Patent Publication Number: US-7217054-B2

Title: Side knock type feeding mechanism

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a side knock type feeding mechanism for feeding an object to be fed such as a liquid or solid medium for cosmetics, writing or correction by side knock. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   Conventionally, as a container for feeding a liquid as an object to be fed, there is the one described in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-14844. The liquid container described in the above Official Gazette is comprised of a barrel body in which a coating liquid storing portion is formed, a threaded bar projectingly provided at a piston slidably fitted into the storing portion, and a rotary cylinder integrally connecting an inner cylinder member and an outer cylinder member. The outer cylinder member has a ring protruded rib and an engaging claw, which is capable of being resilient in an axial direction in a tip end portion of the outer cylinder member of the rotary cylinder, so that the ring protruded rib is press-fitted into a ring groove at the rear end of the barrel body to rotatably connect the rotary cylinder to the barrel body, and the engaging claw of the outer cylinder member is elastically meshed with a ratchet tooth integrally formed in a circumferential direction in the barrel body to construct a ratchet mechanism. A threaded hole is provided in the inner cylinder member of the rotary cylinder to be screwed onto the threaded bar, two plane portions formed on both sides over the entire length of the threaded bar are slidably fitted into a slide hole formed in a partition wall of the rear end of the storing portion of the barrel body, and the threaded bar is advanced without being rotated by the rotation of the rotary cylinder to press the piston in the axial direction to supply a coating liquid. 
   When the rotary cylinder is rotated with respect to the barrel body, relative rotation occurs between the inner cylinder member of the rotary cylinder and the threaded bar because the threaded bar is slidably fitted in the slide hole formed in the partition wall of the rear end portion of the storing portion of the barrel body, and the threaded bar advances by thread engagement between the threaded bar and the threaded hole of the rotary cylinder to press the piston in the axial direction to make it possible to supply the coating liquid to a tip end of the barrel body. 
   However, the manipulation to rotate such rotary cylinder requires two hands wherein one hand holds the barrel body at the time of manipulation and the other hand rotates the rotary cylinder, thus causing the problem of inconvenience of the manipulation. 
   On the other hand, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-232273 provides a knock type liquid container capable of supplying a liquid forward by a knock manipulation in order to solve the above problem. Its construction includes a tank housing a liquid and having a supply port on a tip end side, a piston sliding inside the tank, a threaded shaft connected integrally with the piston, extending rearward and having a male thread being formed on its peripheral surface to be unrotatable with respect to the tank, a rotary cam in which a female threaded hole to be screwed onto the male thread of the threaded shaft is formed, a knock cam disposed behind the rotary cam and rotating the rotary cam in one direction, and a knock body resilient rearward with respect to the knock cam and capable of knock manipulation. A protrusion is formed on either one of the knock body and the knock cam, and an inclined path which is inclined relative to the axial direction and in which the protrusion is fitted is formed at the other one, so that the knock cam rotates by the knock operation of the knock body to rotate the rotary cam. 
   However, even with such knock manipulation, in order to knock the knock body, it is necessary to change the way of holding by hand, and therefore there arises the problem of unfavorable manipulability. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a side knock type feeding mechanism capable of feeding an object to be fed and enhanced in manipulability at the time of feeding. 
   In order to achieve the object, the side knock type feeding mechanism according to the present invention comprises a body for housing an object to be fed and capable of feeding the object to be fed from a tip end opening thereof, a knock button provided in a side portion of the body so as to project and retract with respect to the body, a rotary member which is inside the body, rotates in a predetermined direction by knock of the knock button as a result that the knock button works, and rotates in an opposite direction by releasing the knock, a feeding body for feeding out the object to be fed, and a conversion mechanism for converting the rotation of the rotary member into a forward traveling motion of the feeding body in an axial direction inside the body. 
   When the knock button provided in the side portion of the body is knocked, the rotary member is rotated in the predetermined direction by the knock of the knock button, and the rotary member is rotated in the opposite direction by releasing the knock of the knock button. Since the conversion mechanism converts the rotation into the linear motion of the feeding body by utilizing any rotation of the reciprocating rotations in these rotating directions, the feeding body moves forward in the axial direction inside the body to move the object to be fed forward and feed the object to be fed out of the tip end opening of the body. In this manner, the object to be fed can be fed out by the side knock type manipulation, and therefore manipulability is enhanced. 
   The conversion mechanism can include a transmitting member capable of connecting to and disconnecting from the rotary member, and is connected to the rotary member to rotate in the same direction with respect to rotation of the rotary member in one direction, while disconnected from the rotary member with respect to rotation in a direction opposite to the one direction so that the rotation is not transmitted to the transmitting member. The rotary member reciprocatingly rotates by knock or release of knock of the knock button, but the transmitting member transmits only the rotation of the rotary member in one direction, and therefore by utilizing any rotation of the reciprocating rotations of the rotary member, the rotation can be used for feeding of the object to be fed. 
   Furthermore, the conversion mechanism can include a ratchet mechanism which transmits the rotation in the one direction from the rotary member to the transmitting member, and does not transmit the rotation in the direction opposite to the one direction from the rotary member. The rotation of the transmitting member can be limited to only one direction by the ratchet mechanism irrespective of the reciprocating rotations of the rotary member. 
   Furthermore, the conversion mechanism can include a second ratchet mechanism which allows the rotation in the one direction of the transmitting member and inhibits the rotation in the direction opposite to the one direction. The rotation of the transmitting member can be limited to only one direction and unnecessary rotation of the transmitting member can be prevented, by the second ratchet mechanism. 
   The conversion mechanism can include a screw mechanism for advancing a feeding body with respect to the rotation in the one direction transmitted from the rotary member. The rotation in the one direction from the rotary member can be converted into the linear motion of the feeding body. 
   The side knock type feeding mechanism can further comprise a rotation control mechanism for controlling the rotating directions of the rotary member. The rotating directions of the rotary member can be reliably controlled by this rotation control mechanism. 
   The rotation control mechanism can include a knock receiving protrusion which is provided on a side portion of the rotary member, and on which the knock button is capable of working at a time of knock, an engaging member which is engaged with the rotary member, moves in one direction in an axial direction by rotation of the rotary member in the predetermined direction, and moves in an opposite direction in the axial direction by rotation of the rotary member in the opposite direction, and a biasing member for biasing the engaging member in a direction to move in the opposite direction. When the knock button is knocked, the knock button works on the protrusion of the rotary member and rotates the rotary member in the predetermined direction. At this time, the engaging member moves in one direction in the axial direction against the biasing force by the biasing member. On the other hand, when the knock of the knock button is released, the engaging member returns in the opposite direction in the axial direction into the original state by the biasing force by the biasing member, and therefore the rotary member also returns into the original state and can rotate in the opposite direction. 
   The rotation control mechanism can include a cam mechanism which moves the engaging member in one direction in the axial direction by rotation of the rotary member in the predetermined direction and moves the engaging member in the opposite direction in the axial direction by the rotation of the rotary member in the opposite direction. The reciprocating rotating motion of the rotary member can be converted into the reciprocating motion of the engaging member in the axial direction by the cam mechanism. 
   According to the present invention, the object to be fed can be fed out by the side knock manipulation, and therefore manipulability can be enhanced. 
   The present disclosure relates to subject manner contained in Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-25112, filed on Feb. 2, 2004, which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is an overall longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of a liquid container including a side knock type feeding mechanism of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a state in which a cap is removed and side knock manipulation is performed; 
       FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line  3 — 3  in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line  4 — 4  in  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view of major components of a side knock type feeding mechanism; 
       FIG. 6A  is a side view,  FIG. 6B  is a plan view,  FIG. 6C  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line c—c in  FIG. 6A ,  FIG. 6D  is a view seen along the arrow d in  FIG. 6A , and  FIG. 6E  is a view seen along the arrow e in  FIG. 6A , of the rotary member; 
       FIG. 7A  is a plan view, and  FIG. 7B  is a sectional view taken along the line b—b in  FIG. 7A , of an engaging member; 
       FIG. 8A  is a plan view and  FIG. 8B  is a longitudinal cross-sectional view, of an inner cylinder; 
       FIG. 9A  is a side view of a rotation stopping member and  FIG. 9B  is a view seen along the arrow b in  FIG. 9A ; and 
       FIG. 10A  is a plan view,  FIG. 10B  is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an inside screw member and  FIG. 10C  is a view seen along the arrow c in  FIG. 10A . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be explained referring to the drawings.  FIG. 1  is an overall longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of a liquid container including a side knock type feeding mechanism of the present invention, and  FIG. 2  is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a state in which a cap is removed and side knock manipulation is performed. 
   In the drawings, a liquid container  10  including a side knock type feeding mechanism mainly includes a front barrel  12  which an user grips, an inner barrel  14  provided inside the front barrel  12  concentrically with the front barrel  12  and rotatably with respect to the front barrel  12 , a rear barrel  16  mounted to a rear end of the front barrel  12 , a tip tool  18  mounted to the tip end of the front barrel  12 , and a cap  19  detachably fitted on the tip tool  18 . An inside of the inner cylinder  14  forms a tank portion T in which a liquid L for correction, writing, cosmetics, etc, is housed. The front barrel  12 , the rear barrel  16  and the tip tool  18  construct a body. 
   An opening  12   a  is formed on a side surface of a tip end portion of the front barrel  12 , a knock button  20  for the user to manipulate is provided in the opening  12   a , and the knock button  20  is capable of projecting and retracting in an inward and outward direction of the front barrel  12 . 
   A brush  24  that is a liquid supply body for coating the liquid, a tip end pipe  26  for transmitting the liquid to the brush  24 , and a pipe holder  28  which is fixed inside the tip tool  18  and simultaneously fixes the brush  24  and the tip end pipe  26  to the tip tool  18  are provided inside the tip tool  18 . A rear end of the pipe holder  28  is inserted into a reduced diameter portion  14   a  in the tip end portion of the inner cylinder  14 . 
   The feeding mechanism of the liquid container  10  for feeding the liquid in the tank portion T to the brush  24  has, as shown in  FIG. 5 , the knock button  20  capable of projecting from and retracting into the front barrel  12  constructing the body, a rotary member  30  on which the knock button  20  directly works, an engaging member  32  placed on a front side of the rotary member  30 , the inner cylinder  14 , a rotation stopping member  34  provided at a rear end of the inner cylinder  14 , an inside screw member  36  fixed to the front barrel  12 , a piston rod  38  screwed into the inside screw member  36 , a piston  40  connected to a tip end of the piston rod  38  and slidable inside the tank portion T, and a return spring  42  as a biasing member for giving an urging force to the engaging member  32 . 
   The inner cylinder  14  and the rotation stopping member  34  construct a transmitting member to which the rotation from the rotary member  30  is transmitted, and the piston rod  38  and the piston  40  construct a feeding body for feeding the liquid inside the tank portion T. The inner cylinder  14 , the rotation stopping member  34 , the inside screw member  36  and the piston rod  38  construct a conversion mechanism for converting the rotation of the rotary member  30  into a forward traveling motion of the feeding body in the axial direction inside the body, and the engaging member  32  and the return spring  42  construct a rotation control mechanism for controlling a rotating direction of the rotary member  30 . However, this example is one example, and it is possible to construct the transmission member, the conversion mechanism and the rotation control mechanism by optional members. 
   The respective members will be explained in detail hereinafter. 
   First, the knock button  20  is in an approximately reversed U shape in a cross section, and rectangular notched portions  20   a  are formed at lower ends of its both side surfaces, and upper surfaces of the rectangular notched portions  20   a  become working surfaces  20   b  working on the rotary member  30 . Slipping off preventing ribs  20   c  are formed on an inner surface of the knock button  20 , which are adjacent to the notched portions  20   a.    
   As shown in  FIGS. 6A to 6E , the rotary member  30  is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the reduced diameter portion  14   a  of the inner cylinder  14  penetrates through an inside of the rotary member  30 . Projections  30   a  and  30   a  are formed on the side surfaces of the rotary member  30  so that the working surfaces  20   b  of the knock button  20  can press the projection  30   a . Two projections  30   a  are formed to keep balance, but only one of the projections  30   a  always serves as a knock receiving projection for actually receiving the knock force of the knock button  20 . 
   The slipping off preventing recessed portions  30   b  and  30   b  are formed in close vicinity of the projections  30   a  and  30   a . The slipping off preventing recessed portion  30   b  engages with the slipping off preventing rib  20   c  when the knock button  20  is not knocked. As for engagement of the slipping off preventing recessed portion  30   b  and the slipping off preventing rib  20   c , their sectional shapes are set so that the slipping off preventing rib  20   c  is prevented from moving in the direction approaching the opening  12   a  but is allowed to move in the opposite direction approaching the opening  12   a  by the slipping off preventing recessed portion  30   b  (see  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 ). 
   A plurality of cam inclined surfaces  30   c  are formed at the tip end of the rotary member  30 , and the cam inclined surfaces  30   c  are inclined with respect to the axial direction. A plurality of ratchet teeth  30   d  elastically deformable in the axial direction are formed at the rear end of the rotary member  30 . 
   As shown in  FIGS. 7A and 7B , an engaging member  32  disposed in front of the rotary member  30  is formed into a cylindrical shape, and the reduced diameter portion  14   a  of the inner cylinder  14  penetrates through the inside of the engaging member  32 . Cam inclined surfaces  32   a  which can engage and slide in contact with a plurality of cam inclined surfaces  30   c  of the rotary member  30  are formed at the rear end of the engaging member  32 . The cam inclined surfaces  32   a  are inclined with respect to the axial direction. A plurality of rotation stopping grooves  32   b  extending in the axial direction are formed on the peripheral surface of the engaging member  32 , and a rotation stopping rib  12   b  formed on the inner peripheral surface of the front barrel  12  is fitted in the rotation stopping groove  32   b , whereby the engaging member  32  can move in the axial direction with respect to the front barrel  12  but cannot rotate with respect to the front barrel  12 . 
   As shown in  FIGS. 8A and 8B , the inner cylinder  14  which defines the tank portion T and constructs the transmitting member has the reduced diameter portion  14   a  in the front end portion and an enlarged diameter portion  14   b  in the rear end portion. Sawteeth  14   d  are formed continuously in the circumferential direction on a boundary step portion  14   c  between the reduced diameter portion  14   a  and the enlarged diameter portion  14   b . The saw teeth  14   d  can be meshed with the ratchet teeth  30   d  of the rotary member  30 . The saw teeth  14   d  and the ratchet teeth  30   d  construct a first ratchet mechanism. A plurality of fitting notches  14   e  are formed at the rear end portion of the inner cylinder  14 . 
   The rotation stopping member  34  provided at the rear end of the inner cylinder  14  forms a cylindrical shape. As shown in  FIGS. 9A and 9B , a plurality of fitting protrusions  34   a  which fit into the fitting notches  14   e  of the inner cylinder  14  are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the rotation stopping member  34 . The fitting protrusions  34   a  fit into the fitting notches  14   e , whereby the inner cylinder  14  and the rotation stopping member  34  are integrally connected. It is possible to construct the inner cylinder  14  and the rotation stopping member  34  as an integrated component, but it is desirable to construct them as separate components in molding. 
   An inner cylinder portion  34   b  is formed inside the rotation stopping member  34 , a non-circular hole  34   c  through which the piston rod  38  penetrates is formed in a center of the inner cylinder portion  34   b . The cross-sectional shape of the piston rod  38  is formed into anon-circular shape, and the non-circular hole  34   c  corresponds to the cross-sectional shape of the piston rod  38 , whereby the piston rod  38  is unrotatable with respect to the rotation stopping member  34 . 
   A plurality of ratchet teeth  34   d  elastically deformable in the axial direction are formed at the rear end of the rotation stopping member  34 . 
   As shown in  FIGS. 10A to 10C , the inside screw member  36  disposed behind the rotation stopping member  34  is formed into a cylindrical shape, and a number of rotation stopping ribs  36   a  extending in the axial direction are formed on an outer peripheral surface of the inside screw member  36 . The rotation stopping rib  36   a  is fitted in the rotation stopping groove  12   c  formed on the front barrel  12 , and thereby the inside screw member  36  is prevented from rotating with respect to the front barrel  12 . Further, an annular fitting rib  36   b  is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the rear end portion of the inside screw member  36 . The fitting rib  36   b  is fitted into an annular fitting groove  16   a  formed in the rear barrel  16 , and the inside screw member  36  is fixed to the body. 
   An inner cylinder portion  36   c  is formed inside the inside screw member  36 , and a female threaded hole  36   d  is formed in a center of the inner cylinder portion  36   c . A male thread  38   a  formed on an outer peripheral surface of the piston rod  38  is screwed into the female thread hole  36   d . The screw mechanism is constructed by the male thread  38   a  of this piston rod  38  and the female threaded hold  36   d  of the inside screw member  36 . 
   Furthermore, sawteeth  36   e  are formed continuously in the circumferential direction on a surface extending in the circumferential direction between the outer cylinder portion and the inner cylinder portion  36   c  of the inside screw member  36 , with facing to the front. A rear end portion of the rotation stopping member  34  is inserted between the outer cylinder portion and the inner cylinder portion  36   c  of the inside screw member  36 , and the sawteeth  36   e  can mesh with the ratchet teeth  34   d  of the rotation stopping member  34 . A second ratchet mechanism is constructed by the sawteeth  36   e  and the ratchet teeth  34   d.    
   As shown in  FIG. 3 , in the normal state in which the knock button  20  is not knocked, the cam inclined surface  30   c  of the rotary member  30  is engaged with the cam inclined surface  32   a  of the engaging member  32  so that the protrusions  30   a  and  30   a  are not horizontal but hold the inclined state. The engaging member  32  is biased toward the rotary member  30  by the return spring  42 , and therefore the engagement of the cam inclined surface  30   c  and the cam inclined surface  32   a  is held. The knock receiving protrusion  30   a  which is one of the protrusions  30   a  is positioned in close vicinity to the working surface  20   b  of the knock button  20 . 
   An operation of the liquid container  10  including the feeding mechanism constructed as above will be explained. First, when the liquid container  10  is used, the cap  19  is removed, and the liquid L is supplied by using the brush  24 . The liquid L from the tank portion T is supplied to the brush  24  via the pipe holder  28  and the tip end pipe  26 . 
   When the liquid L is fed from the tank portion T, the knock button  20  is pressed and pushed into the front barrel  12 . The working surface  20   b  of the knock button  20  presses the knock receiving protrusion  30   a  of the rotary member  30  downward in  FIG. 3 , and therefore the rotary member  30  is rotated in the clockwise direction in  FIG. 3 . When the rotary member  30  is rotated, the ratchet teeth  30   d  of the rotary member  30  are meshed with the sawteeth  14   d  of the inner cylinder  14 , and this first ratchet mechanism transmits the clockwise rotation of the rotary member  30  to the inner cylinder  14 . Therefore, the inner cylinder  14  rotates in the same direction and the rotation stopping member  34  is rotated together. Since the ratchet teeth  34   d  of the rotation stopping member  34  can slide on the sawteeth  36   e  of the inside screw member  36 , and this second ratchet mechanism allows the rotation of the rotation stopping member  34 , relative rotation movement occurs between the rotation stopping member  34  and the inside screw member  36 . Since the piston rod  38  is unrotatable with respect to the rotation stopping member  34 , the piston rod  38  rotates together with the rotation stopping member  34 , and since the piston rod  38  is screwed into the female threaded hole  36   d  of the inside screw member  36 , the piston rod  38  moves in the axial direction. Thus, the piston  40  connected to the piston rod  38  is pressed forward, and therefore the piston  40  slides within the tank portion T and can feed the liquid L inside the tank portion T forward. 
   Since the rotary member  30  rotates from the state shown in  FIG. 3  to the state shown in  FIG. 4  per one knock of the knock button  20 , and the piston rod  38  in synchronism with this also rotates by the same angle, the piston  40  moves in the axial direction by (angle of rotation/360)×pitch. 
   When this rotary member  30  rotates into the state shown in  FIG. 4 , the engaging member  32  cannot be rotated. Therefore the cam inclined surfaces  32   a  of the engaging member  32  are in sliding contact with the cam inclined surfaces  30   c  of the rotary member  30 , and the engaging member  32  moves forward against the biasing force of the return spring  42 . 
   When the knocking force to the knock button  20  is released, the engaging member  32  is returned rearward by the restoring force of the return spring  42 , the cam inclined surfaces  30   c  of the rotary member  30  slide in contact with the cam surfaces  32   a  of the engaging member  32 , rotate in the counterclockwise direction in  FIG. 4 , and returns to the original position shown in  FIG. 3 . 
   At this time, since the ratchet teeth  34   d  of the rotation stopping member  34  are meshed with the sawteeth  36   e  of the inside screw member  36 , and this second ratchet mechanism inhibits the counterclockwise rotation of the inner cylinder  14  and the rotation stopping member  34 , the inner cylinder  14  and the rotation stopping member  34  cannot rotated with the rotary member  30 . As a result, the ratchet teeth  30   d  of the rotary member  30  slides on the sawteeth  14   d  of the inner cylinder  14 , only the rotary member  30  rotates and retums into the original state, and thereby the knock button  20  returns to the upper position shown in  FIG. 3 . 
   Since in the state in which the knock button  20  is not knocked, the engaging member  32  is biased rearward by the return spring  42 , and the rotary member  30  is fixed in the posture shown in  FIG. 3 , the rotary member  30  does not rotate unexpectedly. 
   In this manner, every time the knock button  20  is knocked, the piston  40  and the piston rod  38  move forward, and the liquid L which is the object to be fed can be fed from the brush  24  placed at the tip end of the body. Since the liquid L can be fed by the side knock onto the knock button  20 , it is not necessary to change the grasp of the front barrel  12 , it is not necessary to use both hands, and the manipulation can be simplified. 
   In the above example, the explanation is made with the example in which the feeding mechanism is included in the liquid container for pushing out the liquid, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the object to be fed may be solid. 
   It is possible to construct the component constructed by a plurality of members in the above embodiment by a single member, or it is possible to construct the component constructed by a single member by a plurality of members. 
   While the principles of the invention have been described above in connection with specific embodiments, and particular modifications thereof, it is to be clearly understood that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation on the scope of invention.