PERSONAL EFFECTS HAVING A CLEANING CLOTH
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable article with a cleaning cloth, and in particular to a portable article, such as a pen, wherein the portable article is provided with a cleaning cloth wound within a body of the article, so that a user can extract the cleaning cloth as desired and use it as a spectacle cleaning cloth or the like, whereby the article can play an auxiliary function as a spectacle cleaning cloth or the like when the user does not carry a spectacle cleaning cloth or the like, beyond its original function. The present invention also relates to a portable article with a cleaning cloth, on one side of which various written advertisements, patterns, logotypes, or studying information are printed by an enterprise or an independent business entity, so that when such portable articles are distributed to the general public, the providers can achieve advertising impact with low costs while the general public can acquire useful articles free of cost.
Background Art
In general, as various visual media such as TV sets, computers or the like are popularized, people's eyesight gradually goes bad and thus people wearing spectacles are on an increasing trend. A great number of spectacle wearers always carry a spectacle cleaning cloth to remove foreign matters from lenses of spectacles at any time. However, carrying such a spectacle cleaning cloth is very troublesome because such a spectacle cleaning cloth is required to be put into a separate case for carrying it.
In view of this, Korean Utility Model Application No. 2003-16148 filed in the name of the present applicant on May 23, 2003 discloses a portable article such as a pen lid, wherein the pen lid is provided with a spectacle cleaning cloth, thereby making it simple
and convenient to carry such a cleaning cloth and improving the utility of such a pen.
The pen lid provided with a cleaning cloth as disclosed in the above-referenced utility model application comprises a spectacle cleaning cloth, which is inserted into a lid of a writing instrument commonly used in daily life and capable of being extracted from the lid as desired, so that a spectacle wearer does not need to separately carry a spectacle cleaning cloth and a pen.
The conventional lid of a writing instrument serves merely to cover and protect a pen core, thereby lengthening the life span of the pen core, and preventing ink from leaking out and staining a bag or cloths. However, according to the above-mentioned utility model application, a spectacle cleaning cloth is wound into such a pen lid, which has served merely to protect a pen core, in such a way that a user can extract the spectacle cleaning cloth as desired and use it, thereby proposing a multifunctional article for providing two different functions.
Meanwhile, in the era of infinite competition of today under the market economy of capitalism, the importance of PR (Public Relations) becomes influential even for individuals.
For example, enterprises continue to advertise their enterprise names, logotypes, brand names, or the like through various media, such as TV, Internet, news papers, magazines, so as to let the general public know them and such phenomenon is widely spreading even to independent business entity such as restaurants and game rooms.
Such a continuous advertisement is one of marketing strategies for maximizing purchasing effect through image-making by letting the general public recognize enterprise names, brand names or the like and has a great pervasive effect on marketing. However, due to the high cost of such an advertisement, small enterprises or personal establishments employ various marketing strategies instead of media advertisement accompanying high costs as described above.
As an example, small enterprises or personal establishments sometimes present inexpensive articles such as towels, watches, openers, pens or the like, which can be
usefully utilized in daily life by consumers and on which their enterprise names, logotypes, brand names or the like have been printed, as return presents or publicity articles. Such kinds of articles are also distributed as souvenirs in various coteries, general meetings, events or the like. In particular, multifunctional articles, each consisting of two inexpensive articles of different functions, are frequently distributed; such multifunctional articles include a pen- opener combination, a key holder-pen combination, or the like. The pen lid provided with cleaning cloth as disclosed in the afore-mentioned utility model application is also one of such multifunctional articles. If inexpensive articles, on which various written advertisements, patterns, logotypes, or various studying information have been printed, are distributed to the general public free of cost, there will be bi-directional effects in that providers can achieve advertising impact with low costs while the general public can acquire useful articles without cost. As a result, in the present state of things, multifunctional articles are more and more frequently utilized as advertisement means.
Disclosure of the Invention
Accordingly, the present invention has been conceived to provide an improved portable article with a cleaning cloth, whereby the article plays a function of a spectacle cleaning cloth or the like, in addition to its original function.
Specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide a portable article, such as a pen, wherein the portable article is provided with a cleaning cloth wound within a body of the article, so that a user is allowed to extract the cleaning cloth as desired and to use it as a spectacle cleaning cloth or the like, whereby the article can play an auxiliary function as a spectacle cleaning cloth or the like when the user does not carry a spectacle cleaning cloth or the like, beyond its original function.
In addition, it is another object of the present invention to provide a portable article with a cleaning cloth, on one side of which various written advertisements, patterns,
logotypes, or various studying information are printed by an enterprise, an independent business entity or the like, so that when such portable articles are distributed to the general public, the providers can achieve advertising impact with low costs while the general public can acquire useful articles without cost. In order to achieve the above objects, according to the present invention, there is provided a portable article with cleaning cloth, comprising: a body formed in a hollow shape like a lid for a writing instrument and having an extraction opening formed at a side of the body, the extraction opening being linearly extending in the longitudinal direction of the body; a cleaning cloth wound into/extracted from the body through the extraction opening; and a connection means for winding/unwinding the cleaning cloth, one end of which is secured to the connection means in such a way that the cleaning cloth is wound or unwound as the connection means is rotated.
In addition, the portable article further comprises a draw piece, wherein the draw piece is connected to the other end of the cleaning cloth in such a way that the draw piece is caught in the extraction opening when the cleaning cloth is wound into the body, thereby preventing the cleaning cloth from being entirely wound into the body.
The connection means may comprise: a winder having a rotation guide groove formed around the top of the winder and an insertion projection formed at the center of the top of the winder, the rotation guide groove being engaged with a rotation ridge formed inside of the top of the body so that the winder can be rotated without breaking away; a pair of fixing members connected to and extending in parallel from the bottom of the winder, the fixing members being pivotally connected to the bottom of the winder and the opposite surfaces of the fixing members being formed with a plurality of fixing bumps for compressing and grasping the one end of the cleaning cloth, respectively, so that the fixing bumps are faced with each other; and a cap having an insertion hole for fixedly inserting the insertion
projection of the winder, so that the cap can rotate the connection means as the cap is rotated, thereby winding/unwinding the cleaning cloth.
In this case, the portable article may further comprise a fixing piece fitted into the body, wherein the fixing piece is fomied with a fixing groove, and the tip ends of the fixing members are rotatably inserted into the fixing groove in the state that the fixing members are closed, thereby preventing the fixing members from being opened.
In addition, a stub with external threads extends from the top of the cap, in which a cavity is formed in the stub, and a cover member with internal threads corresponding to the external threads are detachably engaged with the stub, so that the cavity can be opened or closed.
Meanwhile, the comiection means may comprise: a winder having a rotation guide groove formed around the top of the winder and an insertion projection formed at the center of the top of the winder, the rotation guide groove being engaged with a rotation ridge formed inside of the top of the body, so that the winder can be rotated without breaking away; a hollow shaft extending from the bottom of the winder, the hollow shaft being opened at the bottom end of thereof and a plurality of equi-spaced fixing bumps being formed in the vertical direction at a side of the hollow shaft; and a cap having an insertion hole for fixedly inserting the insertion projection of the winder, so that the cap can rotate the connection means as the cap is rotated, thereby winding/unwinding the cleaning cloth. In this case, the portable article may further comprise a fixing piece fitted into the body, wherein the fixing piece has a through-hole formed to be capable of communicating with the hollow shaft of the comiection means, and a support groove formed around the through-hole, the opened end of the hollow shaft being inserted into and rotatably supported by the support groove.
Meanwhile, various written advertisements, patterns, logotypes and/or studying information may be printed on a side of the cleaning cloth. Brief Description of the Drawings
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a pen lid as an example of a portable article with a cleaning cloth according to the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the pen lid of Fig. 1 in the state of use; Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a draw piece separated from Fig. 1;
Figs. 4a and 4b are cross-sectional views showing the pen lid of Fig. 1 in disassembled and assembled states, respectively;
Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the present invention in the assembled state; Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing another embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 7a is a cross-sectional view showing the embodiment of Fig. 6 in the assembled state;
Fig. 7b is a cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention different from that of Fig. 7a in the assembled state; and
Figs. 8 to 11 show other various embodiments of the present invention in the state of use.
Best Mode for Carrying out the Invention
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
At first, Figs. 1 to 5 illustrate "a pen lid provided with cleaning cloth" disclosed in the afore-mentioned Korean utility model application in the name of the present applicant, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a pen lid provided with cleaning cloth, Fig. 2 shows the pen lid of Fig. 1 in the state of use, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an draw piece separated from Fig. 1, Figs. 4a and 4b are cross-sectional views showing the pen lid provided with a cleaning cloth in the disassembled and assembled states, and Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a pen lid provided with a cleaning cloth according to another embodiment of the present invention in the assembled state.
As shown in the drawings, "the pen lid provided with cleaning cloth" disclosed in the utility model application comprises: an insertion hole 140 formed at the bottom of a body 100 of the pen lid; a clip 150 provided on one side of the body 100; an extraction opening 110 foraied on the other side of the body 100; a cleaning cloth 300 wound around a comiection means 200 fitted into the body 100, the cleaning cloth 300 being capable of being extracted through the extraction opening 110; and an draw piece 310 secured to one end of the cleaning cloth 300.
The extraction opening 110 has such a size that only the cleansing cloth 300 is allowed to pass through the opening, and a seat recess 112 of a predetermined size is formed in front of the extraction opening 110. The draw piece 310 secured to the one end of the cleaning cloth 300 is seated in and supported by the seat recess 112 in such a way that the draw piece 310 is not projected from the external surface of the body 100 of the pen lid.
More specifically, the one end of the cleaning cloth 300 is engaged with a draw rod 320, which is in turn fitted in the draw piece 310. Because the draw piece 310 is larger than
the extraction opening 110, the draw piece 310 is seated in the seat recess 112 without being drawn into the interior of the pen lid through the extraction opening 110.
Herein, the seat recess 112 is formed with an extraction slot 160 at one end of the recess, wherein the extraction slot 160 has a beveled surface of a predetermined inclination angle so that the draw piece 310 can be more easily extracted using a fmger or a sharp-pointed instrument when it is desired to grasp the draw piece 310 seated in the seat recess 112 so as to draw the cleaning cloth 300.
Meanwhile, Figs. 4a and 4b are cross-sectional views showing the construction of the connection means 200 and how to wind and unwind the cleaning cloth using the comiection means 200. As shown in the drawings, the connection means 200 comprises a cap 260 positioned on the top of the pen lid body 100, a winder 230 fixedly connected to the cap 260 to be moved along with the cap 260, and a pair of fixing members 220 extending from the bottom of the winder 230, wherein the fixing members 220 are faced to one another to grasp the other end of the cleaning cloth 300 between them. More specifically, the winder 230 of the connection means 200 has an insertion projection 232 formed on the top of the winder 230, the projection 232 being fixedly fitted into an insertion hole 262 formed on the bottom of the cap 260, and a rotation guide groove 240 extending around the winder 230, the groove 240 being engaged with a rotation ridge 250 formed inside of the top of the pen lid body 100 so as to prevent the connection means 200 from being completely extracted from the pen lid body 100 while allowing the connection means 200 to rotate.
Meanwhile, the fixing members 220 of the connection means 200 extend opposite and parallel to each other, and are arranged in such a way that they can be opened to a predetermined angle or closed by pivotal movement about points where they are connected to
the winder 230, as shown in Figs. 4a and 4b, wherein each of the opposite surfaces of the fixing members 220 is foraied with a plurality of equi-spaced fixing bumps 210.
Therefore, if one end of the cleaning cloth 300 is inserted between the fixing members 220 and then the fixing members 220 are closed, the fixing bumps 210 of the fixing members 220 compress and grasp the one end of the cleaning cloth 300.
There is also provided a fixing piece 270 formed with a fixing groove 272 for holding the fixing members 220 inserted into the fixing groove 272 in the closed state, thereby preventing the fixing members 220 of the comiection means 200 from being opened to release the cleaning cloth 300, wherein the fixing piece 270 is fitted into the lid body 100. Now, description is made as to how the pen lid having a cleaning cloth, which is constructed as described above, is assembled and operated.
The comiection means 200 is inserted into the lid body 100, so that the rotation guide groove 240 formed around the top of the winder 230 of the comiection means 200 is seated on and supported by the rotation ridge 250 formed inside of the top of the lid body 100, and then the insertion projection 232 foraied on the top of the winder 230 is fixedly fitted into the insertion hole 262 in the cap 260.
Next, one end of the cleaning cloth 300 is inserted through the extraction opening
110 foraied in the lid body 100, and then the fixing members 220 are closed in the state where the one end of the cleaning cloth 300 is interposed between the fixing members, whereby the fixing bumps 210 foraied on the fixing members 220 compress and grasp the one end of the cleaning cloth 300.
Thereafter, the fixing piece 270 is inserted into the lid body 100 and the ends of the fixing members 220 are fixedly fitted into the fixing groove 272 in the fixing piece 270 in the closed state.
Under this condition, if a user grasps and rotates the cap 260, the connection means
200 consisting of the winder 230 and the fixing members 220 are rotated with the cap 260 by the insertion projection 232 fixedly fitted into the insertion hole 262 of the cap 260, so that the cleaning cloth 300 is wound around the fixing members 220, which have compressed and grasped the one end of the cleaning cloth by way of the fixing bumps 220.
If the draw piece 310 is seated in the seat recess 112 as the result of winding the cleaning cloth 300, the cleaning cloth 300 cannot be further wound.
To the contrary, if it is desired to use the cleaning cloth 300, the user may insert a fmger or a sharp-pointed instrument into the extraction slot 160 fomied at a side of the seat recess 112 in the lid body 100, extract the draw piece 310 a little from the seat recess 112 with leverage, and then pull out the draw piece 310.
Subsequently, the connection means 200 and the cap 260 are rotated in the reverse direction and the cleaning cloth 300 is unwound from the fixing members 220 and extracted through the extraction opening 110 formed in the lid body 100. At the end of cleaning spectacles or the like with the cleaning cloth extracted in this manner, the user may rotate the cap 200 again as described above if it is desired to wind the cleaning cloth 300 into the lid body 100.
Alternatively, it is possible to provide a sealed reservoir for containing cleaner liquid on the lid body, by forming a stub 256 provided with external threads and extending from the cap 260, forming a cavity 120 in the stub 256 for serving as the reservoir for containing cleaner liquid, and then detachably connecting a cover member 130 to the cap 260, wherein the cover member 130 is foraied with internal threads mating with the external threads,.
In such a case, the user may open the cover member 130, dip the cleaning cloth 300 in cleaner liquid contained in the cavity 120, and then cleanse the lenses or the like using the
cleaning cloth 300. By doing so, it is possible to more easily remove foreign matters from lenses of spectacles or the like.
According to another embodiment, although not shown in the drawings, the connection means connected to the cleaning cloth may comprise a coil spring so that the cleaning cloth is elastically connected to the winder when the draw piece is pulled out.
That is, if the coil spring is interposed between the winder and the cleaning cloth, it is possible to render the cleaning cloth to be automatically wound around the fixing members by the elastic force exerted by the coil spring when the cleaning cloth is released after being extracted and used. Although the invention is described in terms of the case in which cleaning cloth is applied to a pen lid, the cleansing cloth and cleaner liquid may be applied to any kind of lids for writing instruments such as ball-point pens, pencils, ceramic pens, etc. In addition, they can be also applied to various portable articles such as key holders, accessories decorated with characters, small-sized lanterns, lipsticks, etc. Meanwhile, Figs. 6, 7a and 7b are perspective and cross-sectional views showing a pen lid according to another embodiment of the present invention, in which the same parts with those described above are indicated by same reference numerals with those used in the above and description thereof is omitted.
As shown in the drawings, a connection means 200 for a pen lid with cleaning cloth according to the present invention comprises a hollow shaft extending from the bottom of a winder 230, in which the hollow shaft is opened at its bottom end and formed with a plurality of vertically equi-spaced fixing bumps 510 on a side of the external periphery thereof.
Meanwhile, the pen lid further comprises a fixing piece 600, which is fitted into the lid body 100 and into which the bottom end of the hollow shaft 500 is fixedly inserted for preventing the comiection means 200 from breaking away, wherein the fixing piece 600
comprises a through-hole 610 formed at the center thereof and a annular supporting groove 620 foraied around the through-hole 610, and the bottom end of the hollow shaft 500 is fixedly inserted into the supporting groove 620, wherein a pen core is received in the hollow shaft 500 through the through-hole 610. 5 When the connection means 200 constructed as described above is provided, an empty space is foraied through the through-hole 610 of the fixing piece 600 and the interior of the hollow shaft 500, and thus the pen core can be freely inserted into the empty space.
As the central interior of the comiection means 200 is formed as an empty space, various embodiments can be envisaged as follows. 0 As shown in Fig. 9, if the afore-mentioned construction of the connection means is applied to a pen body with a pen core inserted in the central interior of the pen body, it is also possible to provide a cleaning cloth in such a way that the cleaning cloth can be wound into and extracted from the central interior of the pen body.
If a cleaning cloth is provided within a body of a small-sized pen, so that the cleaning j_ 5 cloth can be wound into and extracted from the central interior of the pen body as described above, it is also possible to realize a multifunctional article with all functions of key holder, pen and spectacle cleaning cloth and capable of being conveniently earned, by detachably connecting the small-sized pen to a key holder.
For reference, although not shown in the drawings, if fixing bumps are formed on a 2o side of the outer surface of the pen core, one end of the cleaning cloth is secured to the fixing bumps and means is provided for rotating the pen core at a side of the pen body, it becomes possible to play the above-noted functions with a simpler construction.
As shown in Fig. 10, the present invention can be applied to a small-sized lantern to realize a multifunctional article.
More specifically, if a connection means as described above and a cleaning cloth wound and unwound by such a comiection means are provided within a lantern body, the cleaning cloth can be wound or unwound while one or more batteries are inserted into the lantern body; accordingly, it is possible to realize a multifunctional article which can play a spectacle cleaning function beyond its original function as a lantern.
In addition, the present invention can be applied to a lipstick as shown in Fig. 11, thereby realizing a multifunctional article.
More specifically, if a comiection means as described above and a cleaning cloth wound and unwound by such comiection means are provided within a lipstick case body, the cleaning cloth can be wound and unwound while allowing the lipstick bar to vertically pop in and out; accordingly, it is possible to realize a multifunctional article which can play a spectacle cleaning function beyond its original function as a lipstick.
Meanwhile, it is possible to manufacture articles each provided with a cleaning cloth, on which various written advertisements, patterns and/or logotypes are printed, in large quantities, and to distribute such articles to the general public, whereby advertising impact can be achieved.
Recently, various inexpensive marketing methods have been developed as described in the description of prior art above. Among such methods, if an enterprise prints its name, a brand name, or the like on inexpensive articles and distributes the articles to the general public, there will also be useful effects in that the enterprise can inexpensively achieve advertisement impact while the general public can acquire useful articles without cost.
Therefore, if various written advertisements, patterns and/or logotypes are printed on cleaning cloths and such cloths are provided in bodies of various portable articles, such as pen lids, pen bodies, small-sized lantern bodies, lipstick case bodies, etc., such articles can be utilized as marketing means.
Meanwhile, if studying information (English words, Chinese characters, historical idioms, etc.) is printed on such cleaning cloths, the articles can also be used as studying tools.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to the constructions in which cleaning cloths with various written advertisements, patterns, logotypes, and/or studying information printed thereon are wound into and extracted from bodies of various portable articles, such as pen lids, pen bodies, small-sized lantern bodies, lipstick case bodies, etc., the present invention is not limited to such cloths and can employ papers with written advertisements, studying information or the like printed thereon. h addition, although the present invention has been described in terms of a constraction in which a seat recess is fomied in front of an extraction opening so that a draw piece is not projected from the external surface of a body of a portable article, such a constraction may be difficult to form if the thickness of the body is too thin. In such a case, it will be possible to form the draw piece as a grip means larger than the extraction opening, so that the draw piece is projected from the external surface of the body, or to form the draw piece using a simple metal wire, merely in such a way that the draw piece is not drawn into the body through the extraction opening.
Industrial Applicability
As described above, according to the present invention, a cleaning cloth is provided in a body of a portable article such as a pen lid, a pen body, a small-sized lantern body, a lipstick case body, etc., in such a way that the cloth can be wound into and extracted from the body. Accordingly, there will be very useful effects in that such an article allows a spectacle wearer to cleanse spectacles even if he or she does not separately carry a spectacle cleaning cloth and cleaner liquid, while playing its original function.
In addition, if various written advertisements, patterns and/or logotypes are printed on cleaning cloths and articles with such cleaning cloths are distributed to the general public as marketing means, there will be useful effects in that providers can inexpensively achieve advertisement impact while the general public can acquire useful articles without cost.