JP7312619B2 - mechanical pencil - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to mechanical pencils.

Mechanical pencils are known in which the lead can be extended from the front end. Mechanical pencils are used for writing on paper or the like with a lead protruding from the front end. A mechanical pencil has a lead accommodation space for accommodating a spare lead in a barrel. When the spare lead runs out, the lead accommodation space is replenished with the spare lead.

The mechanical pencils disclosed in Patent Literature 1 and Patent Literature 2 have a display body that partitions the lead housing space from the rear. The display is axially movable. When there is no spare lead in the lead accommodation space, the display body is positioned forward, and when there is a spare lead in the lead accommodation space, the display body is positioned rearward. By visually recognizing the position of this indicator from the outside of the barrel, it is possible to grasp the presence or absence of the spare lead in the lead accommodation space.

JP-A-54-33737 JP-A-54-20730

However, in the mechanical pencils of Patent Literatures 1 and 2, lead powder in the lead housing space may enter between the display body and the cylindrical portion that movably supports the display body. In this case, the inner surface of the cylindrical portion may become dirty with the core powder, making it difficult to observe the display from the outside of the cylindrical portion. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to effectively prevent the visibility of a display from being impaired by lead powder in a lead accommodating space.

A first mechanical pencil according to the present invention comprises:
an axle tube;
a mouthpiece unit supported by the shaft cylinder;
a lead holding unit having a chuck for feeding out the held lead by moving relative to the mouthpiece unit;
a display body provided movably in the axial direction and partitioning from the rear a lead housing space formed behind the chuck in the shaft cylinder;
at least the display at a specific position can be observed from the outside of the barrel;
The display has a display main body extending in the axial direction and a flange protruding from the display main body in a direction not parallel to the axial direction.

A second mechanical pencil according to the present invention comprises:
an axle tube;
a mouthpiece unit supported by the shaft cylinder;
a lead holding unit having a chuck for feeding out the held lead by moving relative to the mouthpiece unit;
a display body provided movably in the axial direction and partitioning from the rear a lead housing space formed behind the chuck in the shaft cylinder;
at least the display at a specific position can be observed from the outside of the barrel;
A hole is formed in a cylindrical portion that accommodates the display body so as to be movable in the axial direction.

In the first and second mechanical pencils according to the present invention, the length of the flange along the axial direction may be 1.5 mm or less.

In the first and second mechanical pencils according to the present invention, the flange portion may extend circumferentially around the display body portion.

In the first and second mechanical pencils according to the present invention,
A window portion that allows observation of the inside of the barrel is provided in the barrel so as to at least partially overlap with a range in which the display body can move in the axial direction,
The flange portion may extend over at least a range in which the window portion is provided in the circumferential direction.

In the first and second mechanical pencils according to the present invention,
A window portion that allows observation of the inside of the barrel is provided in the barrel so as to overlap a part of the range in which the display body can move in the axial direction,
The flange portion of the display body supported from the front in the axial direction by the spare lead accommodated in the lead accommodation space may be positioned forward of the window portion in the axial direction.

In the first and second mechanical pencils according to the present invention,
A window portion that allows observation of the inside of the barrel is provided in the barrel so as to at least partially overlap with a range in which the display body can move in the axial direction,
A concave portion may be formed in an inner surface of a region overlapping the window portion in the circumferential direction of the tubular portion accommodating the display body so as to be movable in the axial direction.

In the first and second mechanical pencils according to the present invention, the display body may further include a rear flange portion located behind the flange portion in the axial direction and protruding from the display body portion in a direction non-parallel to the axial direction.

In the first and second mechanical pencils according to the present invention, the length of the rear flange portion along the axial direction may be 1.5 mm or less.

In the first and second mechanical pencils according to the present invention, the rear flange portion may be provided at the rear end portion of the display body portion.

In the first and second mechanical pencils according to the present invention, the rear flange portion may circumferentially extend around the display body portion.

In the first and second mechanical pencils according to the present invention,
A window portion that allows observation of the inside of the barrel is provided in the barrel so as to overlap a part of the range in which the display body can move in the axial direction,
The rear flange portion of the display that has moved most forward in the axial direction may be positioned rearward of the window portion in the axial direction.

In the first and second mechanical pencils according to the present invention, a hole may be formed in a tubular portion accommodating the display body so as to be movable in the axial direction.

In the first and second mechanical pencils according to the present invention, the hole may be positioned rearward in the axial direction relative to the display body that has moved most rearward in the axial direction.

In the first and second mechanical pencils according to the present invention,
a hole is formed in a tubular portion accommodating the display body so as to be movable in the axial direction;
A length of the hole along the axial direction may be longer than a length of the rear flange portion along the axial direction.

In the first and second mechanical pencils according to the present invention, the area of the hole may be larger than the area of the gap between the cylindrical portion and the display body in a cross section perpendicular to the axial direction.

The first and second mechanical pencils according to the present invention are
further comprising a knock unit that is movably provided in the shaft cylinder in the axial direction and pushes the lead holding unit forward when moving forward in the axial direction;
The knock unit may include the cylindrical portion that accommodates the display body movably in the axial direction.

In the first and second mechanical pencils according to the present invention, the shaft tube may include the cylindrical portion that accommodates the display body so as to be movable in the axial direction.

In the first and second mechanical pencils according to the present invention,
further comprising an intermediate cylinder member provided movably in the axial direction within the shaft cylinder,
The lead holding unit further includes a lead housing cylinder positioned behind the chuck in the axial direction and forming at least a portion of the lead housing space, the open rear end of which is inserted into the intermediate cylinder member,
The tubular portion of the knock unit may be inserted into the intermediate tubular member from behind in the axial direction.

In the first and second mechanical pencils according to the present invention, the length along the axial direction between the rear end of the lead housing space and the front end of the mouthpiece unit in a state in which the display body has moved to the rearmost position along the axial direction may be at least twice the length of the spare lead housed in the lead housing space.

In the first and second mechanical pencils according to the present invention, the display supported on the spare lead housed in the lead housing space may be observable from the outside of the barrel.

In the first and second mechanical pencils according to the present invention, the display body located forward along the axial direction from the position supported on the spare lead housed in the lead housing space may be observable from the outside of the barrel.

In the first and second mechanical pencils according to the present invention, the display body supported on the spare lead housed in the lead housing space and the display body positioned ahead of the position supported on the spare lead housed in the lead housing space in the axial direction along the axial direction may be observable as different displays from the outside of the barrel.

In the first and second mechanical pencils according to the present invention, the length of the lead housing space may be longer than the length of the spare lead when the display body is moved to the rearmost position along the axial direction.

In the first and second mechanical pencils according to the present invention, the length of the lead housing space may be shorter than the length of the spare lead when the display body is moved to the frontmost position along the axial direction.

In the first and second mechanical pencils according to the present invention, the display body may be provided with a recess opening forward in the axial direction.

In the first and second mechanical pencils according to the present invention, the depth of the recess along the axial direction may be greater than half the length of the display body along the axial direction.

In the first and second mechanical pencils according to the present invention,
The display body has an inner wall surface and a bottom wall surface that define the recess,
The bottom wall surface may be perpendicular to the axial direction.

In the first and second mechanical pencils according to the present invention, the length along the axial direction between the front end of the lead housing space and the front end of the base unit may be shorter than the length of the spare lead.

In the first and second mechanical pencils according to the present invention, the length along the axial direction between the front end of the lead housing space and the front end of the base unit may be longer than half the length of the spare lead.

In the first and second mechanical pencils according to the present invention,
A front wall surface defining the lead housing space from the front side in the axial direction is provided with a lead delivery hole having an inner dimension capable of inserting only one lead and communicating with the chuck,
the front wall surface tilts rearward in the axial direction as it separates from the lead delivery hole along a direction perpendicular to the axial direction;
An inclination angle of the front wall surface with respect to the axial direction may be greater than 45° and less than 85°.

In the first and second mechanical pencils according to the present invention, the front wall surface may be rotationally symmetrical.

In the first and second mechanical pencils according to the present invention, the lead housing space may have a narrowed width portion at an intermediate portion in the axial direction.

In the first and second mechanical pencils according to the present invention, the length along the axial direction from the front end of the lead housing space to the reduced width portion may be longer than half the length of the spare lead and shorter than the length of the spare lead.

The first and second mechanical pencils according to the present invention are
further comprising an intermediate cylinder member provided movably in the axial direction within the shaft cylinder,
The lead holding unit further includes a lead housing cylinder positioned behind the chuck in the axial direction and forming at least a portion of the lead housing space, the open rear end of which is inserted into the intermediate cylinder member,
The intermediate cylindrical member may have a cylindrical main body and an inner rib protruding from the inner surface of the cylindrical main body, and when moving forward along the axial direction, the inner rib may come into contact with the rear end surface of the lead housing tube and push the lead holding unit forward.

In the first and second mechanical pencils according to the present invention, the inner width of the intermediate cylindrical member at the position where the inner rib is provided may be smaller than the inner width of the lead housing tube.

In the first and second mechanical pencils according to the present invention, the length along the axial direction from the front end of the lead housing space to the inner rib may be longer than half the length of the spare lead and shorter than the length of the spare lead.

In the first and second mechanical pencils according to the present invention, the inner width of the intermediate cylindrical member at the position where the inner rib is provided may be larger than the inner width of the lead housing tube.

In the first and second mechanical pencils according to the present invention, the inner width of the intermediate cylindrical member at the position where the inner rib is provided may be the same as the inner width of the lead housing tube.

According to the present invention, it is possible to effectively prevent the visibility of the display from being impaired by the core powder in the core housing space.

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an embodiment of the present invention, and is a plan view showing a specific example of a mechanical pencil containing a spare lead. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the mechanical pencil of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the front portion of the mechanical pencil of FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the rear portion of the mechanical pencil of FIG. 1; FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a knock unit of the mechanical pencil of FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1, and is a plan view showing the mechanical pencil of FIG. 1 without containing the spare lead. 7 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2, and is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the mechanical pencil of FIG. 6 without a spare lead. 8 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2, and is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the mechanical pencil of FIG. 1 containing a spare lead in a knocked state. 9 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1, and is a plan view showing the mechanical pencil of FIG. 8 containing a spare lead in a knocked state. FIG. 10 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2, and is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the mechanical pencil of FIG. 1, which does not contain a spare lead, in a knocked state. 11 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1, and is a plan view showing the mechanical pencil of FIG. 10 without a spare lead in a knocked state; FIG. 12 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2, and is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the mechanical pencil of FIG. 1 in a state in which the lead held by the lead holding unit and the spare lead in the lead accommodation space are aligned in a straight line. FIG. 13 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 3 and showing a state in which a force is applied to the core in a direction non-parallel to the axial direction. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a modified example of the mechanical pencil, and is a cross-sectional view at a position where the window portion is arranged in the axial direction.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to a specific example shown in the drawings.

1 to 14 are diagrams for explaining an embodiment of the present invention and show a specific example of a mechanical pencil according to the embodiment. Among them, FIGS. 1 to 4 are respectively a plan view, a cross-sectional view and a partial cross-sectional view showing the mechanical pencil in the non-knocked state with the spare lead accommodated in the lead accommodation space.

The mechanical pencil 10 according to this embodiment has a barrel 20, a base unit 30, a lead holding unit 40, and a display 70. As shown in FIG. The shaft tube 20 is a tubular member having an opening in the axial direction AD. The base unit 30 is supported by the barrel 20 so as to protrude forward from the front end opening of the barrel 20 . The lead holding unit 40 is held inside the barrel 20 so as to be movable in the axial direction AD. The lead holding unit 40 can hold one lead LE. The lead holding unit 40 feeds out the lead LE toward the mouthpiece unit 30 by moving relative to the mouthpiece unit 30 in the axial direction AD. The mechanical pencil 10 has a lead accommodation space S that accommodates a spare lead SLE as a replacement lead supplied to the lead holding unit 40 . The display body 70 partitions the lead housing space S from the rear.

Further, the illustrated mechanical pencil 10 has an intermediate cylindrical member 50 held by the barrel 20, a knock unit 60 and a clip 29. As shown in FIG. The intermediate cylindrical member 50 is positioned behind the lead holding unit 40 in the axial direction AD. The intermediate cylinder member 50 is provided in the shaft cylinder 20 so as to be movable in the axial direction AD. The knock unit 60 is a part where a user inputs an operation when moving the lead holding unit 40 relative to the mouthpiece unit 30 in the axial direction AD. In the illustrated example, the knock unit 60 is inserted into the barrel 20 from the rear end opening of the barrel 20 . In the illustrated example, the display body 70 is held by the knock unit 60 so as to be movable in the axial direction AD. However, the illustrated mechanical pencil 10 is merely an example, and the knock unit 60 may be a member exposed to the side from the intermediate portion of the barrel 20 in the axial direction AD. Further, the display body 70 may be held by the barrel 20 instead of the knock unit 60 or may be held by the intermediate tubular member 50 .

In this specification, the direction in which the central axis CA of the barrel 20 extends (longitudinal direction, up-down direction in a longitudinal sectional view) is defined as an axial direction AD. In the illustrated example, the central axis CA of the barrel 20 coincides with the central axis of the lead LE held by the lead holding unit 40 . A direction orthogonal to the axial direction AD is defined as a radial direction (diameter direction), and a circumferential direction around the axial direction AD is defined as a circumferential direction. Further, along the axial direction AD, the side that approaches the surface to be written, such as a paper surface, is defined as the front side (front), and the side that is away from the surface to be written is defined as the rear side (rear). Further, the radially outer side is the side away from the central axis CA, and the radially inner side is the side close to the central axis CA. That is, the upper side of the longitudinal sectional view, that is, the side of the knock unit 60 is referred to as the rear, and the lower side of the longitudinal sectional view, that is, the side of the front end opening 30a of the barrel, is referred to as the front.

Each component constituting the mechanical pencil 10 will be described in order below.

As described above, the shaft tube 20 is a tubular member that opens on both sides in the axial direction AD, that is, on the front side and the rear side. As shown in FIG. 2, the barrel 20 has a front barrel 20A, an intermediate barrel 20B, a rear barrel 20C, a front inner barrel 20D, a rear inner barrel 20E, and a coating 20F. The rear end portion of the front inner barrel 20D and the front end portion of the rear inner barrel 20E are fixed by fitting or screwing. The intermediate barrel 20B is fixed from the radially outer side to the rear end portion of the front inner barrel 20D and the front and intermediate portions of the rear inner barrel 20E. The rear barrel 20C is fixed to the rear end portion of the rear inner barrel 20E from the radial outside. The inner surface of the rear end portion of the front barrel 20A and the outer surface of the intermediate portion of the front inner barrel 20D are formed with screws that engage with each other. The front barrel 20A and the front inner barrel 20D are detachable using screws. The front barrel 20A, the intermediate barrel 20B, the rear barrel 20C, the front inner barrel 20D, and the rear inner barrel 20E can be made, for example, as resin moldings. The covering material 20F is fixed to the front barrel 20A from the radial outside. The covering material 20F becomes a grip portion of the mechanical pencil 10 and is made of rubber or resin, for example. The front barrel 20A forms the front end opening of the barrel 20, and the rear barrel 20C forms the rear end opening of the barrel 20. As shown in FIG. Clip 29 is fixed to rear barrel 20</b>C of barrel 20 .

Next, the mouthpiece unit 30 will be described. As best shown in FIG. 3, most of the mouthpiece unit 30 is disposed within the barrel 20. As shown in FIG. However, the front end portion of the mouthpiece unit 30 protrudes forward from the front end opening of the barrel 20 .

In the illustrated example, the mouthpiece unit 30 is not fixed to the barrel 20 in order to ensure a core protection function, which will be described later. The base unit 30 is arranged in the axial cylinder 20 so as to be movable in the axial direction AD. A mouthpiece biasing member 38 is provided between the mouthpiece unit 30 and the barrel 20 . The base biasing member 38 biases the base unit 30 forward with respect to the barrel 20 . The base biasing member 38 is arranged inside the barrel 20 . The base urging member 38 is composed of, for example, a compression spring or the like, and is compressed between the front end surface of the front inner barrel 20D and the base unit 30. As shown in FIG.

However, the inner width (inner dimension, inner diameter in the illustrated example) of the barrel 20 is generally tapered forward at its front end portion. Similarly, the outer width (outer dimension, outer diameter in the illustrated example) of the mouthpiece unit 30 generally tapers forward. As a result, the base unit 30 is prevented from slipping forward from the interior of the barrel 20 . In addition, the mouthpiece unit 30 is also relatively movable with respect to the shaft tube 20 in the radial direction.

As shown in FIG. 3, the mouthpiece unit 30 has a mouthpiece distal end member 31 projecting forward from the barrel 20, a mouthpiece proximal end member 32 that holds the mouthpiece distal end member 31, and a tip biasing member 36 provided between the mouthpiece distal end member 31 and the mouthpiece proximal end member 32. The base tip member 31 protrudes forward from the barrel 20 . The mouthpiece tip member 31 is a cylindrical portion that tapers forward in the axial direction. The tip portion of the base tip member 31 has an inner diameter of one lead LE and has a tip cylindrical part 31a for supporting one lead. The tip tubular portion 31 a constitutes the front end opening 30 a of the mouthpiece unit 30 .

On the other hand, the mouthpiece proximal end member 32 holds the mouthpiece distal end member 31 movably in the axial direction AD. The illustrated mouthpiece proximal member 32 also has a first proximal member 33, a second proximal member 34 and a third proximal member 35, as shown in FIG. The first proximal member 33 is arranged radially outward of the second proximal member 34 . A rear end portion of the first proximal member 33 is fixed to the second proximal member 34 . At the forward portion of the second proximal member 34, the first proximal member 33 and the second proximal member 34 are radially spaced apart. A rear portion of the mouthpiece tip member 31 is arranged in this gap portion. Also, the second base end member 34 holds a core holding member 37 . The lead holding member 37 is a rubber member having a through hole formed therein, and can hold the lead LE that has passed therethrough.

The base tip member 31 is movable relative to the first proximal member 33 and the second proximal member 34 in the axial direction AD. A front end portion of the first base end member 33 tapers forward. Therefore, the mouthpiece tip member 31 projecting forward from the first proximal member 33 and the second proximal member 34 is prevented from coming off forward from the first proximal member 33 and the second proximal member 34 . A tip biasing member 36 is arranged between the mouthpiece tip member 31 and the second base end member 34 of the mouthpiece base end member 32 . The tip biasing member 36 biases the base tip member 31 forward with respect to the second proximal member 34 . The tip biasing member 36 is composed of, for example, a compression spring. The first proximal member 33 and the second proximal member 34 are formed, for example, as members made of metal.

The rear portion of the first proximal member 33 and the rear portion of the second proximal member 34 are arranged radially outward of the front portion of the third proximal member 35 . The rear portion of the first proximal member 33 and the rear portion of the second proximal member 34 are fixed to the front portion of the third proximal member 35 . The second proximal member 34 and the third proximal member 35 are formed as tubular members and accommodate the front end portion of the lead holding unit 40 . In the illustrated example, a chuck biasing member 39 is provided between the lead holding unit 40 and the third proximal member 35 of the mouthpiece proximal member 32 . The chuck biasing member 39 biases the mouthpiece unit 30 and the lead holding unit 40 away from each other in the axial direction AD. The chuck biasing member 39 is composed of, for example, a compression spring. The third base end member 35 can be made, for example, as a resin molding.

Next, the lead holding unit 40 will be described. The lead holding unit 40 holds the lead LE. The lead holding unit 40 is movable in the axial direction AD inside the barrel 20 . When the lead holding unit 40 approaches the mouthpiece unit 30 against the urging force of the chuck urging member 39 , the lead holding unit 40 feeds out the held lead LE toward the mouthpiece unit 30 by a certain amount. In this specification, the user's operation for advancing the lead holding unit 40 toward the mouthpiece unit 30 is called a knocking operation.

The illustrated lead holding unit 40 has a chuck 41, a chuck holding member 42, a fastener 43, a lead housing cylinder 44, an inner auxiliary cylinder 45 and an inner guide member 46, as shown in FIG. A chuck 41 releasably holds the lead LE. The chuck 41 has a plurality of, for example, three divided heads 41a. The chuck 41 is fixed at its rear end portion to the front end portion of the chuck holding member 42 . The plurality of heads 41a pass through a ring-shaped fastener 43. As shown in FIG. A plurality of heads 41a are formed so as to be spaced apart from each other at the front portion. As the fastener 43 moves forward, the heads 41a approach each other at their front end portions to hold the core LE. As the fastener 43 moves rearwardly, the heads 41a move away from each other at their front end portions to release the core LE.

A plurality of heads 41 a of the chuck 41 and the fasteners 43 are positioned within the mouth base end member 32 of the mouthpiece unit 30 . The mouthpiece base end member 32 has a restricting stepped portion 32a that restricts the forward movement of the fastener 43 on its inner surface. When the lead holding unit 40 moves forward with respect to the mouthpiece unit 30, the lead LE held by the chuck 41 also advances until the fastener 43 is restricted from advancing by the restricting stepped portion 32a. As the lead holding unit 40 continues to advance in a state where the advance of the fastener 43 is restricted by the restricting stepped portion 32a, the plurality of heads 41a are separated from each other to release the lead LE. In this way, the lead holding unit 40 moves forward with respect to the mouthpiece unit 30, so that the lead LE can be fed out.

The chuck holding member 42 is a cylindrical member. The chuck holding member 42 holds a lead housing cylinder 44 . The lead housing tube 44 is a cylindrical member. The lead housing cylinder 44 has its front end portion inserted into the chuck holding member 42 through the rear opening of the chuck holding member 42 . The lead housing cylinder 44 extends rearward from the chuck holding member 42 . A rear end of the lead housing tube 44 is inserted into an intermediate tube member 50 which will be described later. The lead housing cylinder 44 defines a lead housing space S together with the intermediate cylinder member 50 and a display body 70 which will be described later.

The inner auxiliary cylinder 45 and the inner guide member 46 are inserted into the core housing cylinder 44 . Both the inner auxiliary cylinder 45 and the inner guide member 46 are formed in a tubular shape. The inner auxiliary cylinder 45 and the inner guide member 46 form a lead delivery hole LEA communicating with the chuck 41 . The lead delivery hole LEA has an inner diameter (inner dimension) through which only one lead LE can pass at a time. The inner guide member 46 is adjacent to the inner auxiliary cylinder 45 from behind. The inner guide member 46 forms a front wall surface FS that partitions the lead housing space S from the front side in the axial direction AD. The lead delivery hole LEA opens axially rearward in the front wall surface FS.

As shown in FIG. 3, the front wall surface FS is inclined rearward in the axial direction AD as it separates from the lead delivery hole LEA along the direction perpendicular to the axial direction AD, that is, outward in the radial direction. Such an inclination of the front wall surface FS makes it possible to guide the spare lead SLE in the lead accommodation space S to the lead delivery hole LEA. Further, the front wall surface FS preferably has rotational symmetry about the central axis CA. In particular, it is more preferable that the front wall surface FS has a truncated cone side shape and rotational symmetry at an arbitrary rotation angle. By imparting rotational symmetry to the front wall surface FS, it is possible to smoothly guide the lead LE accommodated in the lead accommodation space S and to effectively prevent the spare lead SLE from being biased in the lead accommodation space S.

However, in the present embodiment, in the writing state with the front of the mechanical pencil 10 directed downward in the vertical direction, the weight of the display body 70 pushes the spare lead SLE in the lead accommodation space S forward. Therefore, the lead LE held by the chuck 41 and having its rear end protruding into the lead accommodation space S and the front wall surface FS can be difficult to feed out smoothly because the spare lead SLE enters like a wedge between the lead LE and the front wall surface FS. From this point of view, the inclination angle θx of the front wall surface FS with respect to the axial direction AD should not be too small, unlike the conventional mechanical pencil. From the viewpoint of smooth feeding of the lead LE, the inclination angle θx is preferably greater than 45° and less than 85°, more preferably greater than 60° and less than 85°, still more preferably greater than 70° and less than 85°, and most preferably greater than 75° and less than 85°.

By providing the inner auxiliary cylinder 45 and the inner guide member 46 in the lead housing cylinder 44, a lead delivery hole LEA having an inner diameter (inner dimension) corresponding to the diameter of the lead LE is defined. According to the inner auxiliary cylinder 45 and the inner guide member 46, it is possible to ensure a long lead delivery hole LEA in the axial direction AD through which only one lead LE can pass. With such a lead delivery hole LEA, breakage of the lead LE held by the lead holding unit 40 can be effectively avoided. Further, when the lead LE held by the lead holding unit 40 is retracted, and when the lead LE is inserted through the front end opening 30a, it is possible to effectively avoid the lead LE from breaking.

As an example, the chuck 41, the fastener 43, and the inner guide member 46 are made of metal such as brass, and the chuck holding member 42, the core housing cylinder 44, and the inner auxiliary cylinder 45 are made of resin moldings. However, unlike the illustrated example, the inner auxiliary cylinder 45 may be formed as a single component with at least one of the chuck holding member 42, the core housing cylinder 44, and the inner guide member 46, or may be integrally molded using resin, for example. The inner guide member 46 may be formed as one piece with any one or more of the chuck holding member 42, the core housing cylinder 44, and the inner auxiliary cylinder 45, and may be integrally molded using resin, for example. The chuck holding member 42 may be formed as one piece with any one or more of the core housing cylinder 44, the inner auxiliary cylinder 45, and the inner guide member 46, and may be integrally molded using resin, for example. The lead housing cylinder 44 may be formed as one piece with any one or more of the chuck holding member 42, the inner auxiliary cylinder 45, and the inner guide member 46, and may be integrally formed using resin, for example.

Next, the intermediate tubular member 50 will be described. Returning to FIG. 2, the intermediate cylinder member 50 is held within the shaft cylinder 20 so as to be movable in the axial direction AD. An intermediate biasing member 28 is provided between the intermediate tubular member 50 and the shaft tube 20 . The intermediate biasing member 28 has its front end supported on the rear end surface of the front inner barrel 20D. The intermediate biasing member 28 biases the intermediate cylindrical member 50 rearward with respect to the barrel 20 . The intermediate biasing member 28 is composed of, for example, a compression spring or the like. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, a projection 20Ea is provided on the rear inner barrel 20E. The rear end of the movable range of the intermediate tubular member 50 within the shaft tube 20 is defined by the intermediate tubular member 50 coming into contact with the projection 20Ea.

As shown in FIG. 4, the intermediate tubular member 50 has a tubular shape as a whole. The intermediate cylindrical member 50 forms an intermediate portion of the lead housing space S in the axial direction AD. The intermediate tubular member 50 has a tubular main body portion 51 , an inner rib 52 protruding from the inner surface of the tubular main body portion 51 , and a force receiving flange 53 protruding from the outer surface of the tubular main body portion 51 . The cylindrical body portion 51, the inner rib 52 and the force receiving flange 53 can be integrally molded, for example, as a resin molding. The biasing receiving flange 53 receives the rear end of the intermediate biasing member 28 . That is, the intermediate biasing member 28 is compressed between the front inner barrel 20</b>D of the barrel 20 and the bias receiving flange 53 of the intermediate barrel member 50 .

The tubular body portion 51 has a front tubular portion 51A, a rear tubular portion 51B and an intermediate tapered portion 51C. In the axial direction AD, the front tubular portion 51A is located forward of the rear tubular portion 51B and the intermediate tapered portion 51C. That is, the front side tubular portion 51A is positioned at the forefront of the intermediate tubular member 50 . The force receiving flange 53 is provided on the outer surface of the front cylindrical portion 51A. In the axial direction AD, the rear tubular portion 51B is located behind the front tubular portion 51A and the intermediate tapered portion 51C. That is, the rear tubular portion 51B is positioned at the rearmost portion of the intermediate tubular member 50 . The intermediate tapered portion 51C is positioned between the front tubular portion 51A and the rear tubular portion 51B in the axial direction AD.

The outer width (outer diameter) and inner width (inner diameter) of the front tubular portion 51A are smaller than the outer width (outer diameter) and inner width (inner diameter) of the rear tubular portion 51B, respectively. The intermediate tapered portion 51C has a tapered shape that tapers forward. The inner rib 52 is positioned on the extension of the intermediate tapered portion 51C. The inner rib 52 is formed in an annular shape.

As shown in FIG. 2, the rear end portion of the lead housing tube 44 of the lead holding unit 40 is inserted into the front side tube portion 51A. The rear end portion of the lead housing tube 44 is relatively movable in the axial direction AD with respect to the front side tubular portion 51A within the front side tubular portion 51A. During the knocking operation, the intermediate cylindrical member 50 advances so that the inner rib 52 comes into contact with the rear end surface 44 a of the lead housing cylinder 44 . Furthermore, as the intermediate cylindrical member 50 advances, the lead holding unit 40 including the lead housing tube 44 advances in synchronism with the intermediate cylindrical member 50 and approaches the mouthpiece unit 30 in the axial direction AD.

On the other hand, the front end portion of the knock unit 60 is inserted into the rear tubular portion 51B. A front end of the knock unit 60 is adjacent to the intermediate tapered portion 51C of the intermediate tubular member 50 . When the knocking operation is performed, the intermediate cylindrical member 50 also advances in synchronization with the advance of the knock unit 60 .

As described above, the intermediate cylindrical member 50 constitutes the lead housing space S. As shown in FIG. The inner rib 52 of the intermediate cylindrical member 50 forms the narrowed width portion SC of the lead housing space S. As shown in FIG. The reduced-width portion SC is located in the middle portion of the lead accommodating space S in the axial direction AD, and locally narrows the width of the lead accommodating space S along the radial direction orthogonal to the axial direction AD. With such a lead accommodation space S, it is possible to effectively prevent the spare lead SLE accommodated in the lead accommodation space S from spreading in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction (radial direction) behind the lead accommodation space S. As a result, it is possible to effectively prevent the spare lead SLE housed in the lead housing space S from greatly tilting with respect to the axial direction.

The spare lead SLE that is greatly inclined in the lead accommodation space S easily enters between the lead LE, which is held by the chuck 41 and whose rear end protrudes into the lead accommodation space S, and the front wall surface FS, like a wedge. Therefore, if the spare lead SLE in the lead accommodation space S is greatly inclined, there is a possibility that the lead LE held by the chuck 41 can be hindered from being smoothly drawn out as described above. Therefore, by providing the reduced-width portion SC by the inner rib 52, the inclination of the spare lead SLE in the lead accommodating space S can be alleviated, and the lead LE can be fed out from the lead holding unit 40 smoothly. Further, since the rear end of the spare lead SLE is restricted from spreading, the knock unit 60 can be easily inserted into the intermediate cylindrical member 50 from the rear.

Especially in the illustrated intermediate cylindrical member 50, as shown in FIG. 2, the length LC along the axial direction AD from the front end of the lead housing space S to the reduced width portion SC formed by the inner rib 52 is shorter than the length LX of the spare lead SLE. Also, this length LC is longer than half the length LX of the spare core SLE, in particular longer than 2/3 the length LX of the spare core SLE in the illustrated example, and even longer than 3/4 the length LX of the spare core SLE. By adjusting the position of the reduced-width portion SC in the axial direction AD in this way, it is possible to effectively prevent the spare lead SLE accommodated in the lead accommodation space S from greatly tilting with respect to the axial direction AD.

The length LX of the spare core SLE referred to in this specification means the length of the spare core SLE before use. Typically, according to the JIS standard (JIS S6005 (2019) mechanical pencil lead), the length LX of the spare lead SLE having a diameter of 0.2 mm or more and 1.4 mm or less can be 60 mm, and the length LX of the spare lead SLE having a diameter of 2.0 mm can be 130 mm. Also, considering the core length tolerance allowed by the JIS standard, 61 mm can be adopted as the length LX of the spare core SLE having a diameter of 0.2 mm or more and 1.4 mm or less, and 131 mm can be adopted as the length LX of the spare core SLE having a diameter of 2.0 mm.

4, the inner width (inner diameter, inner dimension) WX of the intermediate cylindrical member 50 at the position where the inner rib 52 is provided is smaller than the inner width (inner diameter, inner dimension) WY of the lead housing cylinder 44. According to such an example, it is possible to effectively suppress a large inclination of the spare lead SLE in the lead accommodation space S with respect to the axial direction AD.

However, not limited to the illustrated example, the inner width WX of the intermediate cylindrical member 50 at the position where the inner rib 52 is provided may be the same as the inner width WY of the lead housing cylinder 44 . According to this example, clogging of the spare lead SLE in the reduced width portion SC of the lead accommodation space S can be effectively prevented. Also, when inserting the spare lead SLE into the lead housing space S from the front end opening 30a of the mechanical pencil 10, it is possible to effectively prevent the spare lead SLE from being caught by the inner rib 52 forming the reduced width portion SC. Furthermore, the inner width WX of the intermediate cylindrical member 50 at the position where the inner rib 52 is provided may be made larger than the inner width WY of the lead housing cylinder 44 . According to this example, the lead holding unit 40 can be stably moved forward in the axial direction via the intermediate cylindrical member 50 .

Next, the knock unit 60 will be explained. The knock unit 60 is a part that is acted upon by the user of the mechanical pencil 10 when performing a knock operation. The knock unit 60 is inserted into the barrel 20 from the rear end opening of the barrel 20 . A tip portion of the knock unit 60 inserted into the barrel 20 is inserted into the rear side tubular portion 51B of the intermediate tubular member 50 . The knock unit 60 is fitted with the intermediate tubular member 50 and held by the knock unit 60 . Further, as well shown in FIG. 5, the knock unit 60 holds the display body 70 so as to be movable in the axial direction AD. That is, in the illustrated example, the knock unit 60 includes a cylindrical portion TP that accommodates the display body 70 so as to be movable in the axial direction AD. The display body 70 is inserted into the intermediate tubular member 50 at this tubular portion TP. The knock unit 60 and the display body 70 form a part of the lead housing space S. Here, FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the knock unit 60. FIG.

In the illustrated example, the knock unit 60 has a knock member 61 , a cap member 65 and an attachment 66 . 4, the knock member 61 has a front tubular portion 62, a rear tubular portion 63 and a partition wall portion 64. As shown in FIG. The knock member 61 is integrally molded, for example, as a resin molding. The front tubular portion 62 is located forward of the rear tubular portion 63 and the partition wall portion 64 . The front tubular portion 62 forms the frontmost portion of the knock member 61 . The rear tubular portion 63 is positioned rearward of the front tubular portion 62 and the partition wall portion 64 . The rear tubular portion 63 forms the rearmost portion of the knock member 61 . The front tubular portion 62 and the rear tubular portion 63 are formed as tubular portions.

Further, the knock member 61 of the knock unit 60 has a side projecting portion 61a projecting radially outward from a position between the front tubular portion 62 and the rear tubular portion 63 . In the illustrated example, a pair of lateral projections are arranged at positions facing each other with a 180° phase shift. The side projecting portion 61a engages with an engaging portion formed on the inner surface of the barrel 20 and is used for positioning the knock unit 60 and the barrel 20 in the circumferential direction.

The partition wall portion 64 is positioned between the front tubular portion 62 and the rear tubular portion 63 in the axial direction AD. The partition wall portion 64 extends in a direction non-parallel to the axial direction AD and partitions the inside of the knock member 61 .

The front cylindrical portion 62, in combination with the partition wall portion 64, forms a substantially cylindrical portion with a closed rear end. The display body 70 is housed within the front tubular portion 62 . The display body 70 is prevented from slipping forward from the front cylindrical portion 62 . That is, the front tubular portion 62 constitutes a tubular portion TP that holds the display 70 movably in the axial direction AD. The front cylindrical portion 62 is transparent so that the display 70 can be observed. Here, the term “transparency” includes not only colorless transparency but also colored transparency.

As shown in FIG. 5, the outer surface of the front end portion of the front cylindrical portion 62 is provided with a fitting convex portion 62a. The fitting convex portion 62 a is used for fixing the knock unit 60 and the intermediate tubular member 50 by fitting the rear tubular portion 51 B of the intermediate tubular member 50 .

As shown in FIG. 4, the rear tubular portion 63, in combination with the partition wall portion 64, forms a substantially cylindrical portion with a closed rear end. The rear tubular portion 63 forms a storage space for the accessory 66 together with the partition wall portion 64 . Attachment 66 can typically be an eraser for correcting typos. Other examples of the accessory 66 include a ballpoint pen, a marking pen, a correction tape, a touch pen for smartphones and tablet terminals, and the like. Furthermore, when the mechanical pencil 10 contains a reversible thermochromic microcapsule pigment and a solid core capable of forming reversible thermochromic handwriting by writing, a friction member capable of discoloring or erasing the handwriting by the solid core by friction heat with the paper surface can also be used as the attachment 66.

As shown in FIG. 4, the cap member 65 is a member that covers the rear cylindrical portion 63 from behind. The cap member 65 can close the accommodation space for the accessory 66 . An inner threaded portion 65 a is formed on the inner surface of the cap member 65 to engage with an outer threaded portion 63 a formed on the outer surface of the rear cylindrical portion 63 . That is, in the illustrated example, the cap member 65 can be removed from the knock member 61 by rotating the cap member 65 relative to the knock member 61 in the circumferential direction. At this time, the rotation of the knock member 61 with respect to the barrel 20 is restricted by engaging the side protruding portion 61a with an engaging portion formed on the inner surface of the barrel 20 . Therefore, the user can easily attach and detach the cap member 65 by holding the barrel 20 with one hand and operating the cap member 65 with the other hand.

Next, the display 70 will be described. As shown in FIG. 5, the display 70 has a cylindrical outer shape. The display body 70 is housed in the front tubular portion 62 of the knock member 61 so as to be movable within a certain range along the axial direction AD with respect to the knock member 61 . In the illustrated example, the display 70 can move between a forwardmost position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 7 and a rearwardmost position indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. Specifically, at the forwardmost position, the display body 70 comes into contact with the restricting convex portion 62c provided on the inner surface of the front cylindrical portion 62, and is restricted from moving forward. Further, the display body 70 contacts the partition wall portion 64 at the rearmost position and is restricted from moving rearward.

The display body 70 partitions the lead housing space S from the rear. Assuming that writing is performed with the front of the mechanical pencil 10 positioned vertically downward, the arrangement of the display body 70 in the axial direction AD changes according to the presence or absence of the spare lead SLE in the lead accommodation space S. In the illustrated example, both conditions are satisfied: the shortest length LS _min (see FIG. 7) of the lead housing space S when the display body 70 has moved most forward along the axial direction AD is shorter than the length LX of the spare core SLE, and the longest length LS _MAX (see FIG. 7) of the lead housing space S when the display body 70 has moved furthest backward along the axial direction AD is longer than the length LX of the spare core SLE.

Then, from the outside of the barrel 20, the display 70 at least at a specific position in the axial direction AD can be observed. In particular, the position of the display member 70 in the axial direction AD can be confirmed from the outside of the barrel 20 . In the mechanical pencil 10 of the present embodiment, the presence or absence of the spare lead SLE in the lead accommodation space S can be determined by confirming the position of the display body 70 in the axial direction AD.

As shown in FIG. 5, the display body 70 has a cylindrical outer shape. In order to facilitate confirmation of the position of the display body 70 in the axial direction AD, it is preferable that a display target is formed on the cylindrical outer peripheral surface (side surface) of the display body 70 . In this case, instead of judging the presence or absence of the spare core SLE by perceiving the position of the display member 70, the presence or absence of the spare core SLE can be displayed directly by the display member 70. FIG. Examples of display objects formed on the display body 70 include graphics, patterns, designs, colors, pictures, photographs, images such as characters, characters, marks, numbers, and the like. For example, the display 70 may display a first color (for example, red) to indicate that there is no spare core SLE, and the display 70 may display a second color (for example, black) to indicate that there is a spare core SLE.

In the illustrated example, the barrel 20 is provided with a window 22 through which the inside of the barrel 20 can be observed. As can be understood from FIG. 1 , the barrel 20 is transparent in the area forming the window 22 and opaque in the area other than the window 22 . For example, the area of the barrel 20 other than the area forming the window portion 22 can be made opaque by printing or by attaching a decorative film. Such opaque processing may be applied to any of the inner and outer surfaces of the front barrel 20A, intermediate barrel 20B, rear barrel 20C, front inner barrel 20D, and rear inner barrel 20E. Further, the region forming the window portion 22 may be configured by a hole provided in the barrel 20, or may be configured by a region of the barrel 20 that is not processed to be opaque.

For ease of viewing, the window portion 22 is shown not by a dotted line but by a solid line even in the longitudinal sectional view.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the window portion 22 is arranged so as to at least partially overlap the range in which the display body 70 can move in the axial direction AD. Further, the window portion 22 is provided only partially in the circumferential direction. In the particularly illustrated example, the pair of windows 22 are arranged in symmetrical positions, in other words, 180° out of phase. Therefore, when the display body 70 is displaced from the region overlapping the window portion 22 in the axial direction AD, the opposite side of the mechanical pencil 10 can be viewed through the pair of window portions 22 and the transparent front cylindrical portion 62 of the knock unit 60. With such an operation of the display body 70, the presence of the display body 70 can be made conscious, and the commercial appeal of the mechanical pencil 10 can be improved.

In the illustrated example, the window part 22 is arranged so as to overlap only a part of the range in which the display body 70 can move in the axial direction AD. According to such arrangement of the window part 22, the area of the display body 70 observed through the window part 22 can be changed according to the presence or absence of the spare core SLE, or the display body 70 can be prevented from being viewed from the window part 22 depending on the presence or absence of the spare core SLE. Then, the position of the display member 70 in the axial direction AD and/or the presence or absence of the spare lead SLE in the lead accommodation space S can be easily determined from changes in the state observed through the window 22 .

More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the display member 70 supported on the spare lead SLE accommodated in the lead accommodation space S can be observed from the outside of the barrel 20 through the window 22. Further, the display body 70 located forward along the axial direction AD from the position where it is supported on the spare lead SLE accommodated in the lead accommodation space S can be observed from the outside of the barrel 20 . In particular, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the display body 70 at the forwardmost position can be observed from the outside of the barrel 20. As shown in FIG. The display body 70 supported on the spare lead SLE accommodated in the lead accommodation space S and the display body 70 positioned forward along the axial direction AD from the position supported on the spare lead SLE accommodated in the lead accommodation space S are observed as different displays because different portions are observed from the outside of the barrel 20. - 特許庁Therefore, it is possible to determine the presence or absence of the spare lead SLE based on the display on the display member 70 observed through the window portion 22 .

However, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated example, and only one window portion 22 may be provided. The window portion 22 may be formed in a circumferential shape in the circumferential direction. Furthermore, three or more windows 22 may be provided. When a plurality of windows 22 are provided, the arrangement of the plurality of windows 22 in the axial direction AD may be the same as in the illustrated example, may be partially overlapped, or may be completely displaced.

As shown in FIG. 5, the display body 70 has a front display member 70A and a rear display member 70B adjacent to the front display member 70A from the rear in the axial direction AD. The front side display member 70A and the rear side display member 70B are connected by being fitted to each other. The length of the front display member 70A along the axial direction AD is longer than the length of the rear display member 70B along the axial direction AD. Further, the display body 70 is provided with a concave portion 74 that opens forward in the axial direction AD. The recess 74 is formed in the front display member 70A. The recess 74 is defined by an inner wall surface 74a and a bottom wall surface 74b. The inner wall surface 74a has a cylindrical shape centered on the central axis CA. The bottom wall surface 74b is formed by a surface non-parallel to the axial direction AD, typically a surface perpendicular to the axial direction AD. The depth of the concave portion 74 along the axial direction AD is half or more of the length of the display member 70 along the axial direction AD.

As shown in FIG. 2, when writing is performed with the front of the mechanical pencil 10 positioned vertically downward, the display body 70 is supported on the spare lead SLE if the spare lead SLE is accommodated in the lead accommodation space S. At this time, as shown in FIG. 1, the front side display member 70A of the display body 70 faces the window portion 22 of the shaft tube 20 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction AD. That is, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the outer surface of the front display member 70A can be observed through the window 22. As shown in FIG. On the other hand, when there is no spare lead SLE in the lead housing space S, when writing is performed with the front of the mechanical pencil 10 positioned vertically downward, the display body 70 moves forward due to its own weight and is positioned at the foremost position indicated by the solid line in FIG. At this time, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the rear display member 70B of the display body 70 faces the window portion 22 of the shaft tube 20 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction AD. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the outer surface of the rear display member 70B can be observed through the window portion 22. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, different displays are provided on the outer peripheral surfaces of the front display member 70A and the rear display member 70B. Typically, the outer peripheral surfaces of the front display member 70A and the rear display member 70B have different colors. For example, the front display member 70A and the rear display member 70B are molded with resin materials of different colors. Therefore, the presence or absence of the spare lead SLE in the lead accommodation space S can be determined according to the display observed through the window 22, in the illustrated example, the color observed through the window 22. FIG.

As described above, the display body 70 is formed in a cylindrical shape. However, as shown in FIG. 5 , the display body 70 has a substantially columnar display body portion 71 and a flange portion 72 projecting from the display body body portion 71 . The flange portion 72 protrudes from the display main body portion 71 in a direction non-parallel to the axial direction AD. In the illustrated example, the flange portion 72 protrudes from the display main body portion 71 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction AD.

In the lead accommodation space S, the lead LE and the spare lead SLE are arranged. Core powder may be generated in the lead housing space S by rubbing the lead LE and the spare lead SLE against each other, and by rubbing the lead LE or the spare lead SLE against the wall portion or the like defining the lead housing space S. It is also conceivable that this core powder enters between the display body 70 and the cylindrical portion TP that accommodates the display body 70 . In this case, the core powder adheres to the inner surface of the cylindrical portion TP, and the cylindrical portion TP becomes dirty. As a result, visibility of the display 70 through the window 22 is deteriorated. Moreover, the core powder may flow out to the outside of the barrel 20 . A flange portion 72 is provided to prevent such a problem and to prevent core powder from entering the lead housing space 1 between the display body 70 and the tubular portion TP (in the illustrated example, the front tubular portion 62 of the knock member 61).

Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the flange portion 72 is provided at the front end of the display body 70 . According to this arrangement, it is possible to effectively prevent the core powder from flowing into between the display body 70 and the cylindrical portion TP. Moreover, from the viewpoint of avoiding deterioration of the visibility of the display body 70 through the window portion 22, the flange portion 72 extends over at least the range in which the window portion 22 is provided in the circumferential direction. Particularly, in the illustrated example, the flange portion 72 extends annularly around the display body portion 71 .

Further, when the spare lead SLE is accommodated in the lead accommodation space S, the display body 70 is arranged at a substantially constant position in the axial direction AD in the writing state in which the front of the mechanical pencil 10 is downward in the vertical direction. On the other hand, the flange portion 72 wipes or collects the core powder adhering to the cylindrical portion TP housing the display body 70 when the display body 70 is moved, so that the core powder easily adheres to the flange portion 72 . As a result, the core powder is likely to locally adhere to a portion of the cylindrical portion TP that accommodates the display body 70 and is likely to face the flange portion 72 . In consideration of this point, in the illustrated example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the flange portion 72 of the display body 70 supported from the front in the axial direction AD by the spare lead SLE accommodated in the lead accommodation space S during writing with the mechanical pencil 10 is positioned forward in the axial direction AD relative to the window portion 22. By adjusting the position of the flange portion 72 in the axial direction AD with respect to the window portion 22 in this way, the flange portion 72 to which the core powder tends to adhere can be maintained in a state where it is not observed from the window portion 22, and the core powder can be effectively prevented from locally adhering to the window portion 22.

The length of the flange portion 72 along the axial direction AD is preferably 1.5 mm or less. By shortening the length of the flange portion 72 along the axial direction AD, it is possible to reduce the area where the flange portion 72 rubs against the cylindrical portion TP that houses the display body 70 . As a result, friction during movement of the display body 70 in the axial direction AD can be reduced, and the movement of the display body 70 can be made smoother. In addition, the flange portion 72, to which core powder is likely to adhere, can be downsized to make stains inconspicuous. Furthermore, it is possible to effectively reduce the area of the inner surface of the cylindrical portion TP where the core powder can be rubbed by the flange portion 72 .

Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the display body 70 also has a rear flange portion 73 in addition to the flange portion 72 . The rear flange portion 73 protrudes from the display main body portion 71 in a direction non-parallel to the axial direction AD. In the illustrated example, the rear flange portion 73 protrudes from the display main body portion 71 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction AD. By providing the rear flange portion 73 , it is possible to more effectively prevent the core powder in the core housing space S from flowing out to the outside of the barrel 20 .

In the illustrated example, the rear flange portion 73 is provided at the rear end of the display body portion 71 . By providing the rear flange portion 73 at the rear end of the display body portion 71, it is possible to more effectively prevent core powder from flowing out of the cylindrical portion TP housing the display body 70. FIG. In addition, it is possible to effectively prevent the rear flange portion 73, to which core powder is likely to adhere, from being visually recognized through the window portion 22, thereby making stains inconspicuous.

Further, the rear flange portion 73 extends annularly around the display body portion 71 . Since the rear flange portion 73 extends circumferentially around the display body portion 71 , it is possible to more effectively prevent the core powder from flowing out from the cylindrical portion TP housing the display body 70 .

Further, when the spare lead SLE is not housed in the lead housing space S, in the writing state in which the front of the mechanical pencil 10 is downward in the vertical direction, the display body 70 is positioned at the most forward position (solid line position in FIG. 7) which is the most forward in the axial direction AD. On the other hand, the rear flange portion 73 wipes off the core powder adhering to the cylindrical portion TP that accommodates the rear flange portion 73 when the display body 70 is moved. As a result, the core powder is likely to locally adhere to a portion of the cylindrical portion TP that accommodates the display body 70 and is likely to face the rear flange portion 73 . In consideration of this point, it is preferable that the rear flange portion 73 of the display body 70 that has moved to the most forward position in the axial direction AD be positioned rearward of the window portion 22 in the axial direction AD. By adjusting the position of the rear flange portion 73 in the axial direction AD with respect to the window portion 22 in this way, the rear flange portion 73 to which the core powder tends to adhere can be maintained in a state where it is not observed from the window portion 22, and the core powder can be effectively prevented from locally adhering to the window portion 22.

The length of the rear flange portion 73 along the axial direction AD is preferably 1.5 mm or less. By shortening the length of the rear flange portion 73 along the axial direction AD, it is possible to reduce the area of friction between the cylindrical portion TP that houses the display body 70 and the rear flange portion 73 . As a result, friction during movement of the display body 70 in the axial direction AD can be reduced, and the movement of the display body 70 can be made smoother. In addition, the rear flange portion 73, to which core powder tends to adhere, can be downsized to make stains inconspicuous. Furthermore, it is possible to effectively reduce the area of the inner surface of the cylindrical portion TP where the core powder can be rubbed by the rear flange portion 73 .

As described above, the knock member 61 of the knock unit 60 has the cylindrical portion TP that accommodates the display body 70 so as to be movable in the axial direction AD. 4 and 5, in order to facilitate the movement of the display body 70 in the axial direction AD within the cylindrical portion TP, a ventilation hole H is formed in the cylindrical portion TP. Particularly in the illustrated example, a pair of holes H are arranged in symmetrical positions, in other words 180° out of phase.

The hole H is preferably positioned rearward in the axial direction AD relative to the display body 70 at the rearmost position that has moved the farthest rearward in the axial direction AD. According to this example, the inflow of air into the tubular portion TP and the outflow of air from the tubular portion TP can be stably performed behind the display body 70 . This makes it possible to smoothly move the display body 70 in the axial direction AD within the cylindrical portion TP.

As another example, when the hole H is located within a movable range in the axial direction AD of the display body 70, the length (e.g., diameter) of the hole H along the axial direction AD is preferably longer than the length along the axial direction AD of the rear flange portion 73, as in the example shown in FIG. According to this example, regardless of the position of the display body 70 in the axial direction AD, for example, even if the rear flange portion 73 of the display body 70 is positioned in the same region in the axial direction AD as the hole H, the air can be stably flowed into the tubular portion TP and out of the tubular portion TP. This makes it possible to stably and smoothly move the display body 70 in the axial direction AD within the cylindrical portion TP. If the flange portion 72 can be positioned in the same region in the axial direction AD as the hole H, for the same reason, the length (e.g., diameter) of the hole H along the axial direction AD is preferably longer than the length along the axial direction AD of the flange portion 72.

Further, the area of the hole H in plan view is preferably larger than the area of the gap between the cylindrical portion TP and the portion of the display body 70 having the maximum area in the cross section perpendicular to the axial direction AD. In the illustrated example, the area of the hole H is preferably larger than the area of the gap between the tubular portion TP (the front tubular portion 62) and the flange portion 72 of the display body 70 in the cross section perpendicular to the axial direction AD, and also larger than the area of the gap between the tubular portion TP and the rear flange portion 73 of the display body 70 in the cross section perpendicular to the axial direction AD. Furthermore, in the illustrated example, it is more preferable that the area of the hole H is larger than the area of the gap between the tubular portion TP (the front tubular portion 62) and the display main body portion 71 of the display 70 in a cross section perpendicular to the axial direction AD. According to such an example, it is possible to effectively stabilize the inflow of air into the cylindrical portion TP and the outflow of air from the cylindrical portion TP.

In the above, the structure of the mechanical pencil 10 and the operation of the display body 70, specifically, the display of the presence or absence of the spare lead SLE and the smooth movement within the cylindrical portion TP are possible. Next, the operation of the mechanical pencil 10 during writing will be described.

In the illustrated mechanical pencil 10, the knocking operation is performed by pushing the knocking unit 60 forward along the axial direction AD. First, the knock unit 60 advances together with the intermediate tubular member 50 against the elastic force of the intermediate biasing member 28 . When the knock unit 60 and the intermediate cylindrical member 50 move forward by the length of the gap G between the inner rib 52 of the intermediate cylindrical member 50 and the rear end surface 44a of the lead housing tube 44 shown in FIG. Furthermore, the knocking operation continues, and the lead holding unit 40 advances. As the lead holding unit 40 moves forward relative to the mouthpiece unit 30, the lead holding unit 40 feeds out the lead LE.

Here, FIGS. 8 to 11 show the mechanical pencil 10 during the knocking operation. In these drawings, it is assumed that the knocking operation is performed with the front of the mechanical pencil 10 positioned downward in the vertical direction.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show a mechanical pencil 10 containing a spare lead SLE in the lead accommodation space S. FIG. In the illustrated example, when the knock unit 60 is moved forward by the knocking operation, the front side display member 70A of the display body 70 occupies most of the area facing the window part 22, but the rear side display member 70B is slightly visible. That is, when there is a spare lead SLE in the lead accommodation space S, the display on the display 70 that can be observed through the window portion 22 changes when the knock unit 60 is fully pressed by the knock operation. Such a change in the display caused by the knocking operation attracts the user's attention and makes the user recognize the display function anew, so that the product attractiveness of the mechanical pencil 10 can be improved.

Similarly, FIGS. 10 and 11 show the knocking operation of the mechanical pencil 10 which does not contain the spare lead SLE in the lead accommodation space S. FIG. In the illustrated example, the rear display member 70B of the display body 70 slightly remains in the region facing the window portion 22 when the knock unit 60 is moved forward by the knock operation. At this time, the display body 70 does not face most of the region exceeding 50%. Therefore, it is possible to see the opposite side of the mechanical pencil 10 through the pair of windows 22 . Therefore, even when there is no spare lead SLE in the lead accommodation space S, the display that can be observed through the window portion 22 changes when the knock unit 60 is fully pushed by the knock operation. In particular, the user's attention can be greatly drawn due to the unexpectedness of being able to see the opposite side of the mechanical pencil 10 through the window 22 . As a result, the user can recognize the display function again, and the commercial appeal of the mechanical pencil 10 can be greatly improved.

Further, in the illustrated mechanical pencil 10, the display body 70 is not biased by a compression spring or the like. Therefore, during use of the mechanical pencil 10, the display body 70 moves in the axial direction AD within the cylindrical portion TP of the knock unit 60 by changing the posture (inclination) of the mechanical pencil 10 between a state in which the front of the mechanical pencil 10 is positioned downward in the vertical direction and a state in which the front side of the mechanical pencil 10 is positioned upward in the vertical direction. That is, by changing the inclination of the mechanical pencil 10, the display observed from the window part 22 can be changed, and also by this, the user can recognize the display function again, and the product power of the mechanical pencil 10 can be improved.

By the way, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the mechanical pencil 10 further has a weight body 48 through which the lead housing cylinder 44 penetrates. The weight body 48 is a cylindrical member made of metal. The weight body 48 is movable in the axial direction AD with respect to the core holding unit 40 . The weight body 48 can move rearward until it contacts the intermediate tubular member 50 . Also, the weight body 48 can move forward until it contacts the rear end surface of the chuck holding member 42 of the core holding unit 40 . When the mechanical pencil 10 is swung forward, the weight body 48 causes the lead holding unit 40 including the chuck holding member 42 to move forward relative to the base unit 30 due to its inertial force. In other words, instead of pushing the knock unit 60, the user of the mechanical pencil 10 can extend the lead LE by swinging it forward.

In the illustrated example, an intermediate cylinder member 50 is provided behind the lead holding unit 40 and is movable in the axial direction AD within the barrel 20 . The intermediate cylindrical member 50 has a cylindrical body portion 51 and an inner rib 52 protruding from the inner surface of the cylindrical body portion 51. When the intermediate cylindrical member 50 moves forward along the axial direction AD, the inner rib 52 comes into contact with the rear end surface 44a of the lead housing tube 44 and pushes the lead holding unit 40 forward. By providing such an intermediate cylindrical member 50 , the lead holding unit 40 can be relatively moved in the axial direction AD with respect to the intermediate cylindrical member 50 . With such a configuration, the lead holding unit 40 can be moved in the axial direction AD while the intermediate cylindrical member 50 and the knock unit 60 that can be attached to the intermediate cylindrical member 50 are stopped in the axial direction AD. For example, it is preferable in that the knock unit 60 is not affected by a structure in which the lead LE is extended by swinging the mechanical pencil 10 in the axial direction AD using a weight body, and a structure in which the lead holding unit 40 is retracted to protect the lead LE when a force is applied to the lead LE.

In particular, when the mechanical pencil 10 is shaken back and forth, the weight 48 also moves backward. The weight body 48 that has moved rearward collides not with the knock unit 60 but with the intermediate tubular member 50 . The rearward movement of the intermediate cylinder member 50 is restricted by a projection 20Ea (see FIG. 4) provided on the rear inner cylinder 20E of the cylinder 20. As shown in FIG. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent the knock unit 60 from coming off from the barrel 20 when the mechanical pencil 10 is swung back and forth.

Further, when the spare lead SLE is present in the lead accommodation space S, the indicator 70 is supported from below by the spare lead SLE while the knock unit 60 moves forward by the gap G between the inner rib 52 and the rear end surface 44a of the lead accommodation cylinder 44. During this time, since the position of the lead holding unit 40 including the lead housing cylinder 44 in the axial direction AD is maintained, the position of the display body 70 in the axial direction AD also does not change. After that, the knock unit 60 advances together with the core holding unit 40, so that the display body 70 also advances and changes its position in the axial direction AD. That is, after the user operates the knock unit 60, the movement of the display body 70 starts and the display of the display body 70 observed through the window portion 22 changes. The unpredictability of such display switching can also draw the user's attention. As a result, the user can recognize the display function again, and the commercial appeal of the mechanical pencil 10 can be greatly improved.

When the spare lead SLE does not exist in the lead accommodation space S, the display body 70 is supported from below by the restricting convex portion 62c (see FIG. 5) of the knock unit 60. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the indicator 70 moves forward in synchronization with the forward movement of the knock unit 60 even while the core holding unit 40 is stopped. That is, the switching timing of the display of the display body 70 observed from the window portion 22 differs depending on the presence or absence of the spare lead SLE in the lead accommodation space S. This point also attracts the user's attention, and the product attractiveness of the mechanical pencil 10 can be improved.

Also, in the illustrated example, the lead delivery hole LEA connecting between the lead accommodation space S and the chuck 41 of the lead holding unit 40 is relatively long. As a specific configuration, an auxiliary cylinder member (the inner auxiliary cylinder 45 and the inner guide member 46) is arranged in the chuck holding member 42 that holds the chuck 41 and the lead housing cylinder 44 held by the chuck holding member 42 to ensure a long lead delivery hole LEA. As shown in FIG. 7, the length LB along the axial direction AD between the front end of the lead housing space S and the front end of the mouthpiece unit 30 is longer than half the length of the spare lead SLE, particularly longer than 2/3 of the length LX of the spare lead SLE in the illustrated example, and further longer than 3/4 of the length LX of the spare lead SLE. According to such a mechanical pencil 10, it is possible to effectively prevent the lead LE held by the chuck 41 from greatly tilting with respect to the axial direction AD. As a result, the lead LE can be drawn out smoothly from the lead holding unit 40 .

By the way, in this mechanical pencil 10, the display body 70 is placed on the spare lead SLE during normal writing and knocking operations in which the front of the mechanical pencil 10 is positioned vertically downward. As shown in FIG. 3, the front wall surface FS is inclined rearward in the axial direction AD as it separates from the lead delivery hole LEA along the direction perpendicular to the axial direction AD. Accordingly, the spare lead SLE in the lead accommodation space S is pushed by the weight of the display body 70 and guided to the lead delivery hole LEA opened in the front wall surface FS of the lead accommodation space S. As shown in FIG. That is, the weight of the display body 70 can be used to smoothly supply the spare lead SLE in the lead accommodation space S to the lead delivery hole LEA.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7, the length LB along the axial direction AD between the front end of the housing space S and the front end of the mouthpiece unit 30 is shorter than the length of the spare lead SLE. That is, when the amount of wear of the lead LE gripped by the chuck 41 is small, the lead LE protrudes from the front wall surface FS into the lead accommodation space S as shown in FIG. Therefore, there is a possibility that the lead LE held by the chuck 41 and whose rear end protrudes into the lead accommodating space S and the front wall surface FS will enter between the lead LE and the front wall surface FS like a wedge, making it difficult to smoothly feed out the lead LE.

In order to avoid such a problem, the inclination angle θx of the front wall surface FS with respect to the axial direction AD should not be too small, unlike the conventional mechanical pencil. From the viewpoint of smooth feeding of the lead LE, the inclination angle θx is preferably greater than 45° and less than 85°, more preferably greater than 60° and less than 85°, still more preferably greater than 70° and less than 85°, and most preferably greater than 75° and less than 85°. By setting the inclination angle θx in this manner, it is possible to effectively prevent the tip of the spare lead SLE pushed by the weight of the display body 70 from being fitted between the lead LE held by the chuck 41 and extending to the lead accommodation space S and the front wall surface FS. As a result, it is possible to effectively prevent the lead LE inserted into the lead delivery hole LEA from being obstructed by the spare lead SLE. On the other hand, when the lead LE does not extend axially rearward from the lead delivery hole LEA, the spare lead SLE can be stably guided to the lead delivery hole LEA.

In the illustrated example, the front wall surface FS is rotationally symmetrical. In particular, the front wall surface FS has a flank-like shape of a truncated cone. According to such a front wall surface FS, a large number of spare leads SLE can be dispersedly accommodated in the lead accommodation space S, and when the lead LE does not extend axially rearward from the lead delivery hole LEA, the spare lead SLE can be stably guided to the lead delivery hole LEA.

Furthermore, such a problem becomes more pronounced as the angle of inclination of the spare lead SLE in the lead accommodation space S with respect to the axial direction AD increases. Further, in the present embodiment, as a device for reducing the inclination angle of the spare lead SLE in the lead accommodation space S, the lead accommodation space S has a reduced width portion SC at an intermediate portion in the axial direction AD having a narrower inner dimension (inner width, inner diameter). Specifically, in the illustrated example, the narrowed portion SC is formed by the inner rib 52 of the intermediate tubular member 50 . The inner width (inner diameter) of the intermediate cylindrical member 50 at the position where the inner rib 52 is provided is smaller than the inner width (inner diameter) of the core housing cylinder 44 . By providing the reduced-width portion SC constituted by such an inner rib 52, it is possible to effectively prevent the spare lead SLE housed in the lead housing space S from being greatly inclined with respect to the axial direction AD. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent the tip of the spare lead SLE pushed by the weight of the display body 70 from being wedged between the lead LE held by the chuck 41 and extending to the lead accommodation space S and the front wall surface FS partitioning the lead accommodation space S from the front. As a result, the lead LE can be drawn out stably and smoothly during the knocking operation. At the same time, it is possible to effectively prevent the spare lead SLE housed in the lead housing space S from widening at the rear end. Therefore, it is possible to easily and stably attach the knock unit 60 to the intermediate tubular member 50 .

In the particularly illustrated example, the length LC (see FIG. 2) along the axial direction AD from the front end of the lead receiving space S to the reduced width portion SC is longer than half the length of the spare lead SLE. By adjusting the axial position of the reduced-width portion SC in this way, it is possible to effectively prevent the spare lead SLE housed in the lead housing space S from being greatly inclined with respect to the axial direction. Further, it is possible to effectively prevent the spare lead SLE accommodated in the lead accommodation space S from spreading at the rear end.

However, as described above, unlike the illustrated example, the inner width of the intermediate cylindrical member 50 at the position where the inner rib 52 is provided may be larger than the inner width of the lead housing tube 44 . According to such an intermediate cylindrical member 50, it is possible to effectively prevent the lead LE from being clogged at the position where the inner rib 52 of the lead accommodating space S is provided. Also, when a new spare lead SLE is inserted into the mechanical pencil 10 from the mouthpiece unit 30 to replenish the lead housing space S with the lead LE, it is possible to effectively prevent the lead LE from being caught by the inner rib 52.例文帳に追加

Furthermore, unlike the illustrated example, the inner width of the intermediate cylindrical member 50 at the position where the inner rib 52 is provided may be the same as the inner width of the lead housing cylinder 44 . According to such an intermediate cylindrical member 50, it is possible to effectively prevent the lead LE from being clogged at the position where the inner rib 52 of the lead accommodating space S is provided. Further, when a new spare lead SLE is inserted into the mechanical pencil 10 from the mouthpiece unit 30 to replenish the lead LE in the lead accommodation space S, or when the lead LE is replenished to the lead accommodation cylinder 44 via the intermediate cylinder member 50, the lead LE can be effectively prevented from being caught by the inner rib 52. - 特許庁Furthermore, the lead holding unit 40 can be stably moved forward in the axial direction via the intermediate cylindrical member 50 .

Next, replenishment of the spare lead SLE will be described. When replenishing the lead housing space S with the spare lead SLE, the knock unit 60 is pulled out backward from the mechanical pencil 10.例文帳に追加By pulling out the knock unit 60, the intermediate cylindrical member 50 is exposed rearward within the barrel 20, as can be understood from FIG. The intermediate tubular member 50 has a wide (diameter-enlarged) rear tubular portion 51B positioned on the rearmost side. By inserting the spare lead SLE into the rear tubular portion 51B, the spare lead SLE is guided to the front tubular portion 51A and the lead housing tube 44 via the intermediate tapered portion 51C that tapers forward. After inserting the spare lead SLE, the knock unit 60 is inserted behind the barrel 20 . As described above, the inner rib 52 of the intermediate cylindrical member 50 prevents the plurality of spare leads SLE accommodated in the lead accommodation space S from spreading at the rear end. As a result, the knock unit 60 can be easily attached to the mechanical pencil 10 so as to be guided by the window portion 22 and the intermediate cylindrical member 50 .

By the way, inserting the spare lead SLE from the front end opening 30a of the mechanical pencil 10 is also conceivable. At this time, as shown in FIG. 12, it is conceivable that the tip of the spare lead SLE already accommodated in the lead accommodation space S overlaps the rear end of the spare lead SLE newly inserted from the front end opening 30a. That is, it can be assumed that two spare leads SLE are arranged in series in the axial direction AD within the mechanical pencil 10 . Then, the spare lead SLE positioned at the rear is pushed rearward from the front wall surface FS of the lead accommodation space S by the spare lead SLE positioned at the front. Here, if the length of the lead housing space S in the axial direction is not sufficient, the rear spare lead SLE is sandwiched between the rear end face of the front spare lead SLE and the rear wall surface BS that partitions the lead housing space S from the rear. As a result, one of the two spare core SLE's may break. Moreover, such a problem may occur not only when the spare lead SLE is inserted from the front end opening 30a of the mechanical pencil 10, but also when the lead LE drawn out for a long time is returned into the mechanical pencil 10 again.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the length LA (see FIG. 7) along the axial direction AD between the rear end of the lead housing space S and the front end of the base unit 30 when the display body 70 is moved to the rearmost position along the axial direction AD (the rearmost position indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 7) is at least twice the length LX (see FIG. 2) of the spare lead SLE housed in the lead housing space S. Therefore, even when the spare lead SLE is arranged to overlap with the rear end of the lead LE held by the chuck 41 in the axial direction AD, the display body 70 moves rearward so that the spare lead SLE can be accommodated in the lead accommodation space S. For example, when a new spare lead SLE is inserted into the mechanical pencil 10 from the mouthpiece unit 30, or when the lead LE drawn out from the mouthpiece unit 30 is returned into the mechanical pencil 10, it is possible to effectively avoid the fact that the lead cannot be pushed in to the end and the lead is broken in the lead accommodation space.

In the illustrated example, the knock unit 60 can relatively move forward toward the lead holding unit 40 together with the intermediate cylindrical member 50 . The amount of relative movement at this time is the length of the gap G along the axial direction AD between the rear end surface 44a of the core housing cylinder 44 and the inner rib 52 of the intermediate cylinder member 50 when not knocking (the knock unit 60 is not pushed). Therefore, in the illustrated example, the length LA (see FIG. 7) along the axial direction AD between the rear end of the lead housing space S and the front end of the mouthpiece unit 30 when the display body 70 is moved to the rearmost position along the axial direction AD is equal to or greater than the sum of twice the length LX of the spare lead SLE (see FIG. 2) housed in the lead housing space S and the length of the gap G when not knocked. It is more preferable for avoiding problems such as the lead being lost or the lead being broken in the lead accommodation space. However, when the knocking operation is performed, the rear spare lead SLE is normally guided to deviate from the rear end of the front lead LE inserted into the lead delivery hole LEA in a direction non-parallel to the axial direction AD. Therefore, it is not an essential condition that the length LA (see FIG. 7) be equal to or greater than the sum of twice the length LX of the spare core SLE and the length of the gap G during non-knocking. The length of the gap G in the axial direction AD can also be called the length in which the front wall surface FS that defines the lead housing space S from the front and the tubular portion TP that houses the display body 70 that defines the lead housing space S from the rear so as to be movable in the axial direction AD can move relative to each other in the axial direction AD.

Also, during normal knocking operation, the clamp 43 of the lead holding unit 40 comes into contact with the regulating stepped portion 32a of the base unit 30, so that the tip portion 41a of the chuck 41 releases the lead LE. The lead LE released from the chuck 41 is held stationary by the lead holding member 37 . In other words, the length of the lead drawn out by one knocking operation is shorter than the length of the lead holding unit 40 moving forward during one knocking operation. When the spare lead SLE is arranged in series behind the lead LE, it is assumed that the indicator 70 advancing together with the knock unit 60 pushes the lead LE forward through the spare lead SLE. That is, the spare lead SLE overlapping the lead LE held by the chuck 41 from behind is pushed by the knock unit 60 and the display body 70 at the time of the knocking operation, and the lead LE may be paid out longer than the length delivered by one knocking operation. From the viewpoint of avoiding such problems and making the length of the lead fed out by one knocking operation constant, the length LA (see FIG. 7) along the axial direction AD between the rear end of the lead housing space S when the display body 70 is moved to the rearmost position along the axial direction AD and the front end of the base unit 30 is twice the length LX (see FIG. 2) of the spare lead SLE housed in the lead housing space S, and the length by which the lead holding unit 40 moves forward during one knocking operation. It is more preferable that the difference between the length of the lead to be drawn out and the length to be drawn out by one knocking operation is equal to or greater than the sum of the lengths.

Especially in the mechanical pencil 10 described above, a gap G is set. Therefore, from the viewpoint of making the length of the lead drawn out by one knock operation constant, it is more preferable that the length LA (see FIG. 7) is equal to or greater than twice the length LX of the spare lead SLE (see FIG. 2) plus the sum of the difference between the length in which the lead holding unit 40 advances in one knock operation and the length of lead to be paid out in one knock operation, and the length of the gap G.

From the viewpoint of safety, it is more preferable that the length LA (see FIG. 7) along the axial direction AD between the rear end of the lead housing space S and the front end of the mouthpiece unit 30 when the display body 70 is moved to the rearmost position along the axial direction AD is twice the length LX (see FIG. 2) of the spare lead SLE housed in the lead housing space S plus the length by which the knock unit 60 advances during one knock operation. In other words, it is more preferable that the length along the axial direction AD between the rear end of the lead housing space S and the front end of the base unit 30 when the display body 70 is moved to the rearmost position along the axial direction AD is at least twice the length LX (see FIG. 2) of the spare lead SLE housed in the lead housing space S. According to such setting, even if the spare lead SLE is arranged in the axial direction AD at the rear end of the lead LE held by the lead holding unit 40, it is possible to more stably prevent the breakage of the spare lead SLE and the feeding out of the lead LE longer than the length delivered by one knocking operation.

However, as described above, when the knocking operation is performed, the rear spare lead SLE is normally guided to deviate from the rear end of the front lead LE inserted into the lead delivery hole LEA in a direction non-parallel to the axial direction AD. Therefore, it is a more preferable condition that the length LA (see FIG. 7) is longer than twice the length LX of the spare core SLE, but not an essential condition. When the length LA (see FIG. 7) is at least twice the length LX of the spare core SLE, it is possible to achieve an effective effect of preventing breakage of the spare core SLE.

As described above, in the illustrated mechanical pencil 10, the length LA along the axial direction AD between the rear end of the lead housing space S and the front end of the base unit 30 when the display body 70 is moved to the rearmost position (rearmost position) along the axial direction AD is ensured to be sufficiently long. However, the display body 70 is provided with a concave portion 74 that opens forward in the axial direction AD. According to this specific example, the recess 74 of the display body 70 functions as part of the lead housing space S. As shown in FIG. Therefore, it is possible to secure a sufficiently long length of the lead housing space S along the axial direction AD while suppressing an increase in the length along the axial direction AD of the mechanical pencil 10 . At the same time, it is possible to secure a large display space on the outer peripheral surface of the display body 70 in the axial direction.

Specifically, in the illustrated example, the depth LD of the recess 74 along the axial direction AD is greater than half the length LL of the display 70 along the axial direction AD. This condition is an advantageous condition for enlarging the display space of the display body 70 and lengthening the length of the lead housing space S while suppressing the enlargement of the length along the axial direction AD of the mechanical pencil 10 . Therefore, by using such a display body 70, the display space of the display body 70 can be effectively increased and the length of the lead housing space S can be effectively increased while suppressing an increase in the length of the mechanical pencil 10 along the axial direction AD.

In the illustrated example, the display 70 has an inner wall surface 74a and a bottom wall surface 74b that define a recess 74 . A bottom wall surface 74b that forms the rear wall surface BS of the lead housing space S is a surface that is not parallel to the axial direction AD. Especially in the illustrated example, the bottom wall surface 74b is a surface perpendicular to the axial direction AD. Therefore, the lead accommodation space S expands somewhat in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction AD, and the spare lead SLE accommodated in the lead accommodation space S is guided by the rear wall surface BS to move in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction AD. As a result, the state in which the spare lead SLE contacts the lead LE held by the chuck 41 from behind and is aligned in the axial direction AD can be easily resolved.

In addition, the bottom wall surface 74b may be a surface inclined with respect to the axial direction AD, without being limited to the illustrated example. The bottom wall surface 74b may be a surface that slopes radially outward toward the rear, or may be a surface that slopes radially outward toward the front. In the case where the bottom wall surface 74b is a surface that slopes rearward in the radially outward direction, the spare lead SLE accommodated in the lead accommodation space S can be dispersed radially outward from the center axis CA. When the bottom wall surface 74b is inclined radially outward and forward, the spare cores SLE housed in the lead housing space S can be gathered radially along the center axis CA to further facilitate the guidance of the spare cores SLE to the lead delivery hole LEA.

By the way, when writing, the mechanical pencil 10 is usually held by the user so that the central axis CA is inclined with respect to the normal direction of the paper surface. Therefore, writing pressure including a component in the axial direction AD and a component in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction AD is applied to the writing lead LE protruding from the front end opening 30a. The illustrated mechanical pencil 10 has the function of protecting the writing lead LE from such writing pressure. The action of the mechanical pencil 10 protecting the writing lead LE will now be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 13 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the front portion of the mechanical pencil 10 of FIG. 1 in a state where a force (writing pressure) greater than a predetermined value is applied to the writing lead LE in a direction (radial direction) perpendicular to the axial direction AD.

As shown in FIG. 13, when a high writing pressure is applied to the writing lead LE, the base unit 30 as a whole tilts with respect to the central axis CA due to the writing pressure component along the direction perpendicular to the axial direction AD. At this time, the mouthpiece base end member 32 of the mouthpiece unit 30 comes into contact with the inner surface of the shaft tube 20 . Specifically, the tapered wall portion 33a of the first base end member 33 contacts the guiding shoulder portion 20Aa of the front barrel 20A. The tapered wall portion 33 a of the first base end member 33 constitutes the front end portion of the mouthpiece base end member 32 . The tapered wall portion 33a has an outer shape similar to the side surface of a truncated cone that tapers forward. On the other hand, the guiding shoulder portion 20Aa is formed as a protruding portion that protrudes inward from the barrel 20 . The guiding shoulder portion 20Aa is provided at the front portion of the front barrel 20A and faces the tapered wall portion 33a in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction AD. As the taper wall portion 33a is pressed against the guiding shoulder portion 20Aa, the mouth base end member 32 of the mouthpiece unit 30 moves backward with respect to the barrel 20 against the elastic force of the mouthpiece urging member . At this time, the lead holding unit 40 held by the mouthpiece base end member 32 also moves rearward in the axial direction relative to the barrel 20 in synchronism with the mouthpiece base end member 32 .

On the other hand, the mouthpiece distal end member 31 of the mouthpiece unit 30 is urged forward with respect to the mouthpiece proximal end member 32 by the distal end biasing member 36 . Therefore, the mouthpiece distal end member 31 moves forward relative to the mouthpiece proximal end member 32 and is maintained in contact with the front end portion of the barrel 20 . As a result, the writing lead LE held by the lead holding unit 40 moves backward, and the mouthpiece tip member 31 can generally maintain its position in the axial direction AD. As a result, the length of the writing lead LE protruding from the front end opening 30a is shortened, and breakage of the writing lead LE can be effectively avoided.

When writing pressure along the axial direction AD is applied to the writing lead LE, the lead holding unit 40 holding the lead LE and the base base end member 32 of the base unit 30 move backward with respect to the barrel 20 against the elastic force of the base urging member 38. At this time, the mouthpiece distal end member 31 is urged forward with respect to the mouthpiece proximal end member 32 by the distal end biasing member 36 . As a result, the writing lead LE held by the lead holding unit 40 moves backward, and the mouthpiece tip member 31 can generally maintain its position in the axial direction AD. As a result, the length of the writing lead LE protruding from the front end opening 30a is shortened, and breakage of the writing lead LE can be effectively avoided.

In the embodiment described above, the mechanical pencil 10 has a barrel 20, a mouthpiece unit 30 supported at the front end of the barrel 20, a lead holding unit 40 having a chuck 41 for drawing out a lead LE held by moving relative to the mouthpiece unit 30 toward the mouthpiece unit 30, and a display body 70 provided movably in the axial direction AD. The display body 70 partitions the lead housing space S formed behind the chuck 41 in the barrel 20 from the rear. At least the display 70 at a specific position can be observed from the outside of the barrel 20 .

In particular, in one embodiment, the length LA along the axial direction AD between the rear end of the lead housing space S and the front end of the base unit 30 when the display body 70 is moved to the rearmost position along the axial direction AD is at least twice the length of the unused spare lead LX housed in the lead housing space S. Therefore, even when the spare lead SLE is arranged to overlap with the rear end of the lead LE held by the chuck 41 in the axial direction AD, the display body 70 moves rearward so that the spare lead SLE can be accommodated in the lead accommodation space S. For example, when a new spare lead SLE is inserted into the mechanical pencil 10 from the mouthpiece unit 30, or when the lead LE drawn out from the mouthpiece unit 30 is returned into the mechanical pencil 10, it is possible to effectively avoid the fact that the lead LE cannot be pushed in to the end and the lead is broken in the lead accommodation space S.

In the embodiment described above, the front wall surface FS that defines the lead housing space S from the front side in the axial direction AD is provided with a lead delivery hole LEA that has an inner diameter (inner dimension, inner width) into which only one lead can be inserted and that communicates with the chuck 41. The front wall surface FS is inclined rearward in the axial direction AD as it separates from the lead delivery hole LEA along the direction perpendicular to the axial direction AD. An inclination angle θx of the front wall surface FS with respect to the axial direction AD is greater than 45° and less than 85°. Therefore, the front wall surface FS that partitions the lead accommodation space S from the front in the axial direction is inclined so that the lead accommodation space S tapers axially forward toward the lead delivery hole LEA. With such a front wall surface FS, the spare lead SLE in the lead accommodation space S can be guided toward the lead delivery hole LEA. On the other hand, the spare core SLE is pushed forward in the axial direction by the weight of the display body 70 . Therefore, it is assumed that the weight of the display body 70 pushes the spare lead SLE like a wedge between the lead LE whose front part is inserted into the lead delivery hole LEA and whose rear part extends into the lead accommodation space S and the front wall surface FS. In this case, there is a possibility that the supply of the lead inserted into the lead delivery hole LEA will be hindered by the spare lead SLE. However, according to the specific example described here, the inclination angle θx of the front wall surface FS with respect to the axial direction AD is set to be greater than 45°. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent the leading end of the spare lead SLE pushed by the weight of the display body 70 from getting stuck between the lead LE held by the chuck 41 and extending to the lead accommodating space S and the front wall surface FS. As a result, it is possible to effectively prevent the lead inserted into the lead delivery hole LEA from being obstructed by the spare lead SLE. On the other hand, when the lead does not extend axially rearward from the lead delivery hole LEA, the spare lead SLE can be stably guided to the lead delivery hole LEA.

Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the lead accommodation space S has a narrowed width portion SC at an intermediate portion in the axial direction AD. With such a lead accommodation space S, it is possible to effectively prevent the spare lead SLE accommodated in the lead accommodation space S from being significantly inclined with respect to the axial direction AD. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent the front end of the spare lead SLE pushed by the weight of the display body 70 from being wedged between the lead held by the chuck 41 and extending to the lead accommodation space S and the front wall surface FS partitioning the lead accommodation space S from the front. As a result, the lead can be drawn out stably and smoothly during the knocking operation. In addition, since it is possible to effectively prevent the spare lead SLE accommodated in the lead accommodation space S from spreading at the rear end, the knock unit 60 can be attached stably and easily.

Further, in one specific example of the above-described embodiment, the mechanical pencil 10 further has an intermediate cylinder member 50 provided inside the barrel 20 so as to be movable in the axial direction AD. The lead holding unit 40 further includes a lead accommodating cylinder 44 which is located behind the chuck 41 in the axial direction AD and forms at least a portion of the lead accommodating space S and whose open rear end is inserted into the intermediate cylindrical member 50 . The intermediate tubular member 50 has a tubular body portion 51 and an inner rib 52 protruding from the inner surface of the tubular body portion 51 . When moving forward along the axial direction AD, the inner rib 52 contacts the rear end surface 44a of the lead housing cylinder 44 and pushes the lead holding unit 40 forward. In such a specific example, by providing the intermediate cylinder member 50 supported by the shaft cylinder 20, the core holding unit 40 can be moved relative to the intermediate cylinder member 50 in the axial direction AD. According to such a configuration, the lead holding unit 40 can be moved in the axial direction AD while the intermediate cylindrical member 50 and the knock unit 60 that can be attached to the intermediate cylindrical member 50 are stopped in the axial direction AD. For example, it is suitable for a configuration in which the lead LE is extended by swinging the mechanical pencil 10 in the axial direction AD using the weight 48, and a configuration in which the lead holding unit 40 is retracted to protect the lead LE when force is applied to the lead LE during writing.

Further, during the knocking operation, during the period from when the intermediate cylindrical member 50 starts to move in the axial direction AD until the lead holding unit 40 starts moving in the axial direction AD, the display body 70 remains stopped when there is a spare lead SLE in the lead accommodating space S, and the display body 70 moves together with the intermediate cylindrical member 50 when there is no spare lead SLE in the lead accommodating space S. Since the display body 70 performs such an unexpected operation, the display body 70 can attract the user's attention, and the commercial appeal of the mechanical pencil 10 provided with the display body 70 can be effectively improved.

Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the display body 70 includes a display body portion 71 extending in the axial direction AD, and a flange portion 72 provided at the front end portion of the display body portion 71 and protruding from the display body portion 71 in a direction non-parallel to the axial direction AD. By providing the flange portion 72, it is possible to effectively prevent the core powder in the core housing space S from entering between the display body 70 and the tubular portion TP that houses the display body 70 movably in the axial direction AD. As a result, it is possible to effectively prevent the inner surface of the cylindrical portion TP from being stained with the core powder and making it difficult to observe the display member 70 from the outside of the cylindrical portion TP. In addition, it is possible to effectively prevent the core powder from flowing out to the outside of the barrel 20 .

In one specific example of one embodiment described above, the flange portion 72 is provided at the front end portion of the display main body portion 71 . By providing the flange portion 72 at the front end portion of the display body portion 71, it is possible to effectively prevent core powder from entering between the display body 70 and the cylindrical portion TP. In addition, since the core powder can be prevented from entering the front end portion of the display body portion 71, it is possible to effectively prevent the core powder from being rubbed against the inner surface of the cylindrical portion TP by the display body 70.

In one specific example of one embodiment described above, the flange portion 72 extends circumferentially around the display body portion 71 . Since the flange portion 72 extends circumferentially around the display body main portion 71, it is possible to effectively prevent core powder from entering between the display body 70 and the cylindrical portion TP.

In a specific example of the above-described embodiment, the barrel 20 is provided with a window portion 22 that allows observation of the inside of the barrel 20 so as to at least partially overlap the range in which the display body 70 can move in the axial direction AD. The window portion 22 is provided only partially in the circumferential direction of the barrel 20 . The flange portion 72 extends over at least the range in which the window portion 22 is provided in the circumferential direction. By providing the flange portion 72 corresponding to the window portion 22 , it is possible to effectively prevent core powder from entering between the window portion 22 and the display body 70 . This effectively prevents core powder from adhering to the window portion 22 for observing the display 70 .

In one specific example of the embodiment described above, the display body 70 further includes a rear flange portion 73 located behind the flange portion 72 in the axial direction AD and protruding from the display body portion 71 in a direction not parallel to the axial direction AD. By providing the rear flange part 73 in the display body part 71, it is possible to more effectively prevent the core powder from flowing out from the cylindrical part TP in which the display body 70 is movably accommodated in the axial direction AD and scattering to the outside of the mechanical pencil 10.

Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the vent hole H is formed in the cylindrical portion TP in which the display body 70 is accommodated so as to be movable in the axial direction AD. Therefore, the movement of the display body 70 in the axial direction AD within the cylindrical portion TP can be facilitated. Thus, the arrangement of the display body 70 can be rapidly changed in the axial direction AD according to the presence or absence of the spare lead SLE, and the presence or absence of the spare lead SLE in the lead accommodation space S can be displayed with high accuracy by the arrangement of the display body 70. Further, since the movement of the display body 70 in the axial direction AD can be facilitated, the gap between the display body 70 and the tubular portion TP, for example, the gap between the flange portion 72 or the rear flange portion 73 of the display body 70 and the tubular portion TP can be reduced. Thereby, it is possible to effectively prevent the core powder from flowing between the display body 70 and the cylindrical portion TP.

Although an embodiment has been described with reference to specific examples, these specific examples are not intended to limit an embodiment. The above-described embodiment can be implemented in various other specific examples, and various omissions, replacements, changes, additions, etc. can be made without departing from the spirit of the embodiment.

An example of modification will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description and the drawings used in the following description, the same reference numerals as those used for the corresponding portions in the above-described specific example are used for portions that can be configured in the same manner as in the above-described specific example, and redundant description is omitted.

For example, in the above-described specific example, the window portion 22 that allows the inside of the barrel 20 to be observed is provided in the barrel 20 so as to at least partially overlap the range in which the display body 70 can move in the axial direction AD. The window portion 22 is located in a partial region of the barrel 20 in the circumferential direction. In this example, as shown in FIG. 14, a concave portion 23 may be formed on the inner surface of the cylindrical portion TP accommodating the display 70 movably in the axial direction AD in the same region as the window portion 22 in the circumferential direction. Here, FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view (a cross-sectional view along a plane perpendicular to the axial direction AD) for explaining a modified example of the mechanical pencil 10, and is a cross-sectional view at a position where the window portion 22 is arranged in the axial direction AD. In the example shown in FIG. 14 , the inner surface of the cylindrical portion TP is separated from the flanges 72 and 73 of the display 70 in the same area as the window 22 in the circumferential direction. As a result, it is possible to effectively prevent core powder from adhering to the inner surface of the region facing the window part 22 of the cylindrical part TP, and as a result, it is possible to effectively prevent contamination of the core powder from being visually recognized through the window part 22. - 特許庁

Also, in the illustrated example, the knock unit 60 forms the cylindrical portion TP that holds the display 70 movably in the axial direction AD, but as already described, the present invention is not limited to this example. The shaft tube 20 may constitute a tubular portion TP that accommodates the display body 70 so as to be movable in the axial direction AD.

Further, in the illustrated example, the display body 70 is supported in the cylindrical portion TP so as to be movable in the axial direction AD. In this example, the display 70 may be biased forward in the axial direction. According to such an example, the presence or absence of the spare lead SLE in the lead housing space S can be indicated by the position of the display body 70 not only when the front of the mechanical pencil 10 is positioned vertically downward but also when positioned vertically upward.

Furthermore, in the illustrated example, the cap member 65 is screwed to the knock member 61 and the knock unit 60 is non-rotatably fitted to the intermediate cylindrical member 50. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and the knock unit 60 may be screwed to the intermediate cylindrical member 50 and the cap member 65 is non-rotatably fitted to the knock member 61.

Although several modifications of the above-described embodiment have been described above, it is of course possible to apply a plurality of modifications in appropriate combination.

10 mechanical pencil 20 barrel 20A front barrel 20Aa guide shoulder 20B intermediate barrel 20C rear barrel 20D front inner barrel 20E rear inner barrel 20F covering material 22 window 23 recess 28 intermediate biasing member 29 clip 30 mouthpiece unit 30a front end opening 31 mouth tip member 31a tip cylindrical portion 32 mouth base end member 32a regulation step Part 33 First base end member 33a Tapered wall portion 34 Second base end member 35 Third base end member 36 Tip biasing member 37 Lead holding member 38 Mouthpiece biasing member 39 Chuck biasing member 40 Lead holding unit 41 Chuck 41a Head 42 Chuck holding member 43 Fastener 44 Lead housing tube 44a Rear end surface 45 Inner auxiliary tube 46 Inner guide member 48 Weight body 50 Intermediate tube member 51 Cylindrical main body portion 51A Front side cylindrical portion 51B Rear side cylindrical portion 51C Intermediate tapered portion 52 Inner rib 53 Force receiving flange 60 Knock unit 61 Knock member 61a Side projection 62 Front cylindrical portion 62a Fitting convex portion 62c Regulating convex portion 63 Rear cylindrical portion 63a External thread portion 64 Partition wall portion 65 Cap member 65a Internal thread portion 66 Accessory 70 Display body 70A Front display member 70B Rear display member 71 Display main body 72 Flange 73 Rear flange 74 Recess 74a Inner wall surface 74b Bottom wall surface S Core housing space SC Reduced width portion LE Core SLE Spare core AD Axial direction CA Center axis line θx Inclination angle LA Length LB Length LC Length LX Length LSMAX Length LSmin Length LL Length LD Depth FS Front wall LE A lead delivery hole H hole TP cylindrical portion BS rear wall surface

Claims (16)

an axle tube;
a mouthpiece unit supported by the shaft cylinder;
a lead holding unit having a chuck for feeding out the held lead by moving relative to the mouthpiece unit;
a display body provided movably in the axial direction and partitioning from the rear a lead housing space formed behind the chuck in the shaft cylinder;
at least the display at a specific position can be observed from the outside of the barrel;
The display has a display main body portion extending in an axial direction and a flange portion projecting from the display main body portion in a direction not parallel to the axial direction,
A window portion that allows observation of the inside of the barrel is provided in the barrel so as to overlap a part of the range in which the display body can move in the axial direction,
A mechanical pencil, wherein the flange portion of the display body supported from the front in the axial direction by the spare lead housed in the lead housing space is positioned further forward in the axial direction than the window portion. A window portion that allows observation of the inside of the barrel is provided in the barrel so as to at least partially overlap with a range in which the display body can move in the axial direction,
2. The mechanical pencil according to claim 1 , wherein a concave portion is formed on the inner surface of a region overlapping the window portion in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical portion accommodating the display body movably in the axial direction. an axle tube;
a mouthpiece unit supported by the shaft cylinder;
a lead holding unit having a chuck for feeding out the held lead by moving relative to the mouthpiece unit;
a display body provided movably in the axial direction and partitioning from the rear a lead housing space formed behind the chuck in the shaft cylinder;
at least the display at a specific position can be observed from the outside of the barrel;
The display has a display main body portion extending in an axial direction and a flange portion projecting from the display main body portion in a direction not parallel to the axial direction,
A window portion that allows observation of the inside of the barrel is provided in the barrel so as to at least partially overlap with a range in which the display body can move in the axial direction,
A mechanical pencil, wherein a concave portion is formed in an inner surface of a region overlapping a window portion in a circumferential direction of a cylindrical portion accommodating the display body so as to be movable in the axial direction. further comprising a knock unit that is movably provided in the shaft cylinder in the axial direction and pushes the lead holding unit forward when moving forward in the axial direction;
4. The mechanical pencil according to claim 2 , wherein said knock unit includes said tubular portion accommodating said indicator movably in said axial direction. The mechanical pencil according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the flange portion extends circumferentially around the display body portion. A window portion that allows observation of the inside of the barrel is provided in the barrel so as to at least partially overlap with a range in which the display body can move in the axial direction,
The mechanical pencil according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the flange portion extends over at least a range in which the window portion is provided in the circumferential direction. The display body further has a rear flange portion located behind the flange portion in the axial direction and protruding from the display body portion in a direction non-parallel to the axial direction. Mechanical pencil according to any one of claims 1 to 6 . 8. The mechanical pencil according to claim 7 , wherein said rear flange portion is provided at a rear end portion of said display main body portion. 9. The mechanical pencil according to claim 7 , wherein said rear flange extends circumferentially around said display main body. A window portion that allows observation of the inside of the barrel is provided in the barrel so as to overlap a part of the range in which the display body can move in the axial direction,
The mechanical pencil according to any one of claims 7 to 9 , wherein the rear flange portion of the display that has moved most forward in the axial direction is positioned rearward of the window portion in the axial direction. The mechanical pencil according to any one of claims 1 to 10 , wherein a hole is formed in a tubular portion accommodating said display body movably in said axial direction. 12. The mechanical pencil according to claim 11 , wherein said hole is positioned rearward in said axial direction relative to the display body that has moved most rearward in said axial direction. a hole is formed in a tubular portion accommodating the display body so as to be movable in the axial direction;
The mechanical pencil according to any one of claims 7 to 10 , wherein the length of the hole along the axial direction is longer than the length of the rear flange portion along the axial direction. The mechanical pencil according to any one of claims 11 to 13 , wherein the area of the hole is larger than the area of the gap between the cylindrical portion and the display body in a cross section perpendicular to the axial direction. further comprising a weight body movable in the axial direction with respect to the lead holding unit;
The mechanical pencil according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the weight body moves forward to come into contact with the lead holding unit and push the lead holding unit forward. an axle tube;
a mouthpiece unit supported by the shaft cylinder;
a lead holding unit having a chuck for feeding out the held lead by moving relative to the mouthpiece unit;
a display body provided movably in the axial direction and partitioning from the rear a lead housing space formed behind the chuck in the shaft cylinder;
at least the display at a specific position can be observed from the outside of the barrel;
A window portion that allows observation of the inside of the barrel is provided in the barrel so as to overlap a part of the range in which the display body can move in the axial direction,
A hole is formed in a cylindrical portion that accommodates the display body so as to be movable in the axial direction.
The mechanical pencil , wherein the hole is located behind the window .