WO2009019424A1

WO2009019424A1 - Improved hand stamp

Info

Publication number: WO2009019424A1
Application number: PCT/GB2008/002426
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sara Johnson
Original assignee: Sara Johnson
Priority date: 2007-08-09
Filing date: 2008-07-14
Publication date: 2009-02-12
Also published as: EP2173565B1; GB2453516A; GB0715489D0; GB2453516B; EP2173565A1; ATE528146T1

Abstract

A hand stamp for use with a suitable stamp die which is adapted to provide improved performance comprises a curved die-engaging surface (2) and curved edges (3, 4) raised above the die-engaging surface for contact with a substrate such that the mounting block (1) can be contacted against the substrate in a rocking motion to provide an improved printing effect.

Description

IMPROVED HAND STAMP

This invention relates to hand stamps, and in particular to a mounting block for a stamp die adapted for improved performance and ease of use due to its ability to impart a rocking motion along the substrate during printing.

Hand stamp devices are known in the art and have been used for many years to imprint inked images onto a substrate. Typically these hand stamps comprise a wooden mounting block comprising a flat lower surface onto which a rubber stamp die, depicting the desired image, is affixed. In many known embodiments the wooden mounting block may be shaped at its upper surface into a rounded conformation to facilitate comfortable holding in the hand. In conventional hand stamps the rubber stamp dies are permanently attached to the mounting block, so that each mounting block is used with a single stamp die depicting a single design.

In more recent years, growth within the craft industry has seen an increasing use of mounting blocks with interchangeable rubber stamp dies. Thus a rubber stamp die can be temporarily affixed to a mounting block to facilitate stamping, and then replaced with a new rubber stamp die with a different image which is attached to the mounting block to allow printing of a new image. Typically, these replaceable rubber stamp dies can be temporarily affixed using suitable craft adhesives or. tapes. The advantages of using replaceable rubber stamp dies include the cost- effectiveness and reduced storage space requirements. The replaceable "unmounted" stamp dies typically comprise a thin sheet of rubber or silicone incorporating a design on its outer surface. The design is raised above the flat background level of the rubber or silicone sheet so that when ink is applied to the stamp die, it is preferably only applied to the raised sections. As only the raised sections then make contact with the substrate the image can be printed.

Mounting blocks for unmounted stamp dies are known in the art, and typically comprise a substantially rectangular block of wood or acrylic, with a flat outer engaging surface onto which the unmounted stamp die can be affixed. More recent developments have seen transparent mounting blocks being used, which have the advantage that they allow the substrate to be viewed through the mounting block itself during the printing operation, which enables to user to correctly align the stamp die on the substrate. WO02085629 describes a method of making a hand stamp which comprises affixing a transparent rubber stamp die to a transparent mounting block, further improving visibility of the alignment of the stamp die and the substrate before the printing step.

In practice, the user mounts the stamp die incorporating the. chosen design onto the lower flat engaging surface of the mounting block, and affixes it in position either permanently or temporarily using a suitable adhesive. The user then grasps the mounting block and presses the flat engaging surface, with the stamp die attached, into a suitable ink pad, coating the outer surface of the stamp die in ink. The flat engaging surface of the mounting block is then pressed against a suitable substrate such as paper or card, so that the raised design section of the stamp die contacts the substrate, imparting the ink from the raised design onto the substrate, leaving a printed image of the chosen design.

A common problem with hand stamps as described above is that as the rubber or silicone stamp dies are deformable, applying too much pressure to the stamp die when it is being coated in ink can result in the die also coating the background surface of the stamp die. When the image is then printed, again applying too much pressure can mean that this background ink can also be imparted onto the substrate resulting in a smudged or unclean image.

Additionally, whilst the mounting block must be pressed firmly enough onto the substrate to impart a good quality image, too much pressure will cause the rubber of the raised design to deform, and allow any ink present on the background surface of the rubber stamp die to be imparted onto the substrate along with the design, again reducing the quality of the stamped imprint .

A yet further problem is that pressure must be evenly applied to the stamp die both as the ink is being applied to the stamp die and as the die is contacted against the substrate in order for a clean and even imprint to be obtained. Furthermore, care must be taken to avoid any movement of the mounting block once the stamp die has made contact with the substrate in order to avoid smudging the print which occurs when there is too much movement of the stamp die.

These difficulties are of particular concern in a craft market which caters to a large number of elderly or infirm people who may not have the required dexterity to produce a good quality print.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved mounting block for a stamp die which obviates or mitigates one or more of the disadvantages associated with the prior art.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a mounting block for a stamp die comprising a curved die-engaging surface wherein the die-engaging surface comprises at least one raised substrate-engaging edge.

Advantageously, providing a curved die-engaging surface in combination with a raised substrate-engaging edge, allows the mounting block to be rocked along the raised substrate-engaging edge, thus imparting the image from the raised design on the stamp die to the substrate in a rocking motion. This rocking motion allows for ink to be repeatedly imparted from the raised design onto the substrate as the mounting block is rocked back and forth. This is in contrast with traditional mounting blocks where any movement of the block during the printing step typically results in blurring or smudging of the image. As the substrate-engaging edge is raised to a level that is above the background level of the die but below the raised design section of the die, it is advantageously only the raised design section of the die which contacts the substrate, imparting the printed image.

Preferably, the substrate-engaging edge is provided in a transverse orientation to the die-engaging surface.

Preferably, the substrate-engaging edge is a curved edge.

Providing the substrate-engaging edge as a curved edge allows it to function as a runner along which the mounting block can be rocked during use.

More preferably, the die-engaging surface comprises two substrate-engaging edges.

Preferably, the die-engaging surface and the substrate- engaging edge comprise a similar curvature.

Advantageously, when the die-engaging surface and the substrate-engaging edges comprise a similar curvature, this allows a smooth rocking motion to be obtained across the raised design of the stamp die, thus imparting a clean image onto the substrate.

Preferably, the mounting block is formed of a transparent material.

When the mounting block is transparent this conveniently allows the user to visualise^' the alignment of the stamp die with the substrate through the mounting block itself during the stamping process.

Alternatively, the mounting block comprises a transparent window.

Providing the mounting block with a transparent window allows the mounting block to be made of any suitable material such as wood or plastic, whilst still allowing visualisation of the alignment through the mounting block during printing.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a front perspective view of a mounting block according to the preferred embodiment of the inventions;

Figure 2 shows a plan view of a mounting block according to a preferred embodiment of the invention; Figure 3 shows a side profile of a runner of the mounting block according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Figure 4 shows a side view of a mounting block according to an alternative embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 5 shows a side view of a mounting block with a stamp die affixed thereto according to an embodiment of the invention.

Turning firstly to Figure 1, the drawing shows a mounting-block for a stamp die according to an embodiment of the invention, which is generally depicted at 1. The mounting block 1 comprises a substantially rectangular block. In this embodiment the mounting block 1 is formed of acrylic and is transparent, allowing the alignment of the stamp die and the substrate to be checked through the mounting block prior to printing the image. The mounting block 1 comprises a curved die-engaging surface 2 onto which a suitable stamp die (not shown) , such as a rubber or silicone stamp die can be affixed. The die-engaging surface 2 is substantially planar but incorporates a slight curvature towards its outer edges (as can be° seen more clearly in Figure 5) . The die-engaging surface 2 is provided with two raised substrate- engaging transverse edges 3,4 at either end of the die- engaging surface 2. These transverse edges 3,4 also comprise a slight axial curvature, of the same magnitude as the die-engaging surface 2, enabling them to act as runners across which the mounting block can be rocked. The conformity of the curvature across the transverse edges 3,4 and the die-engaging surface 2 allows for an even rocking motion to be obtained. In the depicted embodiment the curvature is more pronounced at the sides of the transverse edges 3,4 and the die-engaging surface 2, with the centre being substantially flat. This allows only a narrow range of rocking motion to be effected along the transverse edges 3,4, resulting in a more controlled printing motion. The transverse edges 3,4 are raised to a level above the die-engaging surface 2 that is equal to or greater than the height of the stamp die background but lower or equal to the raised design section of the stamp die. This ensures that when the stamp die is affixed to the die-engaging surface 2, that only the raised design portion of the die will contact the substrate when the transverse edges are rocked along the substrate. Therefore only the raised design will be imprinted onto the substrate as the mounting block 1 is rocked along the substrate. As the transverse edges 3,4 are formed of a non-deformable material, this advantageously ensures that the background of the stamp die will not become imprinted onto the substrate, even in a case where the user applies too much pressure to the mounting block 1. Furthermore, the rocking motion of the mounting block 1 allows the imprint to be rolled .gently onto the substrate, ensuring that a clean, well- inked image can be obtained. At the opposing side of the mounting block from the die-engaging surface, the mounting block 1 comprises a channel 5 positioned in the centre of two arms 6,7 which extend along the length of the mounting block 1. The' channel 5 ensures that the transparent mounting block 1 is narrowed in the centre, thus making it easier to check the alignment of the substrate and the stamp die through the mounting block. The arms 6, 7 of the mounting block 1 are smooth and rounded at their outer surfaces to facilitate comfortable holding of the mounting block in the hand during use.

• Turning now to Figure 2, the drawing illustrates a- plan view of the mounting block according to the embodiment of the invention depicted in Figure 1. The mounting block 101 comprises a die-engaging surface incorporating a slight curvature 102 and comprising a raised transverse edge or lip 103, 104 at either end of the die-engaging surf-ace 102 which function as runners to allow the mounting block 101 to be gently rolled or rocked across a substrate, such as paper or card, to impart the image thereto.

Figure 3 depicts a side view of one of the transverse edges or "runners" 203 of the mounting block according to an embodiment of the invention. In this depicted embodiment, the runners 203 are separate components which are affixed to a mounting block to form a rocking mounting block according to the invention. The depicted runner 203 comprises a substantially u-shaped cross-section, with a channel 205 and two arm portions 206, 207. The arm portions 206, 207 are each ergonomically shaped with a slight indentation 208 along their length to allow the mounting block to be grasped more easily in the hand. ^' The running edge 209, or top surface of the runner along which the mounting block is rocked, comprises a slight curvature which is more pronounced towards the arms 206, 207 of the runners. This curvature allows the mounting block to be "rocked" gently in use to transfer the image. However, the small degree of curvature ensures that only a limited rocking motion can be obtained so that the user remains in control of the printing step.

Δn alternative embodiment of the invention is depicted in Figure 4. In this embodiment the mounting block 301 is formed of wood and does not comprise a channel through which to aid visual alignment of the stamp die and the substrate. The curvature of the raised transverse edges 303, 304 is also a continuous curve in this embodiment, facilitating a rolling motion of the mounting block along the surface of the substrate.

Finally, Figure 5 shows a mounting block according to an embodiment of the invention which is generally depicted at 401. The mounting block 401 comprises a die-engaging surface 402 upon which a rubber stamp die 410 has been fixed using a craft adhesive. The rubber stamp die 410 is formed of a flat sheet of rubber background 413 with a raised design 411 of the desired image on its upper surface. The die-engaging surface 402 comprises two raised transverse edges 403, 404 which are gently curved in shape, and which are positioned at either end of the die-engaging surface. These transverse edges 403, 404 function as rollers along which the mounting block 401 can be rocked. The die-engaging surface 402 is of a complementary shape i.e. it comprises the same curvature as the transverse edges 403, 404 so that the rubber stamp die 410 is affixed in a curved conformation on the mounting block 401 such that it sits between the transverse edges 403, 404. The height 412 of the raised transverse edges

403, 404 at their highest point is substantially equal to or slightly lower than the height of the raised design 411 as it is raised off the stamp die background 413. This ensures that when the transverse edges 403, 404 are positioned against, and then rocked along the substrate, it is only the raised design portion 411 of the rubber stamp die 410 which contacts the substrate allowing a cleaner image to be printed. In cases where the transverse edges 403, 404 are slightly lower than the raised design 411, the flexibility of the rubber still allows the transverse 403, 404 to contact the substrate so that the mounting block can be rocked therealong.

Whilst in the depicted embodiments the curvature of the runners is quite narrow in range, it will be understood that the degree of curvature can be adjusted within the scope of the invention. For example, the curvature may be more uniform across the length of the runners, or may be more pronounced towards the centre, or towards- the arms. Furthermore, whilst the drawings depict two parallel transverse edges, it will be appreciated that once the edges are provided transverse to the die- . engaging surface, they do not necessarily need to be parallel to each other.

It will be understood that various modifications and improvements could be made to the above-described mounting block within the scope of the invention. For example, the above description is written in the context of a transparent mounting block. However, the invention could apply equally to a mounting block of any suitable material which does not need to be transparent, or which may comprise a transparent window or section through which the alignment can be checked.

Claims

1. A mounting block for a stamp die comprising a curved die-engaging surface wherein the die-engaging surface comprises at least one raised substrate- engaging edge.

2. A mounting block as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the substrate-engaging edge is provided in a transverse orientation to the die-engaging surface.

3. A mounting block as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the substrate-engaging_, edge is a curved edge.

4. A mounting block as claimed in any previous Claim wherein the die-engaging surface comprises multiple substrate-engaging edges.

5. A mounting block as claimed in any previous Claim wherein the die-engaging surface and the substrate- engaging edge comprise substantially the same curvature.

6. A mounting block as claimed in any previous Claim wherein the mounting block is formed of a transparent material .

7. A mounting block as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 5 wherein the mounting block comprises a transparent window.