Title of Invention

STAMP

Abstract

A stamp has a housing, an arm, a character unit, a control unit and a cover. The arm is mounted slidably inside the housing, and the character unit is attached to the arm. The control unit in mounted through the housing and the arm. When using the portable stamp, the cover is taken off. The control unit is pressed and pushed along the housing, which pushes the arm and the character unit out of the housing. The character unit pivots perpendicular to the arm and is prepared to stamp. The stamp can be easily operated with one hand and keeps a user's fingers from being stained with ink.

Full Text

STAMP BACKGROUND OF THR TNVENTTON 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a stamp, and more particularly to a stamp that can keep ink from getting on a person's fingers and be used with only one hand. 2. Description of Related Art Some conventional stamps are mounted with inkpads, and they are convenient for a user. Such stamps often have a cover mounted on the face of the stamp, and the cover has the inkpad inside. When the stamp with the inkpad is used, a person removes the stamp from the cover with two hands, and ink on the devices easily stains a person's hands. The present invention provides a stamp to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problem. ST JIVTMARY OF THR TNVRNTTON An objective of the present invention is to provide a stamp with a housing, an arm, a character unit, a control unit and a cover, which can be used without getting ink on a person's hands. The arm is mounted inside the housing and the character unit is attached to the arm. The control unit is mounted through the housing and the arm. When using the stamp, the cover is taken off. The control unit is pressed and pushed along the housing, the arm also can be pushed and the character unit is pushed out and rotated to stamp. The stamp can be easily operated with one hand and prevent ink from staining a person's fingers. Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRTRF nRSCRTPTTON OF THE PR AWTNfiS Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of stamp in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a side plan view in partial section of the stamp in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged side plan view in partial section of the stamp in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a side plan view in partial section of the stamp in Fig. 1 with the cover removed from the housing; Fig. 5 is an enlarged side plan view in partial section of the stamp in Fig. 1 with the control unit pressed; Fig. 6 is a side plan view in partial section of the stamp in Fig. 1 with the control unit and the character unit partially extended from the housing; Fig. 7 is a side plan view in partial section of the stamp in Fig. 1 with the control unit and the character unit almost fiiUy extended; and Fig. 8 is a side plan view in partial section of the stamp in Fig. 1 with the character unit fully extended. DFTATT.RD DESCRTPTTON OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference to Figs. 1 and 2, a stamp in accordance with the present invention has a housing (10), an arm (20), a character unit (30), a control unit (40) and a cover (50). The housing (10) has a top surface (not numbered), two opposite inner sidewalls (not numbered), an inner bottom surface (not numbered), an inner cavity (not numbered), an opening (not numbered), a tongue (11), an elongated slot (12), an inner hole (13), an outer hole (14), two optional keys (15) and two recessed sidewalls (111). The top surface has an edge (not numbered). The tongue (11) is integrally formed with the edge of the top surface at the opening and extends out from the housing (10). The tongue (11) has an inner surface (not numbered), two lateral inner edges (not numbered) and an optional dovetail groove (16). The recessed sidewalls (111) are integrally formed respectively with the lateral inner edges of the tongue (11) and also integrally formed with the housing (10) at the opening, have an outside surface (not numbered) and may have two ribs (17). The ribs (17) are transversely formed respectively on the outside surface of the recessed sidewalls (111) near the opening of tiie housing (10). The dovetail groove (16) is formed on the inner surface of the tongue (11). The elongated slot (12) has an inner end (not numbered), an outer end (not numbered), a width (not numbered), two sides (not numbered) and two inclined surfaces (18) and is defined longitudinally through the top surface of the housing (10). The inner hole (13) and the outer hole (14) are defined through the top surface of the housing (10) respectively at the inner and outer ends of the elongated slot (12). The inclined surfaces (18) are respectively formed respectively at the two sides of the elongated slot (12). The keys (15) are integrally formed respectively between the inner sidewalls and the inner bottom surface. The arm (20) is mounted slidably inside the housing (10) and has a sliding block (21) and a bar (22). The sliding block (21) has a top surface (not numbered), two bottom side edges (not numbered), an inner end surface (not numbered), two optional keyways (201), a keyhole (24), a cavity (23) and an opening (not numbered). The keyways (201) are slidably mounted respectively on the keys (15) in the housing (10) and are defined on opposite bottom side edges of the sliding block (21). The cavity (23) is defined inside the sliding block (21) and has an inner top surface (not numbered) and an opening (not numbered) on the inner end surface. The keyhole (24) is defined on the top surface of the arm (20) and communicates with the cavity (23). The bar (22) is a longitudinal piece and has an inner end (not numbered), a bottom surface (not numbered), an outer end (not numbered), a top surface (not numbered), a bar barrel (25), a dovetail key (221) and a recess (26). The inner end is integrally connected to the sliding block (21). The bar barrel (25) is formed on the outer end. The dovetail key (221) is formed on the top surface and is mounted slidably in the dovetail groove (16) in the housing (10). The recess (26) is defined on the bottom surface near the outer end of the bar (22). The character unit (30) is pivotally attached to the outer end of the bar (22) and has a rear surface (not numbered), a front surface (not numbered), a pivot pin (31), a bar recess (32), a torsional spring (33) and a character plate (34). The pivot pin (31) is mounted inside the character unit (30) and is inserted through the bar barrel (25). The bar recess (32) is longitudinally defined on the rear surface of the character unit (30) to receive the bar (22). The torsional spring (33) has two ends (not numbered) and is mounted around the pivot pin (31). One end of the torsional spring (33) is mounted inside and abuts the recess (26) in the bar (22), and the other end of the torsional spring (33) abuts the rear surface of the character unit (30). The character plate (34) is mounted at the front surface of the character unit (30). The control unit (40) is mounted on the housing (10) and has a top surface (not numbered), a bottom surface (not numbered), a button (41), a clip (42) and a spring (43). The button (41) is mounted through the clip (42) and the elongated slot (12) in the housing (10) and has a cap (411), a neck (412), an annular shoulder (413), two legs (414), two stops (415) and a slot (416). The cap (411) is on the top surface of the control unit (40). The neck (412) is integrally formed with the bottom surface of the control unit (40) and aligned with the cap (411). The neck (412) has a diameter substantially equal to the width of the elongated slot (12). The annular shoulder (413) is integrally formed and coaxially aligned with the neck (412). With further reference to Fig. 3, the legs (414) have outer sides (not numbered), are formed beneath the annular shoulder (413) and are mounted in the keyhole (24). The stops (415) are formed respectively on the outer sides of the legs (414) and abut the inner top surface of the cavity (23). The slot (416) is defined between the two legs (414) to allow the legs (414) to be squeezed together so the stops (415) can pass through the keyhole (24). The spring (43) is mounted inside the cavity (23) in the sliding block (21) and is attached to the legs (414). The cover (50) is mounted on the open end of the housing (10) to receive the tongue (11), the recessed sidewalls (111) and the character unit (30). The cover (50) has a top surface (not numbered), two sidewalls (not numbered). an open end (not numbered), a closed end (not numbered), a longitudinal tongue (51) and a top opening (52) and two optional detents (53). The open end faces the housing (10), and the closed end is opposite to the open end. The top opening (52) is defined in the top surface and communicates with the opening of the cover (50). The longitudinal tongue (51) is formed inside the cover (50) at the closed end beside the top opening (52), extends toward the open end and has an internal dovetail groove (not numbered) and an external dovetail key (not numbered). When the arm (20) and the character unit (30) have been retracted into the housing (10), the external dovetail key on the longitudinal tongue (51) slides into the dovetail groove (16) in the housing (10). The detents (53) are defined respectively on the sidewalls of the cover (50) to selectively receive and hold the ribs (17) on the recessed sidewalls (111) of the housing (10) to hold the cover (50) on the housing (10). The longitudinal tongue (51) abuts the inner surface of the tongue (11) so that the housing (10) will not rotate and easily release from the cover (50). With reference to Figs. 4 to 8, the control unit (40) extends and retracts the character unit (30). With the button (41) in the inner hole (13), the button (41) is pressed to align the neck (412) with the elongated slot (12). Then the button (41) is moved out along the elongated slot (12), and the pushed button (41) pushes the arm (20) out along the keys (15) in the housing (10). When the neck (412) of the button (41) aligns with the outer hole (14), half of the character unit (30) extends beyond the tongue (11) on the housing (10). The torsional spring (33) rotates the character unit (30) perpendicular to the bar (22), and the spring (43) in the sliding block (21) pushes the annular shoulder (413) into the outer hole (14) in the housing (10). Consequently, the character unit (30) is ready to stamp. After stamping, the user can press the button (41) down and pull the button (41) towards the inner hole (13). The character unit (30) is pivoted downward by the tongue (11), so that the arm (20) and the character unit (30) can be retracted into the housing (10). Thereafter, the cover (50) is mounted on the housing (10). With a stamp in accordance with the present invention, a user can simply push and move the button (41) on the control unit (40) to make the character unit (30) extend out to stamp, so that the user's fingers will not be stained by ink. Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and fiinction of the invention, that the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed is to be understood. WHAT IS CLAIMED IS: 1. A portable stamp having a housing having a top surface with a edge, an inner cavity, an opening, a tongue integrally formed with the edge of the top surface at the opening and extending out of the housing and having an inner surface, and two lateral inner edges, two recessed sidewalls integrally formed respectively with the lateral inner edges of the tongue and with the housing at the opening and each having an outside surface, an elongated slot having an inner end, an outer end and a width and defined longitudinally through the top surface of the housing, an inner hole defined through the top surface of the housing and communicating with the inner end of the elongated slot, and an outer hole defined through the top surface of the housing and communicating with the outer end of the elongated slot, an arm slidably mounted inside the housing and having a sliding block having a top surface, a cavity defined inside the sliding block and having an inner top surface, an inner end surface, and an opening formed through the inner end surface and communicating with the cavity, and a keyhole defined through the top surface of the sliding block and communicating with the cavity, and a bar having an inner end integrally connected to the sliding block, a bottom surface, an outer end, two top side edges, a bar barrel formed on the outer end, and a recess defined in the bottom surface near the outer end of the bar, a character unit pivotally mounted on the outer end of the bar and having a rear surface, a fi-ont surface, a pivot pin mounted inside the character unit through the bar barrel on the bar, a bar recess longitudinally defined on the rear surface of the character unit to receive the bar, a torsional spring with two ends mounted around the pivot pin, one end of the torsional spring mounted inside and abutting the recess of the bar and the other end of the torsional spring abutting the rear surface of the character unit, and a character plate mounted on the front surface of the character unit, a control unit mounted on the housing and having a top surface, a bottom surface, a clip, and a button mounted through the clip and the elongated slot in the housing, and having a cap mounted on the top surface of the control unit, a neck integrally formed with the bottom surface of the control unit and aligned with the cap, an annular shoulder integrally formed and coaxially aligned with the neck, two legs having outer sides, formed beneath the annular shoulder and mounted in the keyhole, and two stops formed respectively at the outer sides of the legs and abutting the inner top surface of the cavity, and a spring mounted inside the cavity in the sliding block and attached to the legs, and a cover mounted on the open end of the housing to receive the tongue and having a top surface, an open end facing the housing, a closed end opposite to the open end, a top opening defined on the top surface and communicating with the opening in the cover, and a longitudinal tongue formed inside the cover at the closed end beside the top opening, wherein the character unit and the arm are retracted inside the housing, and the longitudinal tongue slides into the housing. 2. The stamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the neck has a diameter substantially equal to the width of the elongated slot, and the button has a slot defined between two legs. 3. The stamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises two opposite inner sidewalls, an irmer bottom surface, and two keys integrally formed respectively between the inner sidewalls and the inner bottom surface, and the sliding block further comprises two bottom side edges, an inner end surface, and two keyways slidably mounted respectively on the keys in the housing and defined on opposite bottom side edges of the sliding block. 4. The stamp as claimed in claim 2, wherein the housing further comprises two opposite inner sidewalls, an inner bottom surface, and two keys integrally formed respectively between the inner sidewalls and the inner bottom surface, and the sliding block further comprises two bottom side edges, an inner end surface, and two keyways slidably mounted respectively on the keys in the housing and defined on opposite bottom side edges of the sliding block. 5. The stamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises two ribs transversely formed respectively on the outside surfaces of the recessed sidewalls near the opening in the housing, and the cover further comprises two detents defined respectively on the sidewalls of the cover to receive respectively the ribs. 6. The stamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tongue further comprises an inner surface, and a dovetail groove formed on the inner surface of the tongue, and the bar further comprises a top surface, and a dovetail key formed on the top surface of the bar, wherein the dovetail key can be received inside the dovetail groove. 7. A portable stamp substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Documents:

880-che-2003-abstract.pdf

880-che-2003-claims.pdf

880-che-2003-correspondnece-others.pdf

880-che-2003-correspondnece-po.pdf

880-che-2003-description(complete).pdf

880-che-2003-drawings.pdf

880-che-2003-form 1.pdf

880-che-2003-form 18.pdf

880-che-2003-form 3.pdf