JP7396074B2 - Applicator manufacturing method and insertion device - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a method of manufacturing an applicator and an insertion device.

For example, members such as applicators that hold an annular elastic body inside a barrel are known. In such a member, in order to attach the annular elastic body inside the shaft cylinder, the annular elastic body is brought into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the shaft cylinder to elastically deform at least a part of the annular elastic body, and the annular elastic body is attached to the inside of the shaft cylinder. There are cases where an elastic body is forcibly inserted into the shaft cylinder (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-47524

For example, like the applicator described in Patent Document 1, the annular elastic body is brought into contact with the inner circumferential surface of the barrel to elastically deform at least a portion of the annular elastic body, and the annular elastic body is moved inside the barrel. If the annular elastic body is forcibly inserted into the barrel, there is a risk that the annular elastic body and the inner peripheral surface of the barrel will rub excessively and the annular elastic body will be damaged.

In view of the above-mentioned circumstances, at least one embodiment of the present disclosure provides a manufacturing method and an insertion device for an applicator that can easily insert an annular elastic body into a shaft tube while suppressing damage to the annular elastic body. The purpose is to provide.

(1) A method for manufacturing an applicator according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure includes:
A method for manufacturing an applicator, the method comprising:
deforming the annular elastic body by pressing it at multiple locations from the outside in the radial direction;
inserting the annular elastic body into the shaft cylinder in a deformed state;
The method further includes the step of fitting a part of the annular elastic body into the recess of the shaft cylinder.

According to the method (1) above, the annular elastic body is pressed and deformed from the outside in the radial direction at multiple locations, and the annular elastic body is inserted into the shaft cylinder in a deformed state. The annular elastic body can be easily inserted into the shaft cylinder. This increases efficiency in manufacturing the applicator. In addition, by pressing the annular elastic body from the outside in the radial direction at multiple locations to deform it, and inserting the annular elastic body into the shaft cylinder in a state in which the annular elastic body is deformed, the annular elastic body and the shaft cylinder can be Since friction with the peripheral surface is suppressed, damage to the annular elastic body can be suppressed.

(2) In some embodiments, in the method of (1) above,
In the step of deforming, the annular elastic body is pressed from the outside in the radial direction with a plurality of pressing members,
In the inserting step, the plurality of pressing members used in the deforming step are inserted into the shaft cylinder together with the annular elastic body.

According to the method (2) above, by inserting the plurality of pressing members used in the deformation step into the shaft cylinder together with the annular elastic body, the deformed annular elastic body returns to its pre-deformation shape with elastic force. The annular elastic body can be inserted into the shaft cylinder while maintaining the deformed state by suppressing the annular elastic body from restoring. As a result, the annular elastic body can be easily inserted into the shaft cylinder, and damage to the annular elastic body can be suppressed.

(3) In some embodiments, in the method of (2) above,
The plurality of pressing members are three or more pressing members,
In the step of deforming, the annular elastic body is pressed from the outside in the radial direction by the three or more pressing members, and the annular elastic body is moved so that the annular elastic body protrudes radially between the three or more pressing members. transform.

According to the method (3) above, by pressing from the outside in the radial direction with three or more pressing members, the annular elastic body is deformed so that it projects radially between the three or more pressing members, The diameter of a virtual circumscribed circle that contacts the protrusion protruding from between the pressing members from the outside in the radial direction can be made smaller than the outer diameter of the annular elastic body before deformation. Therefore, the annular elastic body can be easily inserted into the shaft cylinder, and damage to the annular elastic body can be suppressed.

(4) In some embodiments, in the method of (2) or (3) above, in the fitting step, the annular elastic body and the plurality of pressing members are inserted inside the shaft cylinder. , the pressing member is moved radially outward to fit the annular elastic body into the recess of the shaft tube.

According to method (4) above, by moving the pressing member radially outward, the annular elastic body is moved toward the shaft cylinder while maintaining the desired axial positional relationship between the shaft cylinder and the annular elastic body. It can be fitted into the recess.

(5) In some embodiments, in any of the methods (2) to (4) above, in the deforming step, the annular elastic body is It is pressed (deformed) at a substantially equal distance from the radially outer side toward the radially inner side (center).

According to the method (5) above, the annular elastic body is pressed (deformed) radially inward (center) at substantially equal distances at three or more points at equal pitches in the circumferential direction. In the protruding portions in which the annular elastic body protrudes radially outward between the pressed locations, variations in the amount of radially outward protrusion of each protruding portion are reduced. As a result, the diameter of the circumscribed circle that contacts the protrusion from the outside in the radial direction can be made smaller than when the variation is large. Therefore, the annular elastic body can be easily inserted into the shaft cylinder, and damage to the annular elastic body can be suppressed.
Further, according to the method (5) above, the annular elastic body is pressed at a plurality of three or more points at equal pitches in the circumferential direction at substantially equal distances from the radially outer side toward the radially inner side (center). (Deformation) facilitates centering of the annular elastic body.

(6) In some embodiments, in any of the methods (2) to (5) above, in the deforming step, the plurality of pressing members move the annular elastic body from the radially outer side to the radially inner side ( The annular elastic body is held in a pressed (deformed) state by being pressed (deformed) substantially equidistantly toward the center of the annular elastic body.

According to the method (6) above, when the annular elastic body is inserted into the shaft cylinder in the insertion step, it becomes easy to maintain the desired axial positional relationship between the shaft cylinder and the annular elastic body.

(7) In some embodiments, in any of the methods (2) to (6) above,
The annular elastic body has an outer shape in which a plurality of annular body recesses and a plurality of convex portions are arranged alternately in the circumferential direction,
In the step of deforming, the pressing member presses the position of the annular body recess radially inward.

According to the method (7) above, the pressing member presses the position of the annular body recess radially inward, so that in the process of the pressing member pressing the annular elastic body radially inward, the pressing member and the annular elastic body The relative position is difficult to change, and the annular elastic body can be stably deformed. That is, in the process of manufacturing a large number of applicators, it is possible to suppress variations in the shape of the annular elastic body after deformation each time the deforming step is performed. Thereby, the step of inserting can be performed stably. Therefore, the annular elastic body can be easily inserted into the shaft cylinder each time, and damage to the annular elastic body can be suppressed.

(8) In some embodiments, in the method of (7) above,
The recessed portion of the shaft cylinder includes a plurality of openings arranged in a circumferential direction,
The annular elastic body is arranged such that each of the plurality of press members is located at a position in the circumferential direction between the adjacent openings when the annular elastic body and the plurality of press members are inserted into the interior of the shaft cylinder. aligning the shaft cylinder with respect to the
Furthermore, it is equipped with.

According to the method (8) above, after the above alignment of the annular elastic body and the shaft cylinder, with the annular elastic body and the plurality of pressing members inserted inside the shaft cylinder, the pressing member is moved radially outward. When moved, the plurality of convex portions of the annular elastic body and the plurality of openings of the shaft cylinder are easily aligned. Therefore, when fitting the plurality of convex parts of the annular elastic body into the plurality of openings of the shaft cylinder, it becomes easy to fit the plurality of convex parts of the annular elastic body into the plurality of openings of the shaft cylinder.

(9) The insertion device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure includes:
A device for inserting an annular elastic body into a shaft cylinder,
each includes a plurality of pressing members for pressing the annular elastic body from the outside in the radial direction at a plurality of locations, and includes a plurality of movable parts movable in the radial direction,
At least one of the movable parts has a support surface that supports the shaft tube from below when the shaft tube is inserted through the outside of the annular elastic body that is deformed by the pressing member.

According to the configuration (9) above, when the shaft tube is inserted into the outside of the annular elastic body in a deformed state, the shaft tube can be supported from below by the support surface, so that the shaft tube and the annular elastic body are connected in the axial direction. can be set to a desired positional relationship.

(10) In some embodiments, the configuration of (9) above further includes a cam for converting rotational movement into radial contraction/expansion movement for moving the movable part in the radial direction.

According to the configuration (10) above, a plurality of movable parts can be linked to each other to contract and expand the diameter with one rotational movement. This makes it easier to synchronize the movement in the radial direction between the plurality of movable parts.

(11) In some embodiments, the configuration of (9) or (10) above further includes a positioning plate for adjusting the axial position of the annular elastic body with respect to the shaft cylinder.

According to the configuration (11) above, the axial positional relationship between the shaft tube and the annular elastic body can be set to a desired positional relationship.

(12) In some embodiments, in the configuration of (11) above, the positioning plate is configured to move in the radial direction together with any of the movable parts.

If the positioning plate is not configured to move in the radial direction together with the movable part, the positioning plate may interfere with the shaft cylinder, making it impossible to support the shaft cylinder from below on the support surface. By the configuration (11) above, such inconvenience can be avoided.

(13) In some embodiments, in any of the configurations (9) to (12) above, the plurality of movable parts are three or more movable parts arranged at equal pitches in the circumferential direction.

According to the configuration (13) above, the annular elastic body can be deformed radially inward at three or more points having an equal pitch in the circumferential direction, so that the annular elastic body can be In the protrusions that protrude outward in the radial direction, variations in the amount of protrusion outward in the radial direction of each protrusion are reduced. As a result, the diameter of the circumscribed circle that contacts the protrusion from the outside in the radial direction can be made smaller than when the variation is large. Therefore, the annular elastic body can be easily inserted into the shaft cylinder, and damage to the annular elastic body can be suppressed.
Further, according to the configuration (13) above, the annular elastic body can be pressed from the outside in the radial direction at three or more points arranged at equal pitches in the circumferential direction, thereby facilitating centering of the annular elastic body.

(14) In some embodiments, in any of the configurations (9) to (13) above,
a biasing member that biases the plurality of movable parts to move outward in the radial direction;
Furthermore,
The biasing member is arranged between the two circumferentially adjacent movable parts.

According to configuration (14) above, after the annular elastic body is pressed from the outside in the radial direction by the pressing member, the movable portion and the pressing member can be moved radially outside by the urging force of the urging member.

According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the annular elastic body can be easily inserted into the shaft cylinder.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an insertion device according to one embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the positioning plate is removed in the insertion device according to one embodiment. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the configuration of an insertion device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a state in which the positioning plate is removed in the insertion device according to one embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a state in which the positioning plate is removed in the insertion device according to one embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a grip according to one embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a shaft cylinder according to one embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an annular elastic body according to an embodiment. 1 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure in a method for manufacturing an applicator according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the insertion device showing a state in which an annular elastic body is arranged between three pressing members in a first position. FIG. 2 is a sectional view of three pressing members in FIG. 1 viewed from above. FIG. 11 is a sectional view of the three pressing members in FIG. 10 viewed from above. 11 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the lower end of the annular elastic body in FIG. 10. FIG. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the insertion device in the second position after the annular elastic body is pressed and deformed from the outside in the radial direction by three pressing members. FIG. 15 is a sectional view of the vicinity of three pressing members in FIG. 14 viewed from above. 15 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the lower end of the annular elastic body in FIG. 14. FIG. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the insertion device after the annular elastic body is inserted into the barrel in the barrel placement step S5. FIG. 18 is a sectional view of the vicinity of the shaft cylinder in FIG. 17 viewed from above. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the axial positions of the shaft tube and the annular elastic body in the gripping portion. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the shaft cylinder viewed from above after the fitting step S7 has been performed. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the insertion device and the grip after the grip is removed from the insertion device in the grip removal step S9. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating variations in the number of protrusions arranged along the circumferential direction and the number of pressing members. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating variations in the number of protrusions arranged along the circumferential direction and the number of pressing members. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating variations in the number of protrusions arranged along the circumferential direction and the number of pressing members. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating variations in the number of protrusions arranged along the circumferential direction and the number of pressing members. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating variations in the number of protrusions arranged along the circumferential direction and the number of pressing members.

Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of the components described as embodiments or shown in the drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure, and are merely illustrative examples. do not have.
For example, expressions expressing relative or absolute positioning such as "in a certain direction,""along a certain direction,""parallel,""orthogonal,""centered,""concentric," or "coaxial" are strictly In addition to representing such an arrangement, it also represents a state in which they are relatively displaced with a tolerance or an angle or distance that allows the same function to be obtained.
For example, expressions such as "same,""equal," and "homogeneous" that indicate that things are in an equal state do not only mean that things are exactly equal, but also have tolerances or differences in the degree to which the same function can be obtained. It also represents the existing state.
For example, expressions expressing shapes such as squares and cylinders do not only refer to shapes such as squares and cylinders in a strict geometric sense, but also include uneven parts and chamfers to the extent that the same effect can be obtained. Shapes including parts, etc. shall also be expressed.
On the other hand, the expressions "comprising,""comprising,""comprising,""containing," or "having" one component are not exclusive expressions that exclude the presence of other components.

(Overall configuration of insertion device 1)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an insertion device according to one embodiment.
For convenience of explanation, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a positioning plate, which will be described later, is removed from the insertion device according to one embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the configuration of the insertion device according to one embodiment, and schematically shows main parts of the insertion device according to one embodiment. It should be noted that in FIG. 3, in order to explain the configuration of the insertion device 1 in an easy-to-understand manner, the details may be omitted, and the contents may differ from those shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The insertion device 1 according to one embodiment is a device for inserting an annular elastic body 60 into a shaft tube 40 of an applicator.
In the following description, the case where the annular elastic body 60 is inserted into the inside of the barrel 40 in the grip part 10 of a writing instrument where the barrel 40 is, for example, a tip of a writing instrument and the annular elastic body 60 is a grip rubber, for example, will be described. Let me explain using an example. The grip portion 10 will be described in detail later.

The insertion device 1 according to one embodiment includes a base plate 8, a support column 7, an upper plate 6, a rotating section 5, and a movable section 3.

(pillar 7)
In the insertion device 1 according to one embodiment, the support column 7 is a columnar member extending in the vertical direction, and in one embodiment has a shaft shape with a circular cross section. The support column 7 is fixed to the base plate 8 and is erected on the base plate 8 so that the axis (center axis) AX extends in the vertical direction.
In addition, in the following description, the radial direction centered on the axis AX may be simply referred to as the radial direction. Further, in the following description, the circumferential direction centered on the axis AX may be simply referred to as the circumferential direction.

(Base plate 8)
In the insertion device 1 according to one embodiment, a regulating section 85 for regulating the rotation range of the rotating section 5, which will be described later, is attached to the base plate 8. When the insertion device 1 is viewed from above, the regulating section 85 includes a first regulating section 85a for regulating the clockwise rotation range of the rotating section 5, and a first regulating section 85a for regulating the rotation range of the rotating section 5 in the counterclockwise direction. A second regulating portion 85b for regulating the movement range is included. Rubber legs 92 are preferably attached to the lower surface of the base plate 8 to prevent slipping.

(Top plate 6)
An upper plate 6 is fixed to the upper part of the support column 7. In the insertion device 1 according to one embodiment, the upper plate 6 is, for example, a plate-like member having a disk shape, and one surface of the disk shape, the upper surface, faces upward, and the other surface, the lower surface, faces downward. The base plate 8 is disposed so as to face the upper surface of the base plate 8 with a space therebetween.

(Rotating part 5)
In the insertion device 1 according to one embodiment, the rotating part 5 is a member having a cylindrical shape, for example, and the support 7 is inserted into a through hole 51 extending along the central axis of the cylinder. is arranged so as to be coaxial with the axis AX of the support column 7. The rotating part 5 is rotatably supported by the support column 7 via a bearing 91, for example, as shown by an arrow a in FIG. 3 about an axis AX.

In the insertion device 1 according to one embodiment, a handle 93 for rotating the rotating portion 5 about the axis AX is attached to the rotating portion 5. For example, a protrusion 55 is formed in the lower part of the rotating part 5. The protruding portion 55 is configured such that a side surface of the protruding portion 55 facing in the circumferential direction comes into contact with the regulating portion 85 when the rotating portion 5 is rotated. Rotation of the rotating portion 5 is regulated by the protruding portion 55 coming into contact with the regulating portion 85 .

(Movable part 3)
In the insertion device 1 according to one embodiment, a plurality of movable parts 3 are provided on the upper surface of the upper plate 6. In the insertion device 1 according to one embodiment, three movable parts 3 are arranged radially around the axis AX. In the insertion device 1 according to one embodiment, each of the three movable parts 3 has a movable part main body 31, a pressing member 33, a cam follower 35, and a support surface 37. In the insertion device 1 according to one embodiment, the three movable parts 3 are arranged at equal pitches in the circumferential direction at intervals of 120 degrees.

In the insertion device 1 according to one embodiment, each of the movable part main bodies 31 is attached to the upper plate 6 via a linear guide 95 so as to be movable in the radial direction about the axis AX. The linear guide 95 is a guide device having a rail portion and a slider portion, and the rail portion and the slider portion are formed to be relatively linearly movable. Thereby, each of the movable part main bodies 31 is movable in the radial direction as shown by the arrow b in FIG.
The radial position of the movable part main body 31 (movable part 3, pressing member 33) when the movable part main body 31 (movable part 3, pressing member 33) is located at the outermost position in the radial direction is referred to as a first position. Further, the radial position of the movable part main body 31 (movable part 3, pressing member 33) when the movable part main body 31 (movable part 3, pressing member 33) is located at the innermost position in the radial direction is referred to as the second position. to be called. Note that FIG. 1 shows a state in which three movable part bodies 31 (movable part 3, pressing member 33) are in the first position.

In the insertion device 1 according to one embodiment, each of the pressing members 33 is a pin-shaped member arranged so as to extend in the vertical direction at the radially inner tip portion 38 of the movable portion main body 31. The pressing member 33 is a member for pressing the annular elastic body 60 from the outside in the radial direction, as will be described later.
In the insertion device 1 according to the embodiment, each of the cam followers 35 is a cam follower that comes into contact with each cam surface 22 of the plate cam 21 described later, and is located on the radially outer base end 39 side of the movable part main body 31. It is attached to the movable part main body 31. Each of the cam followers 35 is rotatable relative to the movable part main body 31 as shown by arrow c in FIG.
In the insertion device 1 according to one embodiment, the support surface 37 is a support surface that supports the shaft tube 40 from below, and is a part of the upper surface of the movable part main body 31 in the vicinity of the pressing member 33. .

In the following description, among the three movable parts 3, the movable part 3 to which a positioning plate 11, which will be described later, is attached is also referred to as a first movable part 3A. Further, among the three movable parts 3, the movable part 3 to which the positioning plate 11 is attached is also referred to as a second movable part 3B and a third movable part 3C in clockwise order from the first movable part 3A.
Similarly, in the following description, among the three movable part bodies 31, the movable part body 31 in the first movable part 3A is also referred to as the first movable part body 31A, and the movable part body 31 in the second movable part 3B is referred to as the second movable part body 31. It is also called a movable part main body 31B, and the movable part main body 31 in the third movable part 3C is also called a third movable part main body 31C.

For convenience of explanation, FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a state in which a positioning plate, which will be described later, is removed from the insertion device according to one embodiment, and shows a state in which the movable part is located at the first position.
For convenience of explanation, FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a state in which a positioning plate, which will be described later, is removed from the insertion device according to one embodiment, and shows a state in which the movable part is located at the second position.
Hereinafter, the movable part main body 31 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

In the insertion device 1 according to one embodiment, each tip end portion 38 of the movable portion main body 31 is formed to taper toward the inside in the radial direction when viewed from above. That is, each of the distal ends 38 has two distal end side surfaces 310 facing in the circumferential direction. Of the two tip side surfaces 310, the tip side surface 310 facing counterclockwise when viewed from above is referred to as a first tip side surface 311, and the tip side surface 310 facing clockwise is referred to as a second tip side surface. It is called 312.

In the insertion device 1 according to one embodiment, the distal end side surface 310 of each movable section main body 31 is configured to face the distal end side surface 310 of the movable section main body 31 adjacent in the circumferential direction.
Specifically, the first tip side surface 311 of the first movable portion main body 31A faces the second tip side surface 312 of the third movable portion main body 31C, and the second tip side surface 312 of the first movable portion main body 31A. faces the first tip side surface 311 of the second movable part main body 31B.
Similarly, the second tip side surface 312 of the second movable section main body 31B faces the first tip side surface 311 of the third movable section main body 31C.

In the insertion device 1 according to the embodiment, as the movable part main body 31 moves from the first position to the second position, the tip side surface 310 of each movable part main body 31 is connected to the movable part main body 31 adjacent to the movable part main body 31 in the circumferential direction. It is configured to approach the tip side surface 310 of. On the contrary, in the insertion device 1 according to one embodiment, as the movable part main body 31 moves from the second position to the first position, the distal end side surface 310 of each movable part main body 31 moves between adjacent movable parts in the circumferential direction. It is configured to be spaced apart from the tip end side surface 310 of the section main body 31.

In the insertion device 1 according to one embodiment, the space between the two movable parts 3 adjacent in the circumferential direction is, more specifically, a first tip side surface 311 and a second tip side surface 312 facing each other in the circumferential direction. A return spring 81 as a biasing member is arranged between the two. Each of the return springs 81 is a biasing member that biases the three movable part bodies 31 (movable part 3) to move radially outward, and is, for example, a coil spring. Each of the return springs 81 is inserted into a counterbore hole (not shown) formed in a first tip side surface 311 and a second tip side surface 312 that face each other in the circumferential direction so as to come into contact with the bottom of the counterbore hole (not shown). It is held in place by this.
Thereby, after the annular elastic body 60 is pressed by the pressing member 33 from the radially outer side, the movable portion 3 and the pressing member 33 can be moved radially outwardly by the urging force of the return spring 81, as will be described later.

In addition, in the drawings in which the movable part main body 31 is located in the first position, including FIGS. 2, 4, and each drawing explained below, one side of the return spring 81 is shown in order to avoid complication of the drawings. Description is omitted. However, as described above, each of the return springs 81 is adapted to come into contact with the bottom of a counterbored hole (not shown) formed in the first tip side surface 311 and the second tip side surface 312 that face each other in the circumferential direction. Since the return spring 81 is held by being inserted into the counterbore hole, when the movable part main body 31 is in the second position (see FIGS. 5 and 14), the return spring 81 is It is stored in a counterbore hole. Moreover, since the three movable part bodies 31 (movable part 3) each move in the radial direction in synchronization, each of the return springs 81 has a first tip side surface 311 and a second tip part facing each other in the circumferential direction. Since the counterbored hole (not shown) formed in the side surface 312 is always concentric and no deviation occurs, force is applied to the return spring 81 only in the vertical direction (the direction of expansion and contraction of the spring).
If the movements of the movable part bodies 31 are not synchronized, the positions of the movable part bodies 31 will be different mainly in the radial direction, and the central axes of the counterbore holes will be misaligned. A lateral force is also applied to the spring 81. Therefore, if the amount of radial positional deviation between the movable part bodies 31 becomes large, unnecessary load will increase on the return spring 81, and there is a risk that the return spring 81 will be damaged. A deviation in synchronization between the movable part bodies 31 is allowed within a range that does not impede insertion of the annular elastic body 60 into the shaft cylinder 40, such as the shape of the annular elastic body 60.

In the insertion device 1 according to one embodiment, each of the three pressing members 33 is a member for pressing and deforming the annular elastic body 60 from the outside in the radial direction, as described later. Further, for reasons described later, the outer diameter of each of the three pressing members 33 cannot be made very large. Therefore, each of the three pressing members 33 is preferably made of a metal material, particularly a cemented carbide or the like, which has high bending rigidity among metal materials, in order to ensure bending rigidity.

Further, in the insertion device 1 according to one embodiment, each of the three pressing members 33 has a circular cross section perpendicular to the axis AX, but it may have an elliptical shape other than a circular shape. It may also have a cross-sectional shape that partially has linear sides. However, in each of the three pressing members 33, the portion in contact with the annular elastic body 60 is preferably a smooth surface when viewed along the axis AX from the viewpoint of preventing damage to the annular elastic body 60. In addition, in each of the three pressing members 33, in a portion whose axial position is below the base end 45 of the shaft tube 40 (see FIG. 19) when the annular elastic body 60 is inserted, the position is above the base end 45. It may have a cross-sectional shape different from that of the part.

(Positioning plate 11)
In the insertion device 1 according to one embodiment, the positioning plate 11 is attached to the movable part main body 31 of one of the three movable parts 3. That is, the positioning plate 11 is configured to move in the radial direction together with the movable portion 3.

In the insertion device 1 according to one embodiment, the positioning plate 11 is a plate-shaped member extending in the same direction as the upper surface of the upper plate 6, and has an opening 12 formed in the center. A pressing member 33 is inserted through the opening 12 . The opening peripheral portion 13 forming the opening 12 is configured to be able to support a portion of the lower end 65 of the annular elastic body 60 from below, as shown in FIG. 13 described later. A portion of the opening peripheral portion 13 that can support a portion of the lower end 65 of the annular elastic body 60 from below is referred to as a lower end support portion 14 . The positioning plate 11 will be explained in more detail later.

(Plate cam 21)
In the insertion device 1 according to one embodiment, the plate cam 21 is a cam for moving the movable part 3 radially inward, and one plate cam 21 is provided for each of the three movable parts 3. Each of the three plate cams 21 is fixed to the rotating part 5 via a cam bracket 25. In the insertion device 1 according to one embodiment, the plate cam 21 converts the rotational movement of the rotating part 5 about the axis AX into a diameter contraction/expansion movement for moving the movable part 3 in the radial direction. It's a cam.
In the insertion device 1 according to one embodiment, each of the plate cams 21 has a cam surface 22 that presses each of the cam followers 35 . Each of the cam surfaces 22 is formed to be located radially inward as it goes counterclockwise along the circumferential direction.
In the insertion device 1 according to one embodiment, each of the plate cams 21 is configured such that the distances of the three pressing members 33 from the axis AX are equal regardless of the rotational position of the rotating part 5. There is. That is, in the insertion device 1 according to one embodiment, the distance between the pressing member 33 disposed on the first movable part 3A and the axis AX, and the distance between the pressing member 33 disposed on the second movable part 3b and the axis AX. , and the distance between the pressing member 33 disposed in the third movable part 3C and the axis AX are configured to be equal regardless of the rotational position of the rotating part 5.

(About the operation of insertion device 1)
The operation of the insertion device 1 according to one embodiment configured as described above will be described.
When the operator operating the insertion device 1 is not applying any force to the handle 93, as shown in FIG. Located in position. That is, when no force is applied to the handle 93, the three movable part bodies 31 move radially outward due to the biasing force of the return spring 81, and each of the three cam followers 35 moves each of the cam surfaces 22 in the radial direction. Press outward. As a result, when the insertion device 1 is viewed from above, the plate cam 21 and the rotating part 5 to which the plate cam 21 is fixed rotate counterclockwise about the axis AX. The rotation of the rotating part 5 in the counterclockwise direction is restricted by the protruding part 55 coming into contact with the second restricting part 85b.

From this state, when the worker operates the handle 93 to rotate the rotating part 5 clockwise about the axis AX, the movable part main body 31 (movable part 3) rotates as shown in FIG. It moves from the first position toward the second position, which is the innermost position in the radial direction. That is, when the worker operates the handle 93 to rotate the rotating part 5 clockwise about the axis AX, the three plate cams 21 fixed to the rotating part 5 also rotate clockwise. The cam followers 35 are each moved radially inward by the cam surfaces 22. As a result, the movable portion main body 31 moves radially inward against the biasing force of the return spring 81.

(About the grip part 10)
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a grip according to one embodiment. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the shaft cylinder according to one embodiment. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an annular elastic body according to one embodiment. The grip section 10 according to one embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8.
The grip part 10 according to one embodiment is a grip part of a writing instrument as described above. More specifically, the grip part 10 according to one embodiment is a member in which a base attached to the tip side of a mechanical pencil and a part of a shaft (main body part) are integrated. The grip part 10 according to one embodiment includes a shaft tube 40 and an annular elastic body 60 inserted into the shaft tube 40.

(About the shaft tube 40)
The shaft cylinder 40 according to one embodiment includes a cylinder part 41 having a cylindrical shape, a base part 43 formed on one end side (distal end side) of the cylinder part 41, and a guide pipe 44 protruding from the distal end of the base part 43. and has. A plurality of openings (shaft cylinder openings) 42 are formed in the cylinder portion 41 . The plurality of openings 42 are arranged at intervals in the axial direction and circumferential direction of the cylindrical portion 41. A lead detent (not shown) is inserted inside the mouthpiece 43 to prevent the lead from falling when the lead chuck (not shown) provided on the body of the writing instrument (not shown) releases the lead. There is.
The cylindrical portion 41 is made of, for example, metal or hard resin.

In the shaft tube 40 according to one embodiment, the opening 42 is formed in multiple stages along the axial direction of the tube portion 41. In the example shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the openings 42 are formed in seven stages along the axial direction of the cylindrical portion 41, for example.
Further, in the shaft tube 40 according to one embodiment, the openings 42 are formed at a plurality of locations at equal pitches in the circumferential direction. In the example shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the openings 42 are formed at six locations at equal pitches in the circumferential direction. That is, in the shaft cylinder 40 according to one embodiment, the cylinder portion 41 has 42 openings 42 formed therein.
In the shaft tube 40 according to one embodiment, each of the plurality of openings 42 has a rectangular shape, but may have other polygonal shapes such as a triangular shape or a pentagonal shape, a circular shape, an elliptical shape, etc. The shape may be a shape other than a polygon, or a shape that is an appropriate combination of these shapes.

(About the annular elastic body 60)
The annular elastic body 60 according to one embodiment is a member formed of an elastic body such as rubber, and is an annular body having a cylindrical shape. The annular elastic body 60 is disposed inside the barrel 40 in the grip portion 10 of the writing instrument, and is formed such that the outer circumferential surface 60a of the annular elastic body 60 abuts the inner circumferential surface 40a of the barrel 40. Further, the annular elastic body 60 has a plurality of convex portions (annular body convex portions) 61 that protrude outward in the radial direction of the annular elastic body 60 from the outer peripheral surface 60a. The plurality of convex portions 61 are arranged at intervals in the axial direction and circumferential direction of the annular elastic body 60.
Each of the plurality of convex parts 61 is inserted into each of the plurality of openings 42 of the shaft cylinder 40 and protrudes to the outer periphery of the shaft cylinder 40 when the annular elastic body 60 is inserted into the shaft cylinder 40. It is configured. In the annular elastic body 60 according to one embodiment, the number of convex portions 61 is the same as the number of openings 42 . In the example shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, the convex portions 61 are formed at the same 42 locations as the openings 42. In addition, the area|region in which the convex part 61 is not formed in the outer peripheral surface 60a of the annular elastic body 60 is also called the recessed part (annular body recessed part) 63.
The annular elastic body according to one embodiment has an outer shape in which a plurality of recesses 63 and a plurality of protrusions 61 are arranged alternately in the circumferential direction.

In the grip portion 10 according to the embodiment configured as described above, the plurality of convex portions 61 formed of an elastic body such as rubber protrude radially outward from the opening 42 of the barrel 40, so that the writing instrument can be easily held. When a user grips the grip portion 10 for writing, the plurality of convex portions 61 come into contact with the user's fingers and generate an appropriate frictional force.

(Regarding the conventional work of inserting the annular elastic body 60 into the shaft tube 40)
First, the conventional work contents in the process of inserting the annular elastic body 60 into the shaft tube 40 will be explained.
Conventionally, when inserting the annular elastic body 60 into the shaft tube 40 in the gripping part 10 according to one embodiment, a worker manually uses, for example, an elongated rod-shaped member made of wood, bamboo, resin, etc. An annular elastic body 60 was inserted into the shaft tube 40. Specifically, the worker uses, for example, a rod-shaped member having a bifurcated portion with a tip end divided into two, and pinches the inner circumferential surface and the outer circumferential surface of the annular elastic body 60 between the bifurcated portions. The body 60 is attached to a rod-shaped member. The worker then wraps the annular elastic body 60 around the outer periphery of the rod-shaped member so as to wrap the annular elastic body 60 around the outer periphery of the rod-shaped member. Then, the worker inserts the annular elastic body 60 wrapped around the outer periphery of the rod-shaped member into the shaft cylinder 40 together with the rod-shaped member.

At this time, since a frictional force is generated between the annular elastic body 60 and the inner circumferential surface 40a of the shaft cylinder 40, the worker twists the annular elastic body 60 together with the rod-shaped member inside the shaft cylinder 40. I have it inserted. Further, although the annular elastic body 60 is inserted into the shaft tube 40 while being twisted, if the annular elastic body 60 gets caught in the opening 42 of the shaft tube 40, there is a risk of damaging the annular elastic body 60. . Therefore, the work of inserting the annular elastic body 60 into the shaft tube 40 while twisting requires skill, and even for a skilled worker, it takes a relatively long time.

After inserting the annular elastic body 60 into the shaft tube 40 to a predetermined depth, the worker inserts the annular elastic body 60 into the shaft tube 40 so that the plurality of convex portions 61 protrude radially outward from the opening 42 of the shaft tube 40. Work is performed to make the body 60 and the shaft cylinder 40 fit together. Specifically, the worker inserts the proximal end side of the rod-shaped member, which is not divided into two, into the annular elastic body 60, and presses the annular elastic body 60 radially outward with the rod-shaped member while pushing the annular elastic body 60 into the annular shape. While the elastic body 60 and the shaft tube 40 are made to fit together, the plurality of convex portions 61 are made to protrude radially outward from the opening 42 of the shaft tube 40. Even for a skilled worker, this task requires a relatively large amount of time. For this reason, the process of inserting the annular elastic body 60 into the shaft tube 40 takes a long time, so it has been desired to shorten the process of inserting the annular elastic body 60 into the shaft tube 40.

(Regarding the insertion work of the annular elastic body 60 into the shaft tube 40 by the insertion device 1)
The operation of inserting the annular elastic body 60 into the shaft tube 40 using the insertion device 1 according to the embodiment described above will be described below.
FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing processing steps in a method for manufacturing an applicator according to an embodiment, more specifically, a method for manufacturing a grip using the insertion device according to an embodiment described above.
The method for manufacturing the gripping part 10 using the insertion device 1 according to one embodiment includes an annular elastic body arrangement step S1, an annular elastic body deformation step S3, a shaft cylinder arrangement step S5, a fitting step S7, and a gripping part 10. and a part removal step S9.

(Annular elastic body arrangement step S1)
The annular elastic body arranging step S1 is a step of arranging the annular elastic body 60 in the insertion device 1. In the annular elastic body placement step S1, the annular elastic body 60 is placed between the three pressing members 33 in the insertion device 1. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, with the three movable parts 3 (pressing members 33) in the first position, the worker inserts the annular elastic body 60 between the three pressing members 33 from above. insert.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the insertion device showing a state in which the annular elastic body is arranged between three pressing members in the first position.
FIG. 11 is a view of the three pressing members in FIG. 1 viewed from above, and shows a state before the annular elastic body is arranged.
FIG. 12 is a top view of the three pressing members in FIG. 10, showing the state after the annular elastic bodies are arranged.
Note that FIGS. 11 and 12 show the vicinity of the three pressing members 33 viewed from a height position where the pressing members 33 extending in the vertical direction are cut midway.

As shown in FIG. 11, when the three pressing members 33 are located at the first position, the three pressing members 33 are arranged so that the annular elastic body 60 can be inserted from above between the three pressing members 33. , are spaced apart from the axis AX. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 12, the annular elastic body 60 has three pressing members 33 arranged in angular phases such that each of the three pressing members 33 is located between two circumferentially adjacent convex portions 61. placed between.

More specifically, for example, when the three pressing members 33 are located at the first position, when viewed from above, there is a radial direction on each side of the three pressing members 33 centering on the axis AX. The diameter Da (see FIG. 11) of the virtual inscribed circle Dva that contacts from the inside is approximately equal to or slightly larger than the outer diameter D1 (see FIG. 12) of the annular elastic body 60 in the recess 63. good. Note that since the annular elastic body 60 can be deformed relatively easily, the diameter Da of the inscribed circle Dva is allowed to be slightly smaller than the outer diameter D1.
Further, when the three pressing members 33 are located at the first position, the diameter Da of the inscribed circle Dva is the outer diameter D2 of the annular elastic body 60 on the radially outer surface of the convex portion 61 (see FIG. (see). If the diameter Da of the inscribed circle Dva is smaller than the outer diameter D2, when inserting the annular elastic body 60 between the three pressing members 33 from above, each of the three pressing members 33 is adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction. It becomes easy to arrange the annular elastic body 60 so as to be located between the two matching convex portions 61.

FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the lower end of the annular elastic body in FIG. 10. Note that, for convenience of explanation, the movable part main body 31 and the like are omitted in FIG. 13.
As shown in FIG. 13, when the annular elastic body 60 is arranged between the three pressing members 33 in the first position, a part of the lower end 65 of the annular elastic body 60 comes into contact with the lower end support part 14 of the positioning plate 11. come into contact with Thereby, the vertical position of the annular elastic body 60 in the insertion device 1 is defined.

(Annular elastic body deformation step S3)
The annular elastic body deformation step S3 is a step in which the annular elastic body 60 is deformed by being pressed at a plurality of locations from the outside in the radial direction. Specifically, in the annular elastic body deformation step S3, the three pressing members 33 of the insertion device 1 press the annular elastic body 60 from the outside in the radial direction to deform it.
FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the insertion device after the annular elastic body is pressed and deformed from the outside in the radial direction by three pressing members. In FIG. 14, the three pressing members 33 are located at the second position.
FIG. 15 is a view of the vicinity of the three pressing members in FIG. 14 viewed from above. Note that FIG. 15 shows a state in which the vicinity of the three pressing members 33 is viewed from a height position where the convex portion 61 and the pressing members 33 extending in the vertical direction are cut midway.
FIG. 16 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the lower end of the annular elastic body in FIG. 14. For convenience of explanation, the plate cam 21 and the like on the near side are omitted in FIG. 16.

In the annular elastic body deformation step S3, after arranging the annular elastic body 60 between the three pressing members 33 in the annular elastic body arrangement step S1, the worker operates the handle 93 to move the rotating part 5 along the axis AX. Rotate clockwise around the center. Thereby, as described above, the three pressing members 33 press and deform the annular elastic body 60 from the outside in the radial direction while moving from the first position toward the second position together with the three movable part main bodies 31. .

In the annular elastic body deformation step S3, the three pressing members 33 press the position of the recess 63 of the annular elastic body 60 radially inward.
In this way, the pressing member 33 presses the position of the recess 63 inward in the radial direction, and in the process of the pressing member 33 pressing the annular elastic body 60 in the radial direction, the relative relationship between the pressing member 33 and the annular elastic body 60 is The position of the annular elastic body 60 is difficult to change, and the annular elastic body 60 can be stably deformed. That is, in the process of manufacturing a large number of applicators, it is possible to suppress variations in the shape of the annular elastic body 60 after deformation each time the annular elastic body deformation step S3 is performed. Thereby, the barrel arrangement step S5, which will be described later, can be carried out stably. Therefore, the annular elastic body 60 can be easily inserted into the shaft cylinder 40 each time, and damage to the annular elastic body 60 can be suppressed.

In the annular elastic body deformation step S3, the three pressing members 33 deform the annular elastic body 60 so that the annular elastic body 60 projects radially between the three pressing members 33.
In the insertion device 1 according to one embodiment, the six recesses 63 existing between the six protrusions 61 arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction are arranged radially inward at every other recess in the circumferential direction. Pressing is performed by three pressing members 33. Therefore, each of the three recesses 63 that are not pressed by the three pressing members 33 protrudes radially outward from between the two pressing members 33 adjacent in the circumferential direction. In the following description, the recess 63 that protrudes radially outward from between two circumferentially adjacent pressing members 33 will be referred to as a bulge 67.

By deforming the annular elastic body 60 as described above, the diameter Db of the virtual circumscribed circle Dvb (see FIG. 15 ) can be made smaller than the outer diameter of the annular elastic body 60 before deformation, that is, the outer diameter D2. Therefore, the annular elastic body 60 can be easily inserted into the shaft tube 40, and damage to the annular elastic body 60 can be suppressed.

In the annular elastic body deformation step S3, the annular elastic body 60 is pressed from the outside in the radial direction at three locations at equal pitches in the circumferential direction. That is, in the insertion device 1 according to one embodiment, the three movable parts 3 are arranged at equal pitches in the circumferential direction.
Therefore, when the annular elastic body 60 is pressed from the outside in the radial direction with each of the pressing members 33 by the insertion device 1 according to the embodiment, the annular elastic body 60 is pressed from the outside in the radial direction at three positions at equal pitches in the circumferential direction. You will be under pressure.
As a result, the annular elastic body 60 is deformed radially inward at three locations having an equal pitch in the circumferential direction, so that the annular elastic body 60 has a protruding portion (bulging portion 67) that protrudes radially outward between the pressed locations. ), the variation in the amount of radially outward protrusion of each bulging portion 67 is reduced. Thereby, the diameter Db of the above-mentioned virtual circumscribed circle Dvb can be made smaller than when the variation is large. Therefore, the annular elastic body 60 can be easily inserted into the shaft tube 40, and damage to the annular elastic body 60 can be suppressed.
In addition, in the annular elastic body deformation step S3, the annular elastic body 60 can be easily centered by pressing the annular elastic body 60 from the outside in the radial direction at three positions having an equal pitch in the circumferential direction.
Further, in the annular elastic body deformation step S3, the annular elastic body 60 is pressed from the outside in the radial direction at three positions having an equal pitch in the circumferential direction, so that the outer diameter of the annular elastic body 60 after deformation (for example, the above circumscribed circle Dvb The diameter Db) can be made smaller than the outer diameter D2.

In the annular elastic body deformation step S3, the annular elastic body 60 is held by pressing the annular elastic body 60 from the outside in the radial direction using the three pressing members 33. That is, in the annular elastic body deformation step S3, the three pressing members 33 press the annular elastic body 60 from the outside in the radial direction, thereby reducing the frictional force between the side surfaces of the three pressing members 33 and the outer peripheral surface 60a of the annular elastic body 60. As a result, the annular elastic body 60 is held in its axial position before being pressed against gravity.

In the insertion device 1 according to one embodiment, in the annular elastic body deformation step S3, the first movable part main body 31A moves upward in the drawing in FIG. 15 when moving from the first position toward the second position. . Therefore, in the insertion device 1 according to one embodiment, in the annular elastic body deformation step S3, the lower end support portion 14 of the positioning plate 11 moves in the direction away from the axis AX, as shown by the arrow d in FIG. .
Therefore, in the process of pressing and deforming the annular elastic body 60 from the outside in the radial direction with the three pressing members 33 in the annular elastic body deformation step S3, the lower end 65 of the annular elastic body 60 and the lower end support portion 14 of the positioning plate 11 are spaced apart along the radial direction. Therefore, the annular elastic body 60 is no longer supported by the positioning plate 11, but as described above, the annular elastic body 60 is held while maintaining the axial position before being pressed by the three pressing members 33. There's nothing to do. That is, in the annular elastic body deformation step S3, the annular elastic body 60 is no longer supported by the positioning plate 11, but the vertical position of the annular elastic body 60 in the insertion device 1 does not change.
Therefore, when the annular elastic body 60 is inserted into the shaft tube 40 in the shaft tube arrangement step S5, which will be described later, the axial positional relationship between the shaft tube 40 and the annular elastic body 60 can be easily maintained at a desired positional relationship.

Furthermore, in the insertion device 1 according to the embodiment, as described above, in the annular elastic body deformation step S3, the positioning plate 11 moves in the direction away from the axis AX, as shown by the arrow d in FIG. . Therefore, the opening peripheral portion 13a near the lower end support portion 14 is separated from the bulge portion 67 facing upward in FIG. 15. This prevents interference between the lower end support portion 14 of the positioning plate 11 and the base end 45 of the shaft tube 40 in the shaft tube arrangement step S5, which will be described later. It becomes possible to make it come into contact with.
If the positioning plate 11 is not configured to move in the radial direction together with the first movable part main body 31A, in the shaft tube arrangement step S5 described later, the lower end support part 14 of the positioning plate 11 and the base end of the shaft tube 40 45, and there is a possibility that the base end 45 of the shaft cylinder 40 cannot be brought into contact with the support surface 37 of the movable part main body 31.

(Axis cylinder arrangement step S5)
The barrel arrangement step S5 is a step of inserting the annular elastic body into the barrel in a deformed state.
FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the insertion device after the annular elastic body is inserted into the barrel in the barrel placement step S5.
FIG. 18 is a view of the vicinity of the shaft cylinder in FIG. 17 viewed from above. Note that FIG. 18 shows a state in which the vicinity of the shaft tube 40 is viewed from a height position where the convex portion 61 and the pressing member 33 extending in the vertical direction are cut midway.

In the barrel arrangement step S5, the worker moves the barrel 40 into the annular elastic body 60 in a state in which the three pressing members 33 press and deform the annular elastic body 60 inward in the radial direction in the annular elastic body deformation step S3. The annular elastic body 60 is inserted into the shaft tube 40 so as to cover it from above.
In the barrel arrangement step S5, the three pressing members 33 used in the annular elastic body deformation step S3 are inserted into the barrel 40 together with the annular elastic body 60.
This prevents the deformed annular elastic body 60 from restoring to its pre-deformation shape due to elastic force, and allows the annular elastic body 60 to be inserted into the shaft tube 40 while maintaining its deformed state. Thereby, the annular elastic body 60 can be easily inserted into the shaft tube 40, and damage to the annular elastic body 60 can be suppressed.

In the barrel arrangement step S5, with the annular elastic body 60 and the three pressing members 33 inserted into the barrel 40, the worker places each of the three pressing members 33 at a position in the circumferential direction between the adjacent openings 42. The shaft cylinder 40 is aligned with respect to the annular elastic body 60 so that
That is, in the barrel arrangement step S5, with the annular elastic body 60 inserted into the barrel 40, the annular elastic body 60 is arranged so that each of the three pressing members 33 is located at a position in the circumferential direction between adjacent openings 42. The process includes an alignment step S51, which is a step of aligning the shaft tube 40 with respect to the body 60.
As a result, after the above-mentioned alignment of the annular elastic body 60 and the shaft cylinder 40, the pressing member 33 is moved radially outward with the annular elastic body 60 and the three pressing members 33 inserted inside the shaft cylinder 40. When this is done, the plurality of convex portions 61 of the annular elastic body 60 and the plurality of openings 42 of the shaft tube 40 are easily aligned. Therefore, when fitting the plurality of protrusions 61 of the annular elastic body 60 into the plurality of openings 42 of the shaft cylinder 40, the plurality of protrusions 61 of the annular elastic body 60 are fitted into the plurality of openings 42 of the shaft cylinder 40. It becomes easier to match.

In the alignment step S51, the shaft cylinder 40 is aligned with respect to the annular elastic body 60 so that each of the three pressing members 33 is present in the peripheral wall part 41a between the circumferentially adjacent openings 42 of the cylinder part 41. Perform alignment. Note that the alignment in the alignment step S51 refers to the relative alignment of the annular elastic body 60 and the shaft tube 40 in the circumferential direction.
In the insertion device 1 and the gripping part 10 according to one embodiment, as described above, the six recesses 63 that are present between the six convex parts 61 arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction are aligned in the circumferential direction. It is pressed radially inward every third time by three pressing members 33. Therefore, by aligning the shaft cylinder 40 with respect to the annular elastic body 60 so that each of the three pressing members 33 is present on the peripheral wall portion 41a, the three positions that are not pressed by the three pressing members 33 can be removed. A bulging portion 67 corresponding to the recessed portion 63 also exists in the peripheral wall portion 41a. Conversely, by aligning the shaft cylinder 40 with respect to the annular elastic body 60 so that the peripheral wall 41a and each of the three bulging parts 67 face each other in the radial direction, the peripheral wall 41a and The two pressing members 33 face each other in the radial direction. Therefore, in the alignment step S51, the axis is adjusted relative to the annular elastic body 60 so that each of the three bulges 67 is present in the peripheral wall portion 41a between the circumferentially adjacent openings 42 of the cylindrical portion 41. The cylinder 40 may also be aligned.
Note that the positioning step S51 may be performed when inserting the annular elastic body 60 into the shaft cylinder 40 (that is, while inserting the annular elastic body 60 into the shaft cylinder 40). This may be performed after the elastic body 60 is inserted.

In the barrel arrangement step S5, the operator moves the barrel 40 downward until the base end 45 of the barrel 40 comes into contact with the support surface 37, which is a part of the upper surface of the movable part main body 31. Thereby, the shaft cylinder 40 is supported by the support surface 37.
In the insertion device 1 according to one embodiment, the positioning plate 11 is configured such that the barrel 40 passes through the opening 12 when the barrel 40 is inserted in the barrel arrangement step S5. For example, as described above, the positioning plate 11 is configured to move in the radial direction together with the first movable part main body 31A so as not to interfere with the shaft cylinder 40 when the shaft cylinder 40 is inserted in the cylinder arrangement step S5. ing.

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the axial positions of the shaft tube and the annular elastic body in the gripping portion. In addition, in FIG. 19, the grip part 10 is illustrated so that the base part 43 (not shown in FIG. 19) faces upward, and the base end 45 of the shaft tube 40 faces downward.
In the insertion device 1 and the grip part 10 according to one embodiment, as will be described in detail below, when the shaft tube 40 is moved downward to a height position where the base end 45 of the shaft tube 40 contacts the support surface 37, , the height position of the plurality of openings 42 and the height position of the annular elastic body 60 are configured to match.

As shown in FIG. 19, after the annular elastic body 60 is inserted into the shaft tube 40, the difference in the axial position of the base end 45 of the shaft tube 40 and the lower end 65 of the annular elastic body 60 in the grip portion 10 is determined. Let it be △L. Note that the base end 45 of the shaft cylinder 40 protrudes further along the axial direction of the grip portion 10 than the lower end 65 of the annular elastic body 60 .
In the insertion device 1 according to the embodiment, ΔH between the height position of the lower end support part 14 on the positioning plate 11 and the height position of the support surface 37 on the movable part main body 31 is the above-mentioned position difference ΔL is configured to be equal to Therefore, the height position of the lower end 65 of the annular elastic body 60 is defined by the lower end support part 14 of the positioning plate 11, and the height position of the base end 45 of the shaft cylinder 40 is defined by the support surface 37 of the movable part main body 31. This allows the height positions of the plurality of openings 42 to match the height positions of the annular elastic body 60.

(Mating step S7)
The fitting step S7 is a step of fitting the convex portion 61, which is a part of the annular elastic body 60, into the opening 42, which is a concave portion of the shaft cylinder 40.
FIG. 20 is a diagram of the vicinity of the shaft cylinder viewed from above after the fitting step S7 is performed. Note that FIG. 20 shows a state in which the vicinity of the shaft tube 40 is viewed from a height position where the convex portion 61 and the pressing member 33 extending in the vertical direction are cut midway.

In the fitting step S7, with the annular elastic body 60 and the three pressing members 33 inserted into the shaft tube 40, the pressing members are moved radially outward to connect the convex portion 61 that is a part of the annular elastic body 60. is fitted into the opening 42 which is a recess of the shaft cylinder 40.
As a result, by moving the pressing member 33 radially outward, the annular elastic body 60 is moved toward the opening 40 of the shaft tube 40 while maintaining the desired axial positional relationship between the shaft tube 40 and the annular elastic body 60. It can be fitted to

Specifically, in the fitting step S7, when the operator loosens the force operating the handle 93 or completely releases it, the three pressing members 33 (movable part main body 31 ) moves radially outward, and accordingly, the rotating part 5 rotates counterclockwise about the axis AX. Alternatively, the operator may rotate the rotating portion 5 by actively operating the handle 93 in a counterclockwise direction. Note that, as described above, the three pressing members 33 are inserted into the shaft tube 40 together with the annular elastic body 60. Therefore, until the three pressing members 33 come into contact with the inner circumferential surface 40a of the shaft cylinder 40, the three pressing members 33 are movable radially outward.

In the fitting step S7, the shape of the annular elastic body 60 is restored by the elastic force of the annular elastic body 60 while the three pressing members 33 move radially outward until they come into contact with the inner circumferential surface 40a of the shaft cylinder 40. As a result, a portion of the convex portion 61 enters the opening 42 . At this time, among the side surfaces of the convex portion 61, the convex side surface 61a facing the circumferentially adjacent bulging portion 67 forms the opening 42 as the pressing member 33 moves radially outward. When the convex part 61 of the wall part is fitted into the opening 42, it approaches the opening wall part 46 that faces the convex part side surface 61a in the circumferential direction (see FIGS. 18 and 20).
Therefore, even if the angular position of the barrel 40 about the axis AX is slightly shifted in the alignment step S51, the side surface 61a of the convex portion moves and presses the opening wall 46 in the circumferential direction, so that the barrel 40 can be moved. Correct the angular position. As a result, a deviation in the angular position of the shaft cylinder 40 in the positioning step S51 is allowed, so that the accuracy of adjusting the angular position of the shaft cylinder 40 in the positioning step S51 can be relaxed, and workability is improved.
In this way, in the fitting step S7, with the annular elastic body 60 and the three pressing members 33 inserted into the shaft tube 40, the pressing members are moved radially outward to partially engage the annular elastic body 60. When fitting a certain protrusion 61 into the opening 42 which is a recess of the shaft cylinder 40, the angular position of the shaft cylinder 40 is corrected by pressing the opening wall 46 that forms the opening 42 with a part of the projection 61. can do.

(Gripping part removal step S9)
In the gripping portion removal step S9, the gripping portion 10 is removed from the insertion device 1 after the convex portion 61, which is a part of the annular elastic body 60, is fitted into the opening 42, which is a recessed portion of the shaft tube 40, in the fitting step S7. This is the removal step.
FIG. 21 is a perspective view of the insertion device and the grip after the grip is removed from the insertion device in the grip removal step S9.

After fitting the convex portion 61, which is a part of the annular elastic body 60, into the opening 42, which is a concave portion of the shaft cylinder 40, in the fitting step S7, in the gripping portion removal step S9, the operator moves the gripping portion 10 upward. move it to Note that in order to suppress the frictional force between the pressing members 33 and the shaft cylinder 40 by causing the three pressing members 33 to come into contact with the inner circumferential surface 40a of the shaft cylinder 40 due to the urging force of the return spring 81, the operator should press the handle. The urging force of the return spring 81 may be offset by applying a slight force to the return spring 93 in the clockwise direction.
When the grip portion 10 is removed from the insertion device 1, the shape of the annular elastic body 60 is restored by the elastic force of the annular elastic body 60, and each of the plurality of convex portions 61 protrudes radially outward from the opening 42. Therefore, like the conventional work of inserting the annular elastic body 60 into the shaft cylinder 40, after inserting the annular elastic body 60 into the shaft cylinder 40, the annular elastic body 60 and the shaft cylinder 40 are made to fit together, and a plurality of The work for making the convex part 61 protrude radially outward from the opening 42 of the shaft cylinder 40 is simplified, and the time required to perform the work is significantly shortened because the protruding state is ensured.

As described above, the method for manufacturing an applicator according to one embodiment is a method for manufacturing an applicator, and includes an annular elastic body deformation step S3, a shaft cylinder arrangement step S5, and a fitting step S7.
As a result, the annular elastic body 60 is pressed and deformed at a plurality of locations from the outside in the radial direction, and the annular elastic body 60 is inserted into the shaft cylinder 40 in a state in which the annular elastic body 60 is deformed. 60 into the shaft tube 40 becomes easy. This increases efficiency in manufacturing the applicator. Further, the annular elastic body 60 is pressed from the outside in the radial direction at a plurality of locations to deform it, and the annular elastic body 60 is inserted into the shaft tube 40 in a state in which the annular elastic body 60 is deformed. Since the friction between the inner circumferential surface 40a of the shaft cylinder 40 is suppressed, damage to the annular elastic body 60 can be suppressed.

Further, as described above, the insertion device 1 according to one embodiment is the insertion device 1 for inserting the annular elastic body 60 into the shaft tube 40. The insertion device 1 according to one embodiment includes a plurality of pressing members 33 for pressing the annular elastic body 60 from the outside in the radial direction at a plurality of locations, and includes a plurality of movable parts 3 that are movable in the radial direction. At least one movable part 3 has a support surface 37 that supports the shaft tube 40 from below when the shaft tube 40 is inserted through the outside of the annular elastic body 60 in a state of being deformed by the pressing member 33.
As a result, when the shaft tube 40 is inserted into the outside of the annular elastic body 60 in a deformed state, the shaft tube 40 can be supported from below by the support surface 37, so that the axial direction between the shaft tube 40 and the annular elastic body 60 is The positional relationship can be set to a desired positional relationship.

As described above, the insertion device 1 according to one embodiment includes the plate cam 21 that is a cam for converting rotational movement into a radial contraction/expansion movement for moving the movable part 3 in the radial direction.
Thereby, a plurality of movable parts 3 can be linked to each other to contract and expand their diameters with one rotational movement. Therefore, it becomes easier to synchronize the movement in the radial direction between the plurality of movable parts 3.

As described above, the insertion device 1 according to one embodiment includes the positioning plate 11 for adjusting the axial position of the annular elastic body 60 with respect to the shaft tube 40.
Thereby, the axial positional relationship between the shaft tube 40 and the annular elastic body 60 can be set to a desired positional relationship.

As described above, in the insertion device 1 according to one embodiment, the positioning plate 11 is configured to move in the radial direction together with any of the movable parts 3.
If the positioning plate 11 is not configured to move in the radial direction together with the movable part 3, as described above, in the barrel arrangement step S5, the lower end support part 14 of the positioning plate 11 and the base end of the barrel 40 are moved. 45, and there is a possibility that the base end 45 of the shaft cylinder 40 cannot be brought into contact with the support surface 37 of the movable part main body 31.
According to the insertion device 1 according to one embodiment, the positioning plate 11 is configured to move in the radial direction together with any of the movable parts 3, so the positioning plate 11 interferes with the shaft cylinder 40 to prevent support. It is possible to avoid a problem in which the shaft cylinder 40 cannot be supported from below by the surface 37.

The conventional work of inserting the annular elastic body 60 into the shaft cylinder 40 takes time even for skilled workers, and the annular elastic body 60 may be damaged during the work, resulting in defects. The rate was also high. On the other hand, when inserting the annular elastic body 60 into the shaft tube 40 using the insertion device 1 according to the embodiment, even an unskilled worker can significantly shorten the conventional work time. In addition, since the annular elastic body 60 could be inserted without being damaged, the defective rate could be significantly reduced.

The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and also includes forms in which modifications are added to the embodiments described above, and forms in which these forms are appropriately combined.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the convex portions 61 are formed at six locations in the annular elastic body 60 at equal pitches in the circumferential direction. Further, in the embodiment described above, the six concave portions 63 existing between the six convex portions 61 arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction are arranged in three concave portions 63 radially inward at every other circumferential direction. It is pressed by the pressing member 33. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

FIGS. 22 to 26 are diagrams illustrating cases in which at least one of the number of protrusions arranged along the circumferential direction and the number of pressing members is different from the above-described embodiment. 22 to 26 show the relationship between the annular elastic body 60 and the pressing member 33 seen from the same viewpoint as in FIG. 15. In FIGS. 22 to 26, the shape of the annular elastic body 60 before deformation is shown by a broken line, and the shape of the annular elastic body 60 after deformation is shown by a solid line.

In FIG. 22, convex portions 61 are formed at two locations on the annular elastic body 60 so as to have equal pitches in the circumferential direction. In addition, in FIG. 22, each of the two recesses 63 existing between the two protrusions 61 arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction is pressed radially inward by the two pressing members 33.

In FIG. 23, convex portions 61 are formed at three locations on the annular elastic body 60 at equal pitches in the circumferential direction. Moreover, in FIG. 23, each of the three recesses 63 existing between the three convex parts 61 arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction is pressed radially inward by the three pressing members 33.

In FIG. 24, the convex portions 61 are formed at four locations on the annular elastic body 60 at equal pitches in the circumferential direction. In addition, in FIG. 24, four recesses 63 existing between four convex portions 61 arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction are pressed radially inwardly by two pressing members 33 at every other circumferential direction. Press by.

In FIG. 25, convex portions 61 are formed at four locations on the annular elastic body 60 at equal pitches in the circumferential direction. Further, in FIG. 25, each of the four recesses 63 existing between the four protrusions 61 arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction is pressed radially inward by the four pressing members 33.

In FIG. 26, convex portions 61 are formed at five locations on the annular elastic body 60 at equal pitches in the circumferential direction. Further, in FIG. 26, each of the five recesses 63 existing between the five protrusions 61 arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction is pressed radially inward by the five pressing members 33.

As shown in FIG. 15 and FIG. 24 according to the above-described embodiment, when the convex portions 61 are formed at an even number of places in the annular elastic body 60 at equal pitches in the circumferential direction, Even-numbered concave portions 63 existing between even-numbered convex portions 61 that are spaced apart are pressed radially inward every other time in the circumferential direction by half the number of pressing members 33 of the number of concave portions 63. You can also do this.
For example, as shown in FIGS. 22 and 25, when the annular elastic body 60 has convex portions 61 formed at an even number of locations with equal pitches in the circumferential direction, the convex portions 61 are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction Each of the even numbered concave portions 63 existing between the even numbered convex portions 61 may be pressed radially inward by the same number of pressing members 33 as the number of concave portions 63 .

Note that, as shown in FIGS. 23 and 26, when the annular elastic body 60 has convex portions 61 formed at an odd number of locations with equal pitches in the circumferential direction, the convex portions 61 are formed at an odd number of locations spaced apart in the circumferential direction. It is better to press each of the odd number of recesses 63 existing between the protrusions 61 at the locations inward in the radial direction by the same number of pressing members 33 as the number of recesses 63 .

For example, in the embodiment described above, the mating portion of the shaft tube 40 into which the plurality of convex portions 61 of the annular elastic body 60 fit is a plurality of openings 42, but instead of the plurality of openings 42, the shaft tube 40 may be a recessed portion (shaft cylinder recessed portion) that is recessed from the inside in the radial direction to the outside. That is, the mating portion of the annular elastic body 60 into which the plurality of convex portions 61 fit does not necessarily have to be open in the shaft tube 40 .

For example, in the above-described embodiment, a plurality of protrusions 61 and a plurality of openings 42 (or shaft cylinder recesses) are each provided, but there may be at least one each.

In some embodiments, the return spring 81 is, for example, a coil spring, but may be another type of spring such as a leaf spring, or may be a block-like member made of an elastic material such as an elastomer.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, an example was explained in which the annular elastic body 60, which is a grip rubber, is inserted into the barrel tube 40, which is the tip of the writing instrument, in the grip portion 10 of the writing instrument. The invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention may be applied to the case where a lead detent is inserted into the mouthpiece 43 to prevent the lead from falling when the lead chuck of a mechanical pencil releases the lead. Alternatively, the present invention may be applied to a rubber part for squeezing the brush of a cosmetic mascara container. Further, the present invention may be applied to a member having an inner circumferential surface, such as the shaft cylinder 40, when an O-ring for preventing leakage of liquid or the like on the inner circumferential surface is inserted.

1 Insertion device 3 Movable part 5 Rotating part 10 Gripping part 11 Positioning plate 12 Opening 14 Lower end support part 21 Plate cam 31 Movable part main body 33 Pressing member 37 Support surface 40 Shaft cylinder 41 Cylindrical part 42 Opening (shaft cylinder opening)
60 Annular elastic body 61 Convex portion (annular body convex portion)
63 Recess (annular body recess)
81 Return spring

Claims (13)

A method for manufacturing an applicator, the method comprising:
deforming the annular elastic body by pressing it at multiple locations from the outside in the radial direction;
inserting the annular elastic body into the shaft cylinder in a deformed state;
a step of fitting a part of the annular elastic body into the recess of the shaft cylinder ,
In the step of deforming, the annular elastic body is pressed from the outside in the radial direction with a plurality of pressing members,
In the inserting step, the plurality of pressing members used in the deforming step are inserted into the shaft cylinder together with the annular elastic body.
Method of manufacturing applicator. The plurality of pressing members are three or more pressing members,
In the step of deforming, the annular elastic body is pressed from the outside in the radial direction by the three or more pressing members, and the annular elastic body is moved so that the annular elastic body protrudes radially between the three or more pressing members. The method for manufacturing an applicator according to claim 1 , wherein the applicator is deformed. In the fitting step, with the annular elastic body and the plurality of pressing members inserted into the shaft cylinder, the pressing member is moved radially outward to cause the annular elastic body to fit into the shaft cylinder. The method for manufacturing an applicator according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the applicator is fitted into the recess. 4. In the step of deforming, the annular elastic body is pressed at a plurality of three or more points at equal pitches in the circumferential direction at substantially equal distances from the outside in the radial direction toward the inside in the radial direction . A method for manufacturing the applicator according to any one of the items. 2. In the deforming step, the annular elastic body is pressed by the plurality of pressing members from a radially outer side to a radially inner side at a substantially equal distance to maintain the pressed state of the annular elastic body. 4. A method for manufacturing an applicator according to any one of 4 . The annular elastic body has an outer shape in which a plurality of annular body recesses and a plurality of convex portions are arranged alternately in the circumferential direction,
6. The method for manufacturing an applicator according to claim 1 , wherein in the deforming step, the pressing member presses the position of the annular body recess radially inward. The recessed portion of the shaft cylinder includes a plurality of openings arranged in a circumferential direction,
The annular elastic body is arranged such that each of the plurality of press members is located at a position in the circumferential direction between the adjacent openings when the annular elastic body and the plurality of press members are inserted into the interior of the shaft cylinder. aligning the shaft cylinder with respect to the
The method for manufacturing an applicator according to claim 6 , further comprising: A device for inserting an annular elastic body into a shaft cylinder,
each includes a plurality of pressing members for pressing the annular elastic body from the outside in the radial direction at a plurality of locations, and includes a plurality of movable parts movable in the radial direction,
At least one of the movable parts has a support surface that supports the shaft tube from below when the shaft tube is inserted through the outer side of the annular elastic body that is deformed by the pressing member. a cam for converting rotational movement into radial contraction/expansion movement for moving the movable part in the radial direction;
The insertion device according to claim 8 , further comprising: a positioning plate for adjusting the axial position of the annular elastic body with respect to the shaft cylinder;
The insertion device according to claim 8 or 9 , further comprising: The insertion device according to claim 10 , wherein the positioning plate is configured to move in the radial direction together with any of the movable parts. The insertion device according to any one of claims 8 to 11 , wherein the plurality of movable parts are three or more movable parts arranged at equal pitches in the circumferential direction. a biasing member that biases the plurality of movable parts to move outward in the radial direction;
Furthermore,
The insertion device according to any one of claims 8 to 12 , wherein the biasing member is arranged between two circumferentially adjacent movable parts.

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