside.

  In addition, when the cross-sectional shape (upper visual recognition shape) of the said locking member or a friction body hole part is circular, it is preferable to provide a rotation prevention part and to suppress radial rotation. As a result, wobbling during friction associated with rotation of the friction body is suppressed, and when a display unit is provided on the top surface, rotation is suppressed and positioning in a fixed direction is facilitated.

A cap or a shaft tube to which the friction body is attached is used as a writing instrument exterior, and all of them are formed with holes, dents, protrusions, and the like on the outer end face so that a locking member can be attached.
The writing instrument exterior can be a general-purpose material as long as it is a member having a hardness that can be gripped, for example, metal, wood, paper, glass, ceramics, ceramics, elastomers, polypropylene, polyethylene, polycarbonate, Examples include relatively hard synthetic resins such as polyethylene terephthalate, polyacetal, acrylic, nylon, acrylonitrile / styrene copolymer resin (AS resin), and acrylonitrile / butadiene / styrene copolymer resin (ABS resin). In particular, a synthetic resin is suitable because of its high moldability to a desired shape.

  Examples of the writing instrument using the writing instrument exterior include a marking pen, a ball-point pen, a fountain pen, and the like, as well as a cap-type form provided with a cap that covers a pen tip (chip), a knock type, a rotary type, a slide type, and the like. An in / out type configuration having an in / out mechanism and capable of accommodating the pen tip in the shaft cylinder may be employed. In the case of the form of appearance, it is possible to adopt not only a type in which one refill is accommodated, but also a duplex type in which two or more refills are accommodated and a desired refill can be selectively emerged. Alternatively, a double-headed form may be used in which different types of pen nibs are attached, or pen nibs that lead out different colors of ink are attached.

  As the marking pen, for example, a pen tip for a marking pen such as a fiber tip, a felt tip, a plastic tip, etc. is attached to the writing tip, and an ink occlusion body made of a fiber bundle housed inside the shaft tube is impregnated with ink, Structure that supplies ink to the writing tip, ink is stored directly inside the shaft tube, and a predetermined amount of ink is applied to the writing tip by interposing an ink flow rate adjusting member made of comb grooves and fiber bundles Examples include a structure for supplying ink, a marking pen for storing ink directly inside the shaft cylinder, and a structure for supplying a predetermined amount of ink to the writing tip by a valve mechanism.

  The ballpoint pen has, for example, an ink containing tube filled with an ink composition in a shaft cylinder, and the ink containing tube communicates with a chip having a ball attached to the tip, and further, an ink backflow is provided on the ink end surface. The structure in which the prevention body is in close contact, the tip is connected to the tip of the shaft cylinder, the ink composition is directly filled in the shaft cylinder, and the structure in which the ink backflow prevention body is in close contact with the end face of the ink is accommodated in the shaft cylinder. A structure that supplies ink to the chip by impregnating the ink occlusion body made of a fiber bundle and supplies the ink to the chip, and a predetermined amount of ink is supplied to the chip via a comb groove-shaped ink flow rate adjustment member and an ink flow rate adjustment member made of a fiber bundle. For example, a ballpoint pen having a structure as described above can be used. Further, the ballpoint pen having a structure in which the tip is connected to the tip of the shaft cylinder and directly filled with ink may have a structure in which the transfer layer is formed on the exterior filled with ink and then accommodated in the transparent outer shaft.

As the ink accommodated in the writing instrument, ink that can be decolored or discolored by conventional heating can be applied. In particular, the colorant blended in the ink includes (a) an electron-donating color-forming organic compound, (b) an electron-accepting compound, and (c) a reaction medium that determines the temperature at which the color reaction occurs. A pigment in which a reversible thermochromic composition containing at least three essential components is encapsulated in microcapsules is effective.
Among the reversible thermochromic compositions, the compositions that can be decolored by heating are described in JP-B-51-44706, JP-B-51-44707, JP-B-1-29398, and the like. The color changes before and after the temperature (discoloration point), shows a decolored state in the temperature range above the high temperature side discoloration point, and develops a color state in the temperature range below the low temperature side discoloration point. There is only one specific state, and the other state is maintained while the heat or cold required to develop that state is applied, but if the heat or cold is no longer applied, The composition which has the characteristic ((DELTA) H = 1-7 degreeC) with a comparatively small hysteresis width | variety which returns to the state exhibited in a region can be illustrated.
In addition, large hysteresis characteristics described in JP-B-4-17154, JP-A-7-179777, JP-A-7-33997, JP-A-8-39936, JP-A-2005-1369, and the like. (ΔH = 8 to 70 ° C.), and the shape of the curve plotting the change in color density due to the temperature change is from the higher temperature side than the color change temperature range, contrary to the case where the temperature is raised from the lower temperature side than the color change temperature range. Use a reversible thermochromic composition that changes color by following a path that differs greatly from that of lowering, and can store and retain the color development state in the low temperature range or the decoloration state in the high temperature range in the specific temperature range. You can also.
In the reversible thermochromic ink, the low temperature side color change point is specified in the range of −30 ° C. to + 10 ° C., and the high temperature side color change point is specified in the range of 25 ° C. to 95 ° C. (preferably 36 ° C. to 90 ° C.). Accordingly, it is possible to effectively maintain the color exhibited in the normal state (daily life temperature range), and it is possible to change the color by rubbing with the attached friction body, so that the practicality is high.

Examples are shown below, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.
Example 1 (see FIGS. 1 to 3)
Preparation of reversible thermochromic ink (i) 1.0 part of 1,2-benz-6- (N-ethyl-N-isoamylamino) fluorane as component, 1,3-dimethyl-6-diethylaminofluorane 2.0 Part, (b) component 4,4 ′-(2-methylpropylidene) bisphenol 4.5 part, 2,2-bis (4′-hydroxyphenyl) hexafluoropropane 7.5 part, (c) component A microcapsule pigment (T ₁ : −20 ° C., T ₂ : −9 ° C., T ₃ : 40) encapsulating a reversible thermochromic composition having color memory consisting of 50.0 parts of 4-benzyloxyphenylethyl caprate , T ₄ : 57 ° C., ΔH: 63 ° C., average particle size: 2.5 μm, color change from red to colorless, xanthan gum (shear thinning agent), urea, glycerin, nonionic immersion A reversible thermochromic ink was prepared by mixing and stirring with a permeability imparting agent, a modified silicone antifoaming agent, an antifungal agent, and water.

Preparation of ballpoint pen refill The ink (which was previously cooled to -20 ° C or less and colored the microcapsule pigment in green and left at room temperature) was sucked and filled into a polypropylene pipe, and the ballpoint pen was passed through a resin holder. The chip 6 was connected.
Next, from the rear part of the polypropylene pipe is filled with an ink backflow prevention body having viscoelasticity mainly composed of polybutene, and further, a tail plug is fitted to the rear part of the pipe to perform a deaeration process by a centrifugal process. A ballpoint refill was obtained.
The ballpoint pen tip has a stainless steel ball having a diameter of 0.5 mm held by a ball holding portion formed by cutting a metal material with a drill, and the ball is biased forward by a spring body. It is a thing.

Production of a cap-type writing instrument The obtained ballpoint pen refill is accommodated inside a transparent cylindrical shaft 21 made of polycarbonate resin (with a tail plug fitted to the rear end), and the neck portion made of polycarbonate resin is screwed together. The writing instrument main body 2 was produced by assembling.
Further, a circular annular body having a through hole 51 formed using a styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS) copolymer is used as the friction body 5, and the lower end of the locking member 6 inserted into the hole 51. The cap 3 that clamps the friction body 5 between the two members by engaging the portion (the locking piece 63) and the upper end portion (the lower end inside the locking projection 41) of the cap body 4 in which the rubber seal 44 is provided. It was produced and attached to the writing instrument body 2 to obtain a thermochromic writing instrument 1 in the form of a cap-type ballpoint pen (in FIGS. 1 and 2, an opaque exterior is shown as an explanatory drawing).

The detailed structure of the cap 3 will be described with reference to FIGS.
The friction body 5 is a milky white circular annular body having a circular through hole (hole portion 51), and an annular step extending in a direction (axial direction) in which the inner diameter is reduced below the hole portion 51. A portion 52 is formed. In addition, the outer edge portion (outer edge portion 53) that is upper when locked is chamfered, has a structure that makes surface contact when handwriting contact, and has a shape that allows wider surface contact by making the upper end flat. It has become.

The locking member 6 is a red ABS resin molding composed of a top plate 61 at the upper end and a cylindrical insertion portion 62 having a locking piece 63 at the lower end.
The top plate 61 is a disk having an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the hole portion 51 of the friction body 5, and the top plate 61 and the step portion 52 in the hole portion 51 are brought into contact with each other, thereby lowering the step portion 52. The thick portion is sandwiched between the locking member 6 and the upper end of the cap body 4. Note that the top surface of the top plate 61 is a display unit 65, and a number representing the ball diameter of the pen tip is displayed (specifically, printing, integral molding, sticking of a seal, etc.). Therefore, the outer diameter of the ball accommodated when the upper end of the cap is visually recognized from above can be recognized.
Further, a rib-like detent portion 64 is formed on a part of the outer surface of the insertion portion 62. By aligning the position with the notch 42 formed in the locking projection 41 at the upper end of the cap body 4, the axis portion is rotated. , And the position of the top plate 61 can be fixed in a fixed direction, so that the number displayed on the display unit 65 of the top plate 61 can always be maintained at a desired position without being inclined with respect to the clip 43. .

  The cap body 4 is a substantially cylindrical polypropylene resin molding having a rubber seal 44 inside and a clip 43 on the outer surface, and a cylindrical engagement extending upward at the approximate center of the upper end of the cap body. A protrusion 41 is provided, and a notch 42 is formed in the locking protrusion 41 in the longitudinal direction. The outer diameter of the locking protrusion 41 is set slightly smaller than the minimum inner diameter (inward of the stepped portion 52) of the friction body hole 51, and the inner diameter of the cylindrical hole of the locking protrusion 41 is determined by the insertion portion 62 of the locking member 6. The size is set such that it can be inserted and the locking piece 63 can be locked after the insertion.

  When the friction body 5 is locked to the upper end of the cap body 4 by the locking member 6, the top plate 61 is immersed in a position slightly lower than the upper end face of the friction body 5 (specifically, a position 0.5 mm lower). It is fixed with. For this reason, the frictional member upper end surface can be used as the handwriting by raising the cap 3 upright while making the outer edge 53 reliably contact the handwriting without bringing the locking member 6 into contact with the writing surface during friction. It is in a form that can be brought into contact and rubbed over a large area.

Using the obtained thermochromic writing instrument 1, the cap 3 is removed and the ballpoint pen (writing instrument body 2) is inserted backward to make a writing state, and the handwriting written “ABCDE” on the notebook is at room temperature (25 ° C.). It was a red coloration state, and this state was maintained at a temperature not lower than the low temperature side discoloration point (−20 ° C.) and not higher than the high temperature side discoloration point (57 ° C.).
When the handwriting was rubbed several times at the outer edge portion 53 of the friction body 5, the rubbed portion was immediately discolored by frictional heat and became colorless. Furthermore, it was possible to rewrite the erased portion, and the scrub erasure and the handwriting formation at the erased portion could be repeated.
Moreover, in the said structure, the top plate 61 of the latching member 6 exhibits an ink color display function, and became a writing instrument with a high decorative property and a visual effect.

Example 2 (see FIG. 4)
As a writing instrument main body 2 that accommodates the ballpoint pen refill obtained in the first embodiment, an annular friction body 5 (having a clamping step in the hole) is attached to the locking projection at the rear end of the shaft cylinder 21, and then the locking member 6 The writing instrument body 2 is manufactured by sandwiching the friction body 5 between the rear end of the shaft cylinder (transparent member having the same structure as that manufactured in Example 1), and the cap 3 manufactured in Example 1 is used. The thermochromic writing instrument 1 was obtained by attaching.
The friction body 5 is a circular annular body (a diameter of the friction body 5 of Example 1) having a through-hole portion 51 formed using a styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS) copolymer containing a red colorant. An annular step portion extending in a direction to reduce the inner diameter is formed in the lower portion of the hole portion 51. Moreover, the outer edge part which becomes an outer edge part at the time of a latching is chamfered, and it has the structure which carries out a surface contact at the time of handwriting contact, and it has the structure which can make a wider surface contact by making an end surface planar.

  The shaft cylinder 21 is a transparent polycarbonate resin molding (in FIG. 4, an opaque exterior is shown as an explanatory drawing), and a cylindrical locking protrusion extending downward is provided at the approximate center of the rear end. Further, the locking projection is formed with a notch in the longitudinal direction. The inner diameter of the locking projection is set such that the insertion portion of the locking member 6 can be inserted and the locking piece can be locked after the insertion.

  By attaching the friction body 5 to the locking projection, inserting the insertion portion of the locking member 6 into the cylindrical locking projection, and locking the locking piece to the inner end of the cylindrical hole, the top plate and the shaft tube A tail plug is formed by sandwiching a step portion in the frictional body hole 51 with the lower end.

The obtained thermochromic writing instrument 1 is in a writing state with the cap 3 removed, and the thermochromic handwriting written on the notebook is in a red coloring state at room temperature (25 ° C.) and has a low temperature side discoloration point (−20 ° C. ) This state was maintained at a temperature not higher than the high temperature side discoloration point (57 ° C.).
When the handwriting was rubbed several times at the outer edge of the friction member 5 on the tail plug side, the rubbed portion was immediately discolored by frictional heat and became colorless. Furthermore, it was possible to rewrite the erased portion, and the scrub erasure and the handwriting formation at the erased portion could be repeated. In addition, when the friction body 5 on the cap 3 side was used and the outer edge portion 53 was rubbed several times, the rubbed portion was immediately discolored by frictional heat and became colorless.
In addition, in the said structure, the top plate 61 of the friction body 5 on the tail plug side and the locking member 6 on the cap 3 side exhibits an ink color display function, and it became a writing instrument with high decorativeness and visual effect.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Thermochromic writing instrument 2 Writing instrument main body 21 Shaft cylinder 22 Locking protrusion 23 Notch 3 Cap 4 Cap main body 41 Locking protrusion 42 Notch 43 Clip 44 Rubber seal 5 Friction body 51 Hole part 52 Step part 53 Outer edge part 6 Locking member 61 Top Plate 62 Insertion part 63 Locking piece 64 Anti-rotation part 65 Display part

Claims (8)

  A writing instrument that contains ink that can be decolored or discolored by heating, and that has a friction body that rubs handwriting with the ink on a cap or a shaft cylinder, wherein the friction body is an annular body having a hole, A thermochromic writing instrument, wherein the frictional body is attached to the cap body or the shaft tube in such a manner that the upper outer edge of the frictional body is in contact with the handwriting by inserting a locking member.   The thermochromic writing instrument according to claim 1, wherein the friction body is sandwiched between a cap body or a shaft cylinder and a locking member.   The thermochromic writing instrument according to claim 2, wherein a clamping step for locking the locking member is formed in the hole of the friction body.   The thermochromic writing instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the upper end surface of the locking member is immersed below the upper end surface of the friction body.   The thermochromic writing instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the locking member is colored in ink color.   The thermochromic writing instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein an indication of a ball diameter or a handwriting line width is formed on an upper end surface of the locking member.   The thermochromic writing instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the friction body is colored with an ink color.   The cross-sectional shape of the hole of the friction body and the locking member is circular, and the locking member is provided with a detent portion that suppresses radial rotation. The thermochromic writing instrument according to Crab.

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