JP6656917B2 - Ink refill equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention provides a pen tip capable of holding an ink in an impregnated state, a shaft cylinder member for holding the pen tip in a protruding state at a tip end, and an ink provided between the pen cylinder member and the pen tip. The present invention relates to an ink replenishing device for replenishing ink in an ink pen having a flowable ink holder.

  A pen tip capable of holding ink in an impregnated state, a barrel member for holding the pen tip in a protruding state at a tip end, and an ink holder provided in the barrel member and capable of flowing ink between the pen tip Inks having a body are well known in the art. For example, there are a plurality of inks that employ oil-based inks and realize commercialization at low cost.

  Such ink pens are generally inexpensive and are generally disposable. However, in response to increasing consumer awareness of environmental protection (resource saving), studies on ink replenishment have been made.

  A typical example of a conventional ink replenishing device is described in Patent Document 1. FIG. 1 of Patent Document 1 is cited as FIG. As described in Patent Document 1, conventionally, an ink replenishing tool is placed on a substantially horizontal surface, and a pen tip of an ink pen (marking pen) is inserted into the ink replenisher in a vertically downward posture. .

Japanese Patent No. 4848544

  In the ink replenishing device described in Patent Literature 1, the replenished ink is replenished while opposing gravity. Therefore, the speed of ink replenishment is slow. Such an ink replenishment type will be referred to as an inverted ink replenishment type.

  The present inventor actually measured the ink replenishment amount in the inverted ink replenishment format after consuming 78% of the ink (1.09 g) for a thin round core type commercially available ink pen with an injection amount of 1.4 g. As a result, after 10 minutes: 6% (0.08 g), after 1 hour: 19% (0.26 g), after 2 hours: 25% (0.36 g), after 12 hours: 28% (0.39 g) , Was the result.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described findings, and an object of the present invention is to provide an ink replenishing device capable of shortening the ink replenishing time.

The present invention provides a pen tip capable of holding an ink in an impregnated state, a shaft cylinder member for holding the pen tip in a protruding state at a tip end, and an ink provided between the pen cylinder member and the pen tip. An ink replenishing device for refilling an ink pen with a circulating ink holder, the ink container body providing a space in which ink is stored in a liquid state, and communicating with the space. A tubular ink communicating member that forms an ink communicating passage that extends to the outside of the space but does not extend to the inside of the space, and is provided so as to cover an extended end of the tubular ink communicating member. An ink replenishing device, comprising: a filling member, a covering portion that covers the filling member and has a pen tip opening, and a cap member that opens and closes the pen tip opening. is there.

  The ink replenishing device of the present invention is intended to replenish the ink with the nib of the ink pen directed vertically upward. The ink replenished in such a posture is replenished while being supported by gravity, and thus the ink replenishment speed is high (fast). Such an ink replenishment type will be referred to as an erect ink replenishment type. Further, according to the present invention, the speed of ink replenishment is also increased by the tubular ink communicating member moving the ink from the ink container body to the filling member with high efficiency.

  Furthermore, according to the present invention, by adjusting the density of the filling member, even when the pen tip of the ink pen is inserted into the pen tip opening with a vertically upward posture, ink from the filling member can be obtained. Leakage can be easily avoided. Specifically, it is preferable to increase the density of the filling member in a region near the extension side end of the tubular ink communication member. Such a local density adjustment can be obtained, for example, by pushing the tubular ink communicating member against the filling member of uniform density and locally pressing and compressing the filling member. If the ink stays in the region where the density of the filling member is high in the region near the extension side end of the tubular ink communication member, the communication operation of the tubular ink communication member is hindered, that is, the movement of the ink is delayed. This suppresses leakage of the ink.

  Further, regarding the ink replenishment state in which the pen tip of the ink pen is inserted vertically into the pen tip opening, the positional relationship between the pen tip opening and the extension side end of the tubular ink communication member is determined in advance. By performing the adjustment, it is possible to realize a more preferable ink replenishment state.

As a specific mode, the ink container main body has a bottom portion that can be supported by a flat surface, and the tubular ink communication member is substantially perpendicular to the bottom portion from the upper surface side of the ink container main body. Preferably, the pen tip opening is located further above the extended end of the tubular ink communication member.
In the case of such a configuration, in the ink replenishment state in which the pen tip of the ink pen is inserted vertically into the pen tip opening, the tubular ink communication member is in a substantially vertical posture and the pen tip opening is the tubular ink. Since it is located below the extension side end of the communication member, a more suitable ink replenishment state can be realized.
It is particularly preferable that the pen tip opening is located at a height in the range of 0.3 cm to 2.0 cm above the extending end of the tubular ink communication member.

Also, the inner diameter of the tubular ink communication member is selected from the range of 1 mm to 7 mm so that the ink does not drop from the filling member through the pen tip opening (referred to as “dropping”) when refilling the ink. Preferably. Also, the cross-sectional shape of the tubular ink communication member may be an ellipse, a polygon, a cross, or the like, instead of a circle. In this case, the cross-sectional area is preferably selected from the range of 0.7 to 40 mm ² .

  Further, it is preferable that a plurality of tubular ink communication members are provided substantially in parallel with each other so as to effectively promote the replacement action between the ink and the air at the time of refilling the ink. In the case where two tubular ink communicating members are provided, it has been found from the experimental results by the present inventor that if one is in charge of supplying ink, the other one functions as an air path. I have.

  The filling member is made of, for example, batting (fiber bundle). Alternatively, a member made of a member having continuous pores that can be impregnated with ink (ie, a porous material), such as a heat-fused body of a fiber bundle, a resin body of a fiber bundle, a resin body of felt, and a needle punch of felt Worked bodies, open cells of synthetic resin and the like can be mentioned. Further, the filling member may be provided with an outer cover made of a synthetic resin film or the like on its outer peripheral surface. These filling members are made of a material which is impregnated with ink and has a high density near the tip of the pen tip or the place where the tubular ink communicating member is inserted.

  Further, as a more specific form, the covering portion is fixed to an upper surface side of the ink container body portion, and the cap member is screwed to the ink container body portion or the covering portion. It is preferred that Adopting the connection form of screwing is also effective for preventing the ink from volatilizing.

According to the present invention, ink is replenished with the pen tip of the ink pen directed vertically upward, so that the ink replenishment speed is high (fast). In particular, according to the present invention, the speed of ink replenishment is also increased by the tubular ink communicating member moving the ink from the ink container body to the filling member with high efficiency.
Further, according to the present invention, by adjusting the density of the filling member, even when the pen tip of the ink pen is inserted into the pen tip opening with the pen point vertically upward, the ink from the filling member can be obtained. Leakage can be easily avoided. Specifically, it is preferable to increase the density of the filling member in the region near the extension side end of the tubular ink communication member. Such a local density adjustment can be obtained, for example, by pushing the tubular ink communicating member against the filling member having a uniform density and locally pressing and compressing the filling member. If the ink stays in the region where the density of the filling member is high in the region near the extension side end of the tubular ink communication member, the communication operation of the tubular ink communication member is hindered, that is, the movement of the ink is delayed. This suppresses leakage of the ink.

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of the ink replenishing device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a main part of the ink replenishing device of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which ink is replenished in an upright ink replenishment format using the ink replenishment device of FIG. 1. FIG. 9 is a schematic sectional view of an ink replenishing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a state where ink replenishment is performed in an upright ink replenishment format using the ink replenishment device of FIG. 4. It is the schematic (FIG. 1 of patent document 1) which shows the typical example of the conventional ink replenishing apparatus.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 is a schematic sectional view of an ink replenishing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a main part of the ink replenishing device of FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which ink is replenished in an upright ink replenishment format by using FIG.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, an ink refilling device 10 according to the present embodiment includes a pen tip 21 capable of holding an ink impregnated state, and a shaft cylinder member 22 holding the pen tip 21 in a protruding state at a tip end. And an ink holder 23 provided in the shaft cylinder member 22 and capable of flowing ink between the pen tip 21 and the ink pen 20.

  The ink replenishing device 10 in the present embodiment includes an ink container body 11 in which ink is stored in a liquid state, two tubular ink communication members 12 provided to extend from the ink container body 11, A filling member 13 provided to cover the extension side end 12e of the tubular ink communication member 12, a covering portion 14 covering the filling member 13 and having a pen tip opening 14r, and a pen tip opening And a cap member 40 for opening and closing the 14r.

  The ink container body 11 has an annular bottom 11c that can be supported by a flat surface, and the ink communication member 12 extends from the upper surface of the ink container body 11 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the bottom 11c. It is provided to put out. The pen tip opening 14r is located further above the extension side end 12e of the tubular ink communication member 12.

  In the present embodiment, the pen tip opening 14r is located at a height of 0.8 cm above the extension side end 12e of the tubular ink communication member 12. However, according to the findings of the present inventor, the preferred position of the pen tip opening 14r is a height in the range of 0.3 to 2.0 cm above the extension side end 12e of the tubular ink communication member 12. I just need.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the inner diameter of the tubular ink communication member 12 is 2.5 mm each. However, according to the knowledge of the present inventor, it is necessary to prevent the ink from dropping (dropping) from the filling member 13 through the pen tip opening portion 14r at the time of refilling the ink. The inner diameter may be selected from the range of 1 mm to 7 mm.

  In the present embodiment, each of the tubular ink communicating members 12 has a length of 15 mm. In the present embodiment, the number of the tubular ink communicating members 12 is two, and they are provided substantially in parallel with each other and substantially symmetrically with respect to the axis at an interval of 9 mm. According to such an embodiment, the action of replacing ink with air is more effectively promoted. It has been found from the experimental results by the present inventor that if one tubular ink communicating member 12 is in charge of supplying ink, the other tubular ink communicating member 12 functions as an air entry path. I have.

  The filling member 13 of the present embodiment is a batting of a substantially cylindrical shape, and the covering portion 14 covers a side covering portion 14 s surrounding the side of the filling member 13 and a lower portion of the filling member 13. It has a lower covering portion 14b and an upper covering portion 14u that covers the space above the filling member 13. The pen tip opening 14r is provided in the upper cover 14u. In the present embodiment, the side covering portion 14s and the lower covering portion 14b are integrated with the lower end portion of the tubular ink communication member 12. The side covering portion 14s and the upper covering portion 14u are fixed to the cylindrical portion 11a on the upper surface side of the ink container main body 11, and the cap member 40 is connected to the cylindrical portion 11a of the ink container main body 11. Has a threaded portion 40c that is threadedly engaged with the outer surface side.

  On the other hand, the cap member 40 includes a holding hole 44 provided on the upper surface side, into which the rear end side 24 of the ink pen 20 is fitted, and a bottom portion 40b provided on the lower surface facing the holding hole 44 and supported by a flat surface. When the cap member 40 is placed on a substantially horizontal surface by the bottom portion 40b, the ink pen 20 whose rear end side 24 is fitted into the holding hole 44 is maintained in a substantially vertical posture ( (See FIG. 3).

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the ink container body 11 has a substantially axially symmetric appearance, and the cap member 40 also has a substantially axially symmetric appearance. 40 is placed on a substantially horizontal surface by the bottom portion 40b, the rear end side 24 of the ink pen 20 is fitted into the holding hole 44, and the pen tip 21 of the ink pen 20 is connected to the pen of the ink container main body 10 (ink refill main body). When the ink container body 10 and the cap member 40 are received in the leading opening 14r (see FIG. 3), they are in a concentric positional relationship with each other.
The ink container main body 11 has an upper small-diameter cylindrical portion 11a, a lower large-diameter substantially cylindrical portion 11b, and a tapered transition portion 11t therebetween. Has a maximum diameter of 70 mm, and the height of the ink container main body 11 is 64 mm.

The cap member 40 has a skirt portion 40 s outside the screw portion 40 c, and the skirt portion 40 s has a large diameter in a trumpet shape (roughly frustoconical shape) downward from the upper end edge of the holding hole 44. And reaches the bottom 40b. In the present embodiment, the holding hole 44 is cylindrical, the bottom 40b is circular in plan view, the diameter of the bottom 40b is 68 mm, and the diameter of the holding hole 44 is 15 mm. As described above, according to the findings of the present inventor, it is preferable that the diameter of the bottom portion 40b is three times or more the diameter of the holding hole 44. Further, the height from the bottom 40b to the bottom of the holding hole 44 is 44 mm. Thus, according to the knowledge of the present inventor, it is preferable that the height from the bottom 40b to the bottom of the holding hole 44 is larger than the diameter of the bottom 40b. The depth of the holding hole 44 is 16 mm. As described above, according to the findings of the present inventor, it is preferable that the depth of the holding hole 44 is larger than the diameter of the holding hole 44. Even when a circular shape is not adopted, according to the knowledge of the present inventor, if the area of the bottom portion 40b in plan view is 9 times or more the cross-sectional area of the holding hole 44, the ink replenishment by the erect ink replenishment type is performed. It is preferable because the stability at the time is high.
In addition, the cap member 40 has a weight of 10 g, and the ink container main body 11 has a weight of 80 g including 60 g of ink.

Now, as shown in FIG. 3, the ink refilling device 10 of the present embodiment is scheduled to refill the ink with the pen tip 21 of the ink pen 20 facing vertically upward. The ink replenished in such a posture is replenished while being supported by gravity, and thus the ink replenishment speed is high (fast).
Further, according to the present embodiment, the tubular ink communication member 12 moves the ink from the ink container main body 11 to the filling member 13 with high efficiency. This also increases the speed of ink replenishment.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the tubular ink communication member 12 has a substantially vertical posture in the ink replenishment state in which the pen tip 21 of the ink pen 20 is inserted into the pen tip opening 14r with the pen tip 21 facing vertically upward. In addition, since the pen tip opening 14r is adjusted in advance to 0.8 cm below the extension side end 12e of the tubular ink communication member 12, a more suitable ink replenishment state is realized. The value of 0.8 cm can be changed within the range of 0.3 cm to 2.0 cm depending on the type and properties of the ink.

  The present inventor uses the ink replenishing device of the present embodiment to consume 78% of the ink (2.97 g) for a commercially available ink pen with an ink injection amount of 3.8 g, and then uses the erect ink replenishment type ink. The replenishment rate was measured. As a result, after 10 minutes: 13% (0.49 g), after 1 hour: 62% (2.37 g), after 2 hours: 96% (3.66 g), after 12 hours: 98% (3.71 g) , Was the result.

  The ink pen 20 targeted in the present embodiment had a length of 133 mm to the pen tip 21 and a length of 115 mm to the upper end of the ink container body 11 when refilling the ink. It was also confirmed that it was possible to handle from 60 mm to 125 mm.

  Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the filling member 13 is covered with the covering portion 14 (14u, 14b, 14s), and the pen tip 21 of the ink pen 20 is set to a vertically upward posture, so that the pen tip opening 14r. , The upper covering portion 14u of the covering portion 14 comes into contact with the tip of the barrel member 22 of the ink pen 20 in an airtight manner (see FIG. 3). By adjusting the density of the filling member 13 in advance, even when the pen tip 21 of the ink pen 20 is inserted into the pen tip opening 14r in a vertically upward posture, the ink from the filling member 13 is discharged. Leakage is suppressed. Specifically, the density of the filling member 13 is increased in a region near the extension side end 12 e of the tubular ink communication member 12. Such a local density adjustment can be obtained by pushing the tubular ink communicating member 12 into the uniform-density filling member 13 and locally pressing and compressing the filling member 13. If the ink stays in the region where the density of the filling member 13 is high in the region near the extension side end portion 12e of the tubular ink communication member 12, the communication operation of the tubular ink communication member 12 is hindered, that is, the movement of ink or air. Delay. This suppresses leakage of the ink.

  In addition, since the inner diameter and the cross-sectional area of the tubular ink communication member 12 are not too large, the ink does not drop (drops) from the filling member 13 through the pen tip opening 14r at the time of refilling the ink.

  In addition, since the cap member 40 is screwed to the ink container main body 11, it is effective in preventing volatilization of the ink and the like.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the rear end side 24 of the ink pen 20 is fitted into the holding hole 44 of the cap member 40 in a state where the cap member 40 is placed on a substantially horizontal surface by the bottom portion 40b. Since the ink pen 20 can be maintained in a substantially vertical posture, ink replenishment using the erect ink replenishment method can be performed more easily.

  In particular, since the cap member 40 and the ink container main body 11 both have a substantially axially symmetrical form and have a concentric positional relationship with each other when refilling the erect ink, the ink pen 20 is prevented from falling down. . According to the knowledge of the present inventor, if the maximum outer diameter of the ink replenishment main body 11 is 105% or less of the maximum outer diameter of the cap member 40, the stability at the time of ink replenishment by the erect ink replenishment type is obtained. (In the present embodiment, 70/68 = 103%).

  Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the fact that the diameter (68 mm) of the bottom portion 40b is three times or more the diameter (15 mm) of the holding hole 44 also contributes to the posture stability during ink replenishment. Further, the fact that the height (44 mm) from the bottom portion 40b to the bottom surface of the holding hole 44 is smaller than the diameter (68 mm) of the bottom portion 40b also contributes to the posture stability during ink replenishment. Further, the fact that the depth (16 mm) of the holding hole 44 is larger than the diameter (15 mm) of the holding hole 44 also contributes to the posture stability when refilling the ink. In addition, the fact that the weight of the ink container main body 11 remains at 80 g while the weight of the cap member 40 is 10 g also contributes to the posture stability when refilling the ink. According to the knowledge of the present inventor, if the weight of the ink container body 11 is up to 100 g, sufficient posture stability at the time of ink replenishment can be obtained.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an ink replenishing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an ink replenishment device of FIG. It is a schematic sectional view showing the state at the time of doing. In the present embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the number of tubular ink communicating members is only one as compared with the embodiment shown in FIGS. In order to urge the air, an air entry promoting hole 112h is provided near the upper end of the tubular ink communication member 112.

  In addition, according to the present embodiment, substantially the same effects as those of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 can be obtained.

10 Ink refilling device 11 Ink container body (ink refilling body)
11a Cylindrical part 11b Substantially cylindrical part 11c Bottom part 11t Transition part 12, 112 Tubular ink communication member 12e Extension side end 12h Air entry promotion hole 13 Filling member 14 Covering part 14r Pen tip opening 14s Side covering part 14u Upper coating part 14b Lower coating part 20 Ink pen 21 Pen tip 22 Shaft tube member 23 Ink holder 24 Rear end part 40 Cap member 40b Bottom part 40c Screw part 40s Skirt part 44 Holding hole

Claims (7)

A pen tip that can hold the ink impregnated,
A shaft cylinder member for holding the pen tip in a protruding state at a tip end,
An ink holder provided in the shaft cylinder member and capable of flowing ink between the pen tip,
An ink replenishing device for refilling an ink pen having an ink,
An ink container body that provides a space in which the ink is stored in a liquid state,
A tubular ink communication member that forms an ink communication passage that communicates with the space and extends outside the space but does not extend inside the space ;
Filling member provided so as to cover the extension side end of the tubular ink communication member,
A covering portion that covers the filling member and has a pen tip opening,
A cap member for opening and closing the pen tip opening,
An ink replenishing device comprising: An air entry promoting hole is provided in the vicinity of the extension side end of the tubular ink communication member.
The ink replenishing device according to claim 1, wherein: The ink container main body has a bottom portion that can be supported by a flat surface,
The tubular ink communication member is provided so as to extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the bottom from the upper surface side of the ink container body,
The nib opening the ink replenishing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that further positioned on the upper side of the extending end of the tubular ink communicating member. The said pen tip opening part is located in the height of the range of 0.3 cm-2.0 cm upper side of the extension side end of the said tubular ink communication member, The Claims 3 characterized by the above-mentioned. Ink refill equipment. The ink replenishing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the tubular ink communication member has an inner diameter in a range of 1 mm to 7 mm. The ink replenishing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein a plurality of the tubular ink communication members are provided substantially in parallel with each other. A pen tip that can hold the ink impregnated,
A shaft cylinder member for holding the pen tip in a protruding state at a tip end,
An ink holder provided in the shaft cylinder member and capable of flowing ink between the pen tip,
An ink replenishing device for refilling an ink pen having an ink,
An ink container body that provides a space in which the ink is stored in a liquid state,
A tubular ink communication member that forms an ink communication passage that communicates with the space and extends outside the space;
Filling member provided so as to cover the extension side end of the tubular ink communication member,
A covering portion that covers the filling member and has a pen tip opening,
A cap member for opening and closing the pen tip opening,
With
The covering portion is fixed to an upper surface side of the ink container main body portion,
The ink replenishing device, wherein the cap member is screwed to the covering portion .

Images