Pencil holder for storing a pencil

Abstract

A pencil holder for storing a pencil includes a hollow basic body which has an elongated interior that opens out in an insertion opening for partially receiving the pencil. In the region of the insertion opening the basic body merges into a least one retaining tongue which juts out from the basic body in the longitudinal direction and which is set up for the purpose of holding the pencil on the basic body as a result of clamping.

Claims

1. A pencil holder for storing a pencil, the pencil holder comprising: a hollow, sleeve-shaped basic body formed with an interior that is elongated along a longitudinal axis and that opens out in an insertion opening for partially receiving the pencil; at least one retaining tongue formed on said basic body at said insertion opening, said basic body transitioning into said at least one retaining tongue jutting out from said basic body and configured for holding the pencil on said basic body by clamping the pencil; an outer surface of said basic body being formed with a depression, and a sharpening blade being fastened in said depression with a cutting edge thereof aligned substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis and accessible from outside said basic body for sharpening the pencil.

2. The pencil holder according to claim 1, wherein said at least one retaining tongue is one of at least two retaining tongues and said basic body transitions into said at least two retaining tongues disposed opposite one another and configured for clampingly holding the pencil therebetween.

3. The pencil holder according to claim 1, further comprising a fastening bracket connected to said basic body by way of a fixed end and aligned by way of a free end, which is remote from said fixed end, in a direction of a pointed end of said basic body remote from an insertion end at said insertion opening.

4. The pencil holder according to claim 3, wherein said fastening bracket is fastened by way of said fixed end on said retaining tongue or on one of at least two said retaining tongues.

5. The pencil holder according to claim 1, wherein said at least one retaining tongue is bent out at an insertion end at said insertion opening for enlarging said insertion opening in a funnel shape.

6. The pencil holder according to claim 1, wherein said at least one retaining tongue is tapered in portions between a transition to said basic body and a free end thereof.

7. The pencil holder according to claim 1, wherein said at least one retaining tongue is formed on an inside with at least one retaining projection for retaining the pencil.

8. The pencil holder according to claim 7, wherein said retaining tongue is formed on an inside with two retaining projections which, when viewed in the longitudinal direction, are arranged side by side.

9. The pencil holder according to claim 7, wherein said retaining projection is elongated in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of said basic body.

10. The pencil holder according to claim 9, wherein said retaining projection, proceeding from the respective said retaining tongue, extends over more than 50% of a length of said interior.

11. The pencil holder according to claim 1, wherein said basic body has an oval cross section.

12. The pencil holder according to claim 1, further comprising a blade cover for selectively covering said sharpening blade.

13. The pencil holder according to claim 12, wherein said blade cover is movably fastened on said basic body.

14. The pencil holder according to claim 13, further comprising at least one stop formed on said basic body and disposed such that said blade cover abuts in a protective position with the sharpening blade being covered.

15. The pencil holder according to claim 1, wherein said depression is formed in a region of a pointed end of said basic body remote from said insertion opening.

16. The pencil holder according to claim 15, wherein said depression communicates by way of a passage with a contact surface that is molded into said basic body on a rear side of said depression, for positioning the pencil to be sharpened, and wherein said cutting edge of said sharpening blade is accessible at the contact surface for sharpening the pencil.

17. The pencil holder according to claim 16, wherein said cutting edge of said sharpening blade has mounted upstream thereof a frame web that extends substantially in the longitudinal direction of the basic body and by way of which a cutting thickness of the sharpening blade is predefined.

18. The pencil holder according to claim 1, wherein the interior communicates with the outside of said basic body by way of at least one window which is formed in an outer surface of said basic body in a region of a pointed end of said basic body that is remote from said insertion opening.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

(1) Exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown in more detail below by way of a drawing, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a side view of a pencil holder for storing a pencil,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal section II according to FIG. 3 of the pencil holder,

(4) FIG. 3 shows a cross section III according to FIG. 1 of the pencil holder,

(5) FIGS. 4 and 5 show a view according to FIG. 3 of the pencil holder with a pencil with an oval or triangular profile inserted therein,

(6) FIG. 6 shows a view according to FIG. 2 of an alternative exemplary embodiment of the pencil holder with a pencil inserted therein,

(7) FIG. 7 shows a view according to FIG. 6 of the pencil holder with a pencil that is shortened compared to FIG. 6,

(8) FIG. 8 shows a view according to FIG. 1 of a further exemplary embodiment of the pencil holder,

(9) FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of a further exemplary embodiment of the pencil holder

(10) FIGS. 10 and 11 show in each case different side views of the pencil holder according to FIG. 9,

(11) FIG. 12 shows a view according to FIG. 2 of the pencil holder according to FIG. 9,

(12) FIGS. 13 and 14 show a cross section XIII-XIII according to FIG. 10 of the pencil holder according to FIG. 9, and

(13) FIG. 15 shows a view onto the tip of the pencil holder according to FIG. 9.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(14) Parts which correspond to one another are always provided with the same references in all the figures.

(15) FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show a pencil holder 1 for holding a pencil. The pencil holder 1 comprises a hollow sleeve-shaped basic body 2 which encloses an elongated interior 4 for partially receiving the pencil. The interior 4, in this case, merges at one end of the pencil holder 1, which is designated as the insertion end 6, into an insertion opening 8. At the end located opposite the insertion end 6 (designated as the pointed end 12 below) the basic body 2 reduces in the manner of a cone and is closed toward the outside 10. In the region of the insertion end 6 the pencil holder 1 comprises two longitudinal slots 14 which are introduced in the manner of a cam of an arrow. The longitudinal slots 14 are located diametrically opposite the longitudinal axis 16 of the pencil holder 1. The longitudinal slots 14, in this case, form two retaining tongues 18, which are also located diametrically opposite one another, out of the basic body 2.

(16) The retaining tongues 18 are bent out toward the outside 10 in the region of the insertion end 6 such that the insertion opening 8 is enlarged in a funnel-shaped manner in relation to the cross section of the interior 4 which extends over the majority of the basic body 2. In addition, the retaining tongues 18, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, comprise in each case two retaining projections which are designated as clamping webs 20 and extend in each case in the manner of ribs in the longitudinal direction of the pencil holder 1 along the retaining tongues 18.

(17) In order to develop the retaining tongues 18 in a flexible manner such that they are able to be bent out in a reversible manner (i.e. deforming elastically) toward the outside 10 for receiving the pencil, the wall 22 of the pencil holder 1 in the region of the retaining tongues 18, definitively in the region of the closed end 24 of the longitudinal slots 14, comprises a wall thickness tapering 26 (that is a wall region with a reduced wall thickness).

(18) For fastening the pencil holder 1 on a support, for example on a pocket of the work garment of the user, the pencil holder 1 comprises a fastening bracket 28. The fastening bracket 28 is connected integrally to the basic body 2 by way of its end which is designated as the fixed end 30. The free end 32 of the fastening bracket 28 points in the direction of the pointed end 12. The fastening bracket 28, in this connection, extends bent in an S-shaped manner along an outside surface of the pencil holder 1 which is designated as the outer surface 34.

(19) On an inside surface 36 which faces the outer surface 34 of the pencil holder 1, the fastening bracket 28 additionally bears two blocking elements 38 which are arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction. In addition, in the region of the free end 32 a substantially triangular retaining lug 40 projects from the inside surface 36 of the fastening bracket 28, the tip of said retaining lug abutting against the outer surface 34 of the pencil holder 1. The retaining lug 40 preferably serves for securing the pencil holder 1 on a comparably flat, hard object, for example on a piece of paper or cardboard. The blocking elements 38 serve in comparison preferably for supporting the pencil holder 1 on a soft flexible material, such as, for example, the material of the work garment. In said case, the blocking elements 38, in the manner of a barb, provide a particularly good hold against the pencil holder 1 being pulled off the work garment. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the blocking elements 38 are formed from one retaining leg which is connected integrally to the fastening bracket 28 and one free leg which is connected thereto and extends inclinedly with respect to the longitudinal axis 16. The free leg, in this case, comprises a comparably wide support surface for the material of the work garment such that a particularly high level of resistance against the pencil holder 1 being pulled off is provided without, at the same time, damaging or even tearing the material.

(20) In order to keep a sharp blade always available for sharpening the pencil used with the pencil holder 1, in the assembled state of the pencil holder 1 shown, a blade which is designated as a sharpening blade 42 is arranged on the basic body 2. The sharpening blade 42, in this connection, is placed in position in a depression 44 which is formed in the outer surface 34 and is secured by means of a clamping screw 46. The cutting edge 48 of the sharpening blade 42, in this case, is aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis 16 of the pencil holder 1 and is accessible from the outside 10. The pencil can consequently be sharpened in a manner that is comparable to a cutter blade.

(21) In order to protect the sharpening blade 42 from access when it is not being used and consequently to avoid injuries, the pencil holder 1 comprises a blade cover which is designated as a protective sleeve 49. The protective sleeve 49 is displaceable along the outer surface 34 between a protection position 50 shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 and a sharpening position 52 indicated by the broken line in FIG. 1. In the protection position 50 the protective sleeve 49 completely covers the sharpening blade 42. In the sharpening position 52 the protective sleeve 49 is displaced so far in the direction of the insertion opening 8 along the basic body 2 that the sharpening blade 42 is completely exposed.

(22) In order to hold the protective sleeve 49 precisely in the protective position 50 and to secure it from being stripped off the pencil holder 1, a circumferential stop (designated as a collar 54), which projects beyond the outer surface 34 approximately perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis 16, is integrally molded on the outside of the basic body 2. The protective sleeve 49 abuts against the collar 54 in the protective position 50. When viewed from the insertion opening 8, the collar 54 has mounted upstream thereof a latching means (designated as latching ring 56) which also extends around the basic body 2 in a ring-shaped manner. The latching ring 56 projects just slightly beyond the outer surface 34 such that the protective sleeve 49, when displaced into the protective position 50, is able to be pushed beyond the latching ring 56 as a result of a slight elastic deformation. The protective sleeve 49, in this case, comprises on the inside a ring-shaped indentation in which the latching ring lies in the protective position 50. Consequently, when the protective sleeve 49 is displaced in the direction of the sharpening position 52, a retaining force, which is applied as a result of the elastic deformation of the latching ring 56 and/or of the protective sleeve 49, has to be overcome such that unintentional displacement of the protective sleeve 49 is effectively prevented.

(23) As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, when the pencil is inserted, shown in FIG. 4 as a carpenter pencil 58 with an oval cross section, in FIG. 5 as a jumbo pen 60 with a triangular cross section, the retaining tongues 18 are bent out toward the outside 10. The clamping webs 20 which are located opposite one another in pairs, in this case, abut against the carpenter pencil 58 or the jumbo pencil 60 in such a manner that the two pencils, irrespective of their profile, are held almost centered in the pencil holder 1 and so as to be tilt-resistant. As an alternative to the profiles of the carpenter pencil 58 and of the jumbo pencil 60 shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, however, as a result of the development of the clamping webs 20 other pencil profiles such as, for example, round or hexagonal profiles, can also be held in an equally centered and sturdy manner between the retaining tongues 18.

(24) Two further webs are arranged in the interior 4 of the pencil holder 1 for using the pencil holder 1 with the carpenter pencil 58. Said webs are designated below as guide webs 62 and serve for guiding particularly long carpenter pencils 58 which are regularly inserted by way of their writing tip 64 down to the pointed end 12 and, in this case, also protrude with a long projection, i.e. by, for example, between 80 and 140 mm beyond the insertion end 6 of the pencil holder 1 (see FIG. 6). The guide webs 62 are aligned with their web height substantially perpendicular to the clamping webs 20 and guide the carpenter pencil 58 transversely with respect to the clamping webs 20 (see FIG. 4).

(25) The exemplary embodiment of the pencil holder 1 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 is developed structurally in a substantially identical manner to the exemplary embodiment described in FIGS. 1 to 5. In contrast thereto, however, the pencil holder 1 according to FIGS. 6 and 7 comprises a pointed end 12 that is breached to the outside 10, that is an open pointed end.

(26) In FIG. 6 the carpenter pencil 58 is inserted into the pencil holder 1 as an example in an almost non-shortened state. The carpenter pencil 58, in this case, reaches by way of its writing tip 64 right into the pointed end 12 of the pencil holder 1. At the opposite insertion end 6 the carpenter pencil 58 (shown by the solid line) protrudes beyond the pencil holder 1. For receiving the carpenter pencil 58 the retaining tongues 18 are bent out toward the outside 10 in relation to their normal state which is shown by the dotted line and abut against the carpenter pencil 58 by way of their clamping webs 20. In order to enable particularly good guiding of the carpenter pencil 58 at the start of the clamping webs 20, the clamping webs 20 are beveled toward the insertion opening 8.

(27) In FIG. 7 a carpenter pencil 58, which is clearly shorter compared to the carpenter pencil 58 shown in FIG. 6, is inserted into the pencil holder 1 as an example. In this connection, the effect of the retaining tongues 18 as well as of the clamping webs 20 is particularly clear. The carpenter pencil 58 reaches by way of its writing tip 64 only a short way beyond the retaining tongue 18 into the region of the interior 4 which is closed over its entire surface. The carpenter pencil 58 also projects in such a manner slightly beyond the insertion end 6 of the pencil holder 1 such that the carpenter pencil 58 is still able to be gripped and does not disappear completely into the pencil holder 1. The carpenter pencil 58, in this connection, is held completely by the retaining tongues 18 and is aligned in a centered manner in relation to the longitudinal axis 16 by the clamping webs 20. As a result of the clamping webs 20 which are arranged parallel to one another, the carpenter pencil 58 is also prevented from tilting. On account of said arrangement of the clamping webs 20, in addition almost all pencil profiles are able to be held equally aligned in the longitudinal direction between the retaining tongues 18 at the depth of insertion desired by the user with reference to the insertion end 6.

(28) FIG. 8 shows a further exemplary embodiment of the pencil holder 1. To increase the elasticity of the flexible tongues 18, the longitudinal slots 14, in this connection, are widened in a droplet-shaped manner in the region of their end 24 such that the retaining tongues 18 are made narrower in said region in the circumferential direction. As a result, the profile of the retaining tongues 18, which is approximately U-shaped when viewed in cross section (cf. FIG. 3), is weakened for bending to the rear side of the U, i.e. in the direction opposite the free legs of the U.

(29) FIG. 8 shows the protective sleeve 49 in addition in its sharpening position 52. In said representation it is clear that the cutting edge 48 of the sharpening blade 42 is accessible from the outside 10.

(30) FIGS. 9 to 15 show a further exemplary embodiment of the pencil holder 1. The overall length L of the pencil holder 1, in this connection, is 24 centimeters and consequently corresponds to the length of a traditional collapsed folding rule. The fastening bracket 28 is fastened by way of its fixed end 30 in the region of the insertion end 6 on one of the retaining tongues 18. The distance between the fixed end 30 and the insertion end 6, in this case, is small in comparison to the length of the fastening bracket 28. As a result, the pencil holder 1 hardly projects beyond the edge of a pocket of the work garmentin the event of it being pushed into such a pocket and being secured at the edge thereof by way of the fastening bracket 28.

(31) As can be seen in FIG. 9 and FIG. 12, the clamping webs 20 extend (in contrast to the aforementioned exemplary embodiments) from the retaining tongues 18 over the entire (inside) length of the interior 4 up to a bottom 70 (arranged in the region of the pointed end 12) of the interior 4. The carpenter pencil 58, in this case, abuts over almost its entire length inserted into the pencil holder 1 (namely with the exception of its tapered writing tip 64) against the clamping webs 20 and is consequently supported in a tilt-resistant manner.

(32) Several windows 72, by means of which the interior 4 communicates with the outside 10, are formed in the outer surface 34 in the region of the pointed end 12, definitively in the region of the bottom 70 of the interior 4. Dirt and/or liquid that has penetrated into the interior 4 by means of the insert opening 8 can, where applicable, pass out of the interior 4 to the outside through said windows 72 such that the dirt and/or the liquid does not collect in the interior.

(33) The pointed end 12 serves in a region mounted upstream of the bottom 70 for receiving the sharpening blade 42. The depression 44, in which the sharpening blade 42 lies when assembled as specified according to FIGS. 12 to 14, reaches, in this connection, precisely or at least approximately up to half the cross section of the basic body 2. On the oppositely situated side of the basic body 2 an inclined contact surface 74once again in the manner of a depressionis formed in the cylinder-like basic body 2. The depression 44, in this case, communicates by means of a passage 76 with the side of the basic body 2 that bears the contact surface 74. When assembled as specified, the cutting edge 48 of the sharpening blade 42 lies in said passage 76. The passage 76 as well as the depression 44 are additionally defined toward the outside 10 by a frame web 78 which extends parallel to the longitudinal axis 16. The frame web 78, in this case, is arranged in such a manner that the cutting edge 48 is only accessible from the contact surface 74 for sharpening the pencil 58. On its side that faces the contact surface 74, the frame web 78 comprises an even or lightly spherical guide surface 80 which is parallel to the contact surface 74 and set back slightly in relation to said contact surface. Consequently, a step, which is provided with a slot, is formed between the contact surface 74 and the guide surface 80. The cutting edge 48 lies in the slot formed between the guide surface 80 and the contact surface 74 in particular in such a manner that it (and in particular its free surface) is in alignment with the contact surface 74.

(34) The offset of the guide surface 80 with respect to the contact surface 74, and consequently the height of the named step predefines a cutting thickness in the manner of a plane or potato peeler (shaving thickness), therefore limits the maximum material thickness to be shaved from the carpenter pencil 58 in one pull. For sharpening, the carpenter pencil 58 is placed onto the guide surface 80 of the frame web 78 and is pulled over the contact surface 74. The cutting edge 48, in this case, comes into contact with the pencil and shaves a shaving off said pencil.

(35) The height of the step between the guide surface 80 and the contact surface 74 is chosen in such a manner that a sufficiently high degree of safety is provided, that a user does not cut himself on the sharpening blade 42 when moving a finger over the guide surface 80 and the contact surface 74. The frame web 78 consequently serves both for the protection of the sharpening blade 42 and as a spacer for defining the shaving thickness. During sharpening, the passage 76 and the depression 44 serve as an ejection window (shaving ejection window) for the removed shavings.

(36) The object of the invention proceeds in a particularly clear manner from the exemplary embodiments described above. Nevertheless, the object of the invention, however, is not restricted to said exemplary embodiments. Rather, further embodiments of the invention can be derived from the above description by the expert. In particular, the individual features of the invention which are described by way of the different exemplary embodiments and the development variants thereof are also able to be combined with one another in a different manner.

(37) TABLE-US-00001 List of references 1 Pencil holder 2 Basic body 4 Interior 6 Insertion end 8 Insertion opening 10 Outside 12 Pointed end 14 Longitudinal slot 16 Longitudinal axis 18 Retaining tongue 20 Clamping web 22 Wall 24 End 26 Wall thickness tapering 28 Fastening bracket 30 Fixed end 32 Free end 34 Outer surface 36 Inside surface 38 Blocking element 40 Retaining lug 42 Sharpening blade 44 Depression 46 Clamping screw 48 Cutting edge 49 Protective sleeve 50 Protective position 52 Sharpening position 54 Collar 56 Latching ring 58 Carpenter pencil 60 Jumbo pencil 62 Guide web 64 Writing tip 70 Bottom 72 Window 74 Contact surface 76 Passage 78 Frame web 80 Guide surface