PRE-INKED STAMPING DEVICEThe present invention relates to a pre-inked stamping device.
According to the invention, there is provided a pre-inked stamping device which comprises a body having upper and lower parts movable relative to each other, a holder extending upwards through the lower body part into the upper body part, a pre-inked stamping member secured to a bottom end of the holder, a spring located inside the body and acting to resiliently urge the lower body part downwards out of the upper body part, and inter-connecting means provided between an internal part of the upper body part and an inner end of the holder for connecting them together in order to maintain the upper and lower body parts together, which inter-connecting means is adapted to come into operation immediately upon the upper body part and the holder being pressed together.
Advantageously, the inter-connecting means is releasable.
Preferably, the inter-connecting means is operable through a snap-fit action.
In a preferred construction, the internal part of the upper body part has an aperture and the inner end of the holder has at least one lateral projection for engaging behind the aperture through a snap-fit action.
Conveniently, said at least one lateral projection is accessible, for being released from the aperture, through an opening provided on the outside of the upper body part.
It is preferred that the opening is closable by a cover.
Advantageously, the cover is transparent such that a sample of the stamped mark produced by the stamping member placed underneath the cover is revealable.
In a specific construction, the holder is elongate.
More specifically, the spring is disposed on the holder and co-acting between the upper and the lower body parts.
Preferably, the holder is rotationally engaged with the upper body part such that they cannot turn relative to each other.
It is preferred that the aperture has a non-circular shape.
The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:Figure 1 is a sectional side view of an embodiment of a pre-inked stamping device in accordance with the invention;Figure 2 is a sectional side view of an upper part of a body of the stamping device of Figure 1;Figure 3 is a top plan view of the upper body part ofFigure 2;Figure 4 is a sectional side view of a lower part of the body of the stamping device of Figure 1;Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of the lower body part ofFigure 4;Figure 6 is a sectional side view of a holder of the stamping device of Figure 1, for holding a pre-inked stamping member; andFigure 7 is a top plan view of the holder of Figure 6.
Referring firstly to Figure 1 of the drawings, there is shown a stamping device 10 embodying the invention, which stamping device 10 comprises a plastics body formed by an upper part 11 and a lower part 12, both being inverted canlike. The lower body part 12 is relatively much shorter than the upper body part 11, and is slidably received within an open bottom end 16B of the upper body part 11.
The stamping device 10 further includes a elongate plastics holder 13 which is formed by a shallow inverted base can 17 and an integral shaft 18 upstanding from the base can 17.
The base can 17 is designed to receive a pre-inked stamping member 19 which fits from below inside the base can 17 and is secured therein by glue.
Referring also to Figures 2 and 3, the upper body part 11 has a co-axial cylindrical recess 20 at its top end 16A.
The recess 20 has a base wall 21 in which a central noncircular aperture 22 is formed. Top end 23 of the recess 20 is widened stepwise for locating a circular transparent plastics cover 24. A piece of paper bearing a stamped mark produced by the stamping member 19 may be placed directly underneath the cover 24 for identification by a user.
Referring then also to Figures 4 and 5, the lower body part 12 is formed by a cylindrical base 25 and a slightly narrower integral collar 26 upstanding from the base 25.
The top end of the collar 26 is closed by an internal integral circular plate 27 bearing a central aperture 28.
The aperture 28 has a central non-circular portion 28A and four radially extending slot portions 28B which are equiangularly spaced. The aperture central portion 28A has substantially the same shape and dimensions as the central aperture 22 of the upper body part 11.
Referring lastly also to Figures 6 and 7, the shaft 18 of the holder 13 has four longitudinal integral ribs 29 which are equi-angularly spaced. The cross-section of the shaft 18 has an external profile substantially the same as but marginally smaller than that of the aperture 28 of the lower body part 12. Topmost end 30 of the shaft 18 is bifurcated upwards into a pair of diametrically opposed integral lugs 31. Each lug 31 has on its outer side a lateral projection 32. The uppermost ends of the ribs 29 reach short of the lateral projections 32, whereby a neck portion 33 is formed therebetween on the shaft 18.
In the assembled condition of the stamping device 10, the holder 13 passes from below with its shaft 18 through the aperture 28 of the lower body part 12. A compression coil spring 14 is disposed on the shaft 18 right above the lower body part 12. The resulting assembly is then inserted from below into the upper body part 11 until the bifurcate topmost end 30 of the shaft 18 has passed through the aperture 22 in the recess base wall 21 of the upper body part 11. When the two lugs 31 are passing through the aperture 22, they will be pressed inwards by the aperture 22 and subsequently set free after the lateral projections 32 on the lugs 31 have passed clear of the aperture 22.
The lateral projections 32 engage behind the aperture 22 through a snap-fit action, resulting in inter-connection between the upper body part 11 and the holder 13.
As clearly shown in Figure 1, the neck portion 33 of the shaft 18 is fitted completely within the aperture 22 of the recess base wall 21, with the lugs 32 and the ribs 29 bearing on opposite sides of the recess base wall 21. The two lugs 31 have, at the shaft neck portion 33, a general external profile fit with the non-circular shape of the aperture 22 such that the holder 13 cannot turn relative to the upper body part 11. Accordingly, the holder 13 is rigidly connected, through linear as well as rotational engagement, at its innermost end 30 to the internal wall 21 of the upper body part 11. The lower body part 12 cannot turn relative to the holder 13 by reason of the complementary non-circular engagement between the former's aperture 28 and the latter's shaft 18, but is slidable therealong.
The spring 14 is co-acting at its upper and lower ends between the recess base wall 21 of the upper body part 11 and the top plate 27 of the lower body part 12, thereby resiliently urging the lower body part 12 outwards with respect to the upper body part 11. In the rest position, the lower body part 12 serves to protect the stamping member 19 held by the holder 13. In use, when the stamping device 10 is pressed down upon a document, the lower body part 12 is pressed upwards further into the upper body part 11 against the action of the spring 14, thereby exposing the stamping member 19 for stamping.
The stamping device 10 further includes a can-like cover 15 for closing the bottom end 16B of upper body part 11 in order to conceal the stamping member 19 when the stamping device 10 is not in use.
For repair purposes, in order to take the stamping device 10 apart, the top cover 24 is firstly removed to expose the recess 20 of the upper body part 11. The bifurcate end 30 of the holder shaft 18 is then accessible through the opened recess 20. A pair of pliers or tweezers is used to squeeze the bifurcate end 30 of the holder shaft 18 in order to release the lateral projections 32 on the end lugs 31 from the recess bottom wall aperture 22, whereby the whole assembly can readily be taken apart.
The present invention provides a stamping device which can be assembled quickly and conveniently by simply pressing the upper body part 11 and the holder 13 together, after all the internal parts have been put in place. All the relevant parts are held together by means of the connection between the upper body part 11 and the holder 13 through, preferably, a snap-fit action.
The invention has been given by way of example only, and various modifications of and/or alterations to the described embodiment may be made by persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as specified in the appended claims.