Abstract:
A container having a first end and a second end, an internal cavity located within the container which provides an opening in the first end and extends towards the second end; a portion of the container, having an attached end and a free end, may be detached from a remaining portion so as to expose the internal cavity; and the free end is configured so that it may be seal the internal cavity once the portion of the container is detached.

Description:
This invention relates to ink stamps, ink refills, and ink stamp and ink refill combinations. In particular, the invention relates to ink stamps of the type in which an ink impression is made on a substrate, e.g. a piece of paper, by placing the stamp over the region of the paper to be printed and then resiliently depressing a handle to push an inked surface down onto the paper. An ink stamp of this type is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,022,127. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Improvements to this type of ink stamp are disclosed in UK Patent Nos. GB 2226276, GB 2226985 and GB 2236981. Contents of the above patent documents are incorporated herein for reference purpose. 
     When such a prior art ink stamp runs out of ink, fresh ink is introduced directly onto the lower relief printing surface of the stamp. As it takes several hours before the newly-introduced ink is fully and evenly absorbed by the pre-inked stamp, when the stamp is applied on a substrate, e.g. a piece of paper, shortly after the stamp is replenished with ink, more ink than is desirable will be applied on the piece of paper. It is also found in practice that the existing method of replenishing ink to the stamp is cumbersome. 
     It is thus an object of the present invention to provide an ink stamp, an ink refill, and an ink stamp and ink refill combination, in which the aforesaid shortcomings are mitigated, or at least to provide a useful alternative to the public. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ink stamp including a body member, wherein said body member includes a base member with edges for resting on a surface to which an inked impression is to be applied, and stamping means to which a stamp member is securable, wherein said stamping means is movable relative to said base member for selectively moving said stamp member into or out of contact with said surface, and wherein channel means extends from an exterior of said stamping means into at least part of said stamping means to thereby allow ink to be supplied to said stamp member. 
     According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ink refill including means for containing an ink, said containing means including at least first and second ends, wherein said first end is closable by covering means, and wherein said second end is removable from said ink refill to allow exit of said ink from said containing means. 
     According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ink stamp and ink refill combination, including an ink stamp and an ink refill which are releasably engageable with each other. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     An example of an embodiment of the present invention will now be described and with reference to the following drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded view of an ink stamp and ink refill combination according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 2A is a top view of the ink refill shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 2B is a sectional view of the ink refill taken along the line IV—IV in FIG. 2A; 
     FIG. 2C is a sectional view of the ink refill after an end of the refill is broken off along the line II—II in FIG. 2B, and re-fitted with the ink refill; 
     FIG. 3A is a bottom view of the stamp shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3B is a top view of the stamp shown in FIG. 1, with the top handle removed; and 
     FIG. 3C is a sectional view of the stamp taken along the line III—III in FIG.  3 A. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As shown in FIG. 1, an ink stamp according to the present invention is generally designated as  10 . The ink stamp  10  includes a top handle  12  in a generally globe shape, and a body  14  which may be detachably secured with the handle  12 . The handle  12  has an opening (not shown) on its underside which leads to a cavity within the handle  12 , so that when the handle  12  is secured with the body  14 , an ink refill  16  may be contained within the cavity formed by the handle  12  and the body  14 . 
     The general structure of the body  14  is similar to the prior art ink stamps, and in particular that disclosed in GB 2 226 276. The body  14  includes a base  18  with downwardly extending edges  20  for bearing on a surface of a substrate, e.g. a piece of paper, to be stamped. Extending upwardly from the base  18  is a central shaft  22 . The body  14  also includes a stamping mechanism  24 . In particular, the stamping mechanism  24  includes a hollow cylinder  26  and an adjustment screw  28  which are secured to each other for movement. The shaft  22  extends into a central cavity of the stamping mechanism  24  so that the stamping mechanism  24  is slidably movable relative to the base along the central axis I—I shown in FIG.  1 . Provided between the stamping mechanism  24  and the base  18  is a spring (not shown) which biases the stamping mechanism  24  upward and thus away from the base  18 . It is, however, possible to depress the handle  12  to move the stamping mechanism  24  downwardly relative to the base  18  and against the biasing force of the spring, in order to bring a pre-inked stamp (not shown) into contact with the substrate to be stamped. After stamping, the downward pressing force may be removed to allow the stamping mechanism  24  to move up relative to the base  18  under the action of the biasing force of the spring between the stamping mechanism  24  and the base  18 . 
     The adjustment screw  28  limits the extent of downward movement of the stamping mechanism  24  relative to the base  18 . It is also possible to rotate the adjustment screw  28  about the axis I—I to adjust the extent of downward movement of the stamping mechanism  24  relative to the base  18 . The above structure and functions are clearly discussed in the prior art documents referred to above. 
     A novel feature of the present invention is that the body  14  includes a central channel  30  which opens to the exterior of the body  14  via an upper opening  32 . This channel  30  extends along the central axis I—I to a lower surface  34  of the stamping mechanism  24 . A stamp (not shown) includes two major surfaces each of essentially the same size and shape as the lower surface  34 . One of the major surfaces of the stamp is engraved with at least one pattern and is adapted to come into contact with the substrate to be stamped. Another major surface of the stamp may abut and be fixedly secured to the lower surface  34  by an adhesive, e.g. glue. 
     It can thus be seen that, with this arrangement, ink may be introduced to the upper major surface of the stamp via the upper opening  32  and through the channel  30 . As it will take some time for the ink so introduced to be fully absorbed by the stamp, and to migrate to the lower engraved surface of the stamp, the stamp will not provide a more-than-desirable amount of ink when it is applied onto the substrate after it is freshly replenished with ink. 
     Turning now to FIGS. 2A and 2B, such show in more details the ink refill  16  shown in FIG.  1 . As can be seen, the ink refill  16  includes an upper wider cylindrical part  36  and a lower narrower cylindrical part in the form of a tube  38 . These two cylindrical parts  36 ,  38  are in communication with each other and within which an ink may be contained. In particular, the internal volume of the cylindrical part  36  is larger than that of the tube  38 . The upper end of the ink refill  16  includes an air hole  39  which is covered by a reusable adhesive paper/label  40 , and the lower end of the ink refill  16  includes a pin  42 . 
     It should be understood that the outer diameter of the pin  42  is equal to or slightly smaller than the inner diameter d of the tube  38 , and that the outer diameter of the tube  38  is equal to or slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the channel  30 . As can be seen in FIG. 1, by way of such an arrangement, the tube  38  may be received within the channel  30 , and the upper cylindrical part  36  may sit on the hollow cylinder  26 , thus releasably engaging the ink refill  16  to the body  14 . 
     When ink is to be introduced into the channel  30 , the lower end of the ink refill  16  may be broken off, e.g. along the line II—II shown in FIG.  2 B. However, due to the atmospheric pressure, the ink contained in the cylindrical parts  36 ,  38  will not flow out of the refill  16  until the adhesive paper/label  40  is peeled off or removed to expose an the air hole  39  to the outside environment. When a sufficient amount of ink has been introduced into the channel  30 , the air hole  39  may again be covered by the reusable adhesive paper/label  40  to stop further outflow of the ink. In order to ensure better concealment of the ink refill  16 , the tip  42  of the broken-off end part may be inserted into the inner cavity of the tube  38 , in the manner as shown in FIG.  2 C. In any event, the ink refill  16  may stay engaged with the body  14 , i.e. within the cavity formed by the handle  12  and the body  14 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the lower surface  34  of the stamping mechanism  24  includes a number of recesses  46  (shown in FIG. 3A as white areas) within an oval part  48 , and the channel  30  is in a water communicable relationship with these recesses  46 . FIG. 3C shows a sectional view of the stamping mechanism  24  along the line III—III in FIG. 3A, i.e. with the stamping mechanism  24  in an upside down position. It can be seen that, with the provision of the recesses  46 , and with the stamp fixedly secured to the lower surface  34 , spaces are provided between the recesses  46  and the stamp so that the freshly introduced ink may be stored within these spaces until such is fully absorbed by the stamp. Such allows the ink to be evenly distributed within and absorbed by the stamp.