The invention relates to a stamp comprising a support member for being placed on a stamp surface, a plate which is movably mounted in the support member and which is displaceable along the support member towards the stamp surface, the plate carrying a pre-inked stamp element, and a handle that is attached to the plate, the handle being connected to the support member via a resilient member.

Such a stamp is known from US-A-5,377,599. In this document, a stamp is described in which a stamp plate is mounted in a stamp case.

The stamp plate carries a pre-inked compressible microsporous structure that is impregnated with ink and that is capable upon compression of releasing ink through the indicia. The plate is connected to a stem which ends in a handle. The handle is connected to the outer case via a coil spring. The stamp can be operated by placing the stamp case with its lower edge on a stamp surface and depressing the handle against the force of the compression spring. Thereby the microporous ink cushion is pressed against the stamping surface. The known stamp has a relatively large stroke for providing a sufficient compression force for moving the stamp cushion to the stamp surface. Furthermore, the construction of the known stamp is relatively complex, the coil spring being mounted inside the handle. It is an object of the present invention to provide a stamp of simple construction, which can be operated by exerting a small compression force. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a stamp which can form well defined sharp imprints, while minimizing the necessary stamp force.

Thereto a stamp according to the present invention is characterised in that the pre-inked stamp element comprises a porous containment structure having a substantially ink-impermeable surface comprising a pattern of apertures, the resilient member being formed of an elastomeric or a resilient synthetic material, the distance between the stamp surface and the ink-impermeable surface of the containment structure being not more than 0.5 cm, preferably not more than 3 mm.

The stamp according to the present invention comprises a pre- inked or containment structure or stamp cushion, the exposed surface of which for the larger part is free of ink. Only at the places which are to form the desired pattern, is the surface of the containment structure permeable. Thereby a clearly defined imprint can be formed only using a

very small stroke of the stamp plate. It is not necessary to lift the porous containment structure from the stamping surface over a large distance to avoid staining or smearing of ink.

The resilient member according to the present invention can be very simply formed in this case of an elastomeric or a synthetic resilient material such as natural or synthetic rubber, elastomeric polymers, or relatively stiff flexible material such as for instance a perspex strip. It has been proven that for a distance of the surface of the containment structure from the stamp surface of not more than 0,5 cm preferably not more than 3 mm, clearly defined stamps can be formed while using moderate pressures.

In one embodiment according to the present invention, the support member comprises a stamp mount having at least two side walls and a top wall, the plate being located between the side walls and below the top wall, the handle having a stem that is connected to the plate via an aperture in the top wall and having an abutment flange, the resilient member being elastomeric and being placed around the stem and contacting on one side the top wall and on the other side the abutment flange. In this construction, the resilient member can simply be formed by a ring of elastomeric material which is placed between the top wall and the abutment flange of the stamp. A stamp of very simple construction which can be of relatively small dimensions is hereby achieved.

In another embodiment according to the present invention the support member comprises two spaced apart side walls extending substantially perpendicular to the stamping surface, each wall having a lower edge for contacting the stamp surface and a second edge that is spaced away from the lower edge, the second edges of the sidewalls being mutually connected by the resilient member, which comprises a flexible strip and which bridges the space between the side walls, the ink- containment element being connected to the resilient member.

The handle may be connected to the top side of the flexible strip which can bend between the two side walls towards the stamp surface upon exerting a push force on the handle. In this so-called "cantilever"- construction, a very simple stamp is achieved which is not encased in a separate stamp case such that the stamping action can be visually observed by the user. This provides for increased confidence of the consumer during the stamping action that a clear image will be formed, as visually seeing the containment structure contacting the stamping

surface and being retracted therefrom, indicates to the user that a stamp has been formed.

In an other alternative embodiment, each side wall can have a top part located at a predetermined distance above the flexible strip, the handle being formed by the top parts of each side wall, wherein the ship can bend towards the stamp surface by pressing the top parts of the wall towards each other. In this way a very simple stamp is formed which may be operated by pressing the top parts of the side walls towards each other between thump and index fingers while only exerting a very moderate pressure on the stamp. Again, a very open stamping structure is obtained which is of attractive appearance and by which the stamping process can be visually observed.

In again an other embodiment, the support member is made of a resilient synthetic material. The stamp plate can for instance be supported on elements of a synthetic rubber material or on a ring-shaped resilient element. By depressing the handle, the ring-shaped resilient element will deform and the containment structure can contact the stamp surface.

In this embodiment, the support member comprises four support feet which are guided through holes in the stamp plate. Each support foot is rested against a resilient patch of material such as a patch of elastomeric material. The resilient strip of material is fixed to the top side of the stamp plate.

Several embodiments of a stamp according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings: Figure 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a first embodiment of a stamp according to the present invention, Figure 2 shows a frontal view of a second embodiment of a stamp according to the present invention, Figure 3 shows a partly cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a stamp according to the present invention, Figure 4 shows a schematic perspective view of again another embodiment of a stamp according to the present invention and Figure 5 shows a further alternative embodiment of a stamp according to the present invention wherein the support member is made of elastomeric material.

In the following description, like reference numerals will be

used to designate like parts. In figure 1, a stamp 1 is shown in which the support member 2 is formed by two side walls 3,4. The side walls 3,4 rest with their lower edges 5,6 on the stamp surface 14 on which an image is to be formed. The side walls 3,4 are along their upper edges 7,8 mutually connected by a resilient synthetic spring member 9. The resilient member 9 may for instance be formed of a thin strip of thermoplastic material such as a strip of perspex of a thickness of about 2 mm. At the centre 10 of the strip 9, the stamp plate 11 is attached. The stamp plate 11 may for instance be attached to the spring member 9 by means of a hole extending through the spring member, into which hole a stem 12 of the handle 13 is received.

On the bottom of the plate 11, the ink containment structure 15 is attached. A preferred ink containment structure comprises a microsporous foam material which on the side of the stamp surface 14 is substantially ink-impermeable, and comprises a pattern of microporous apertures through which the ink can exit from the structure. The foam material of the containment structure 15 is also referred to as "Blue Foam" and is available from Japan Business Connection, Tokyo. The apertures are provided in the impermeable layer by means of photographic techniques or contacting the impermeable layer with a heated image.

As is shown in figure 1, the plate 11 can be moved towards the stamp surface by exerting a moderate pressure on the handle 13. Hereby, the side walls 4,5 will be flexed outwardly such that the containment structure 15 can contact the stamp surface 14. Upon removal of the pressure forces from the handle 13, the spring member 9 will straighten and the walls 4,5 will be returned to their vertical position. Hereby the plate 11 is lifted from the stamp surface 14. It has been realised by the inventor that for applying a sufficient force and for retracting the containment structure 15 according to the present invention sufficiently far from the stamp surface 14, only a very small stroke is necessary. Therefore, the containment structure 15 will, in the upright position of the sidewalls 4,5, be placed at a very close distance from the stamp surface 14: not more than 0,5 cm, and preferably not more than 3 mm.

Figure 2 shows an alternative embodiment of a stamp according to the present invention. In this case, the side walls 3,4 are at their midpoints connected to an elastomeric spring member 9, the spring member 9 is for instance made of a patch of natural or synthetic rubber of

dimensions of for instance 3 cm by 5 cm and a thickness of about 5 mm.

The plate 11 is attached to the flexible spring member 9. Mounted on the plate 11 is the ink containment structure 15, again made of a microsporous foam and having a substantially impervious surface 16. By manually compressing the upper edges 17 and 18 towards each other, the lower edges of the side walls 3,4 will be deflected sideways from their vertical position. Thereby the containment structure 15 can be pressed against the stamp surface 14. Upon removal of the compressive forces applied to the side walls 3,4, the side walls return to their vertical position, as shown with the dash-dot lines, and the containment structure 15 will be lifted from the stamp surface 14.

In the embodiment of figure 3, the plate 11 is placed inside a support member formed by casing 19 which has two side walls 20, 21 and a top wall 22. Through a central hole in the top wall 22, the stem 12 of the handle 13 is connected to the stamp plate 11. The stem 12 comprises an abutment flange 23. An elastomeric ring 24 is placed around the stem 12 and is comprised between the abutment flange 23 and the top wall 22.

The plate 11 can be lowered by depressing the handle 13 against the relatively small spring force of the elastomeric ring 24. During the stamping process, the position of the plate 11 can be observed from the side of the stamp.

Figure 4 shows again another embodiment of a stamp according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the plate 11 comprises 4 apertures. Through each aperture a support foot 24,25,26,27 is slidably mounted. Each support foot is at its top side connected to a patch elastomeric material 9.

Figure 5 shows an embodiment wherein the support member 2 is comprised of an annular support of elastomeric material. In its undeformed state, the annular support 2 rests with its lower edge on the stamp surface. Upon depressing the handle 13 downwardly, the annular support 2 is deformed, and the containment structure 15 which is attached to the plate 11 is lowered onto the stamp surface.