EP0458905B1 - Writing appliance that closes automatically after a given time-interval - Google Patents

Abstract

A pen with a cap-less closure can be operated by a push-button or other mechanism. For writing, the lead is switched into a locked position of defined instability. When writing ceases, the lead is automatically released after a fixed time-interval. The writing appliance is therefore closed automatically after a predetermined time-interval without the action of other external influences.

Description

The invention relates to a writing instrument according to the preamble of claim 1.

Such a writing instrument is known from DE-OS 35 18 069. This writing instrument has a two-piece collet as a closure for the associated writing lead. The two halves of the closure are provided on the inside with a rubber-like plastic part and are closed by the deflected force of a very strong compression spring.

The soft and hard plastic parts of this closure work together in such a way that the risk of drying out Writing tip in the closure is sealed gas-tight all around.

Furthermore, this writing instrument has a control mechanism in order to coordinate the movement of the writing lead into the writing state with the sealing closure in such a way that neither the writing tip nor the seals can be damaged.

This known writing instrument is put into the writing state by actuating the rear push button, like a ballpoint pen. Here, the mine is engaged by a direct switching system in the advanced state, with the closure, which is directly controlled in parallel, being withdrawn laterally behind the mine. This known writing instrument does offer all the prerequisites that are necessary for an inexpensive and absolutely reliable automatic closure. A common problem with the use of such writing instruments is, however, that users, especially if they have to deal with something else for a short time, simply leave the liquid pen unlocked, as they are used to with ballpoint pens, whereupon the devices begin, to dry up. This forgetting to lock the pen occurs regardless of whether the liquid pen has a lock that can be operated at the push of a button or an ordinary push-on cap. The basic problem of liquid pens, that you forget to close them, is therefore not yet solved by the lockability at the push of a button.

From GB-A-2 142 284 a writing instrument is known in which the refill is automatically brought into a writing position and is moved back into the closed position immediately when the writing instrument is released.

A writing instrument is also known from FR-A-2 607 074, in which the lead also snaps back into the closed position when the writing instrument is released.

The object of the invention is therefore to create a writing instrument of the type mentioned at the outset which closes automatically after a defined period of time.

This object is achieved according to the invention in a writing instrument of the type mentioned at the outset by the features of the characterizing part of the main claim.

In this liquid writing instrument, the drying of the writing tip, if the writing instrument is left open, is avoided by a built-in element, which acts like a timer, which element closes the writing instrument automatically after a certain, optionally adjustable, period of time.

To fulfill this function, the writing instrument of the type described at the outset is largely redesigned except for the closure. The writing instrument now only consists of an outer sleeve, a gas pressure-tight closure, a writing lead and a timer element acting between the lead and the outer sleeve. The writing lead is no longer firmly anchored to the outer housing when it is pushed forward, as is generally the case with Ballpoint pens is common, but is located above an attachment at the front mine tip in an unstable anchorage that interacts with the timer element.

In a preferred embodiment, the time switch element is arranged in a separate grip zone which is mounted on the outer sleeve. When the writing lead is pushed into the writing position, the lead comes into unstable engagement with the timer element. As long as writing is taking place in the writing instrument of this preferred embodiment, the index finger, thumb and middle finger usually press into the three depressions provided for this purpose in the grip zone, whereby preferably one of the three grip zones is a single part which can be moved independently of the outer sleeve and which transfers the pressure of the writing hand to the latched attachment. The pressure between the unstable anchoring (or the time switch) and the attachment of the mine that is snapped into it increases, due to the leverage that is triggered. As a result, the unstable anchoring of the writing lead becomes a stable anchoring during writing. As long as writing is in progress, the writing lead is anchored as firmly as usual.

If, however, writing is no longer carried out with this liquid recorder, the pressure boost triggered by the leverage ceases when the lead engages, causing the engagement to become unstable again.

After a certain point in time, which can be determined beforehand via the configuration of the unstable latching (e.g. 15 minutes), the writing lead releases from the latching in the advanced position and moves automatically, without any further external influence, into the closed state fully automatically.

In other embodiments of the writing instrument, the other forms of closure by push button actuation are also used to anchor the writing lead stably when writing and unstable in the state of not writing. This timer mechanism can thus be applied to any conceivable system of the cap closure at the push of a button or rotation, etc.

In other embodiments of the writing instrument, the time switch function is fulfilled by other mechanisms, e.g. an electronic system which registers whether or not writing is taking place via the warmth of the hand, the writing movements or the diagonal / horizontal position of the writing instrument and, when not writing after a certain preselectable time, releases the snap-in of the advanced writing lead, whereupon the latter automatically closes in the locked state emotional.

In other embodiments of the writing instrument, whether or not writing is possible is also possible via an air / gas / water system, which is compressed over the grip zone during writing and passes the pressure of the fingers on to a holding system for the writing element.

In further embodiments, the detection of whether the device is in the diagonal (= writing) or in the horizontal / vertical (= not writing) is also a magnetic system or a gas-water system (principle of spirit level) possible.

In the following an embodiment of the writing instrument will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

• Fig. 1 einen Längsschnitt durch eine Ausführungsform des Schreibgerätes in dem Schreibstellung, während geschrieben wird;
• Fig. 1a einen Längsschnitt durch das Schreibgerät nach Fig.1 in der Schreibstellung, während nicht geschrieben wird;
• Fig. 1b einen Längsschnitt durch das Schreibgerät nach Fig. 1 in der Verschlußstellung;
• Fig. 2 einen Längsschnitt durch das Schreibgerät nach Fig.1, welches im Begriff ist, selbsttätig oder per Druckbetätigung in den Schließzustand zu schalten;
• Fig. 3 eine Draufsicht auf den aufgeklappten Verschluß 1;
• Fig. 4 einen Querschnitt durch den Verschluß aus Fig.3;
• Fig. 5 eine Draufsicht auf die Außenhülse 2;
• Fig. 6 eine Draufsicht auf das separate Griffzonenteil 3 mit Zeitschaltung;
• Fig. 7 einen Querschnitt durch die Griffzone der Außenhülse 2 aus Fig. 5;
• Fig. 8 eine Draufsicht auf den rückwärtigen Teil des Schreibgerätes aus Fig. 1b.

It shows:

• 1 shows a longitudinal section through an embodiment of the writing instrument in the writing position while writing.
• Figure 1a is a longitudinal section through the writing instrument of Figure 1 in the writing position while not writing.
• 1b shows a longitudinal section through the writing instrument according to FIG. 1 in the closed position;
• 2 shows a longitudinal section through the writing instrument according to FIG. 1, which is in the process of being switched into the closed state automatically or by pressure actuation;
• 3 shows a plan view of the opened closure 1;
• 4 shows a cross section through the closure from FIG. 3;
• 5 shows a plan view of the outer sleeve 2;
• 6 shows a plan view of the separate grip zone part 3 with a timer;
• 7 shows a cross section through the grip zone of the outer sleeve 2 from FIG. 5;
• Fig. 8 is a plan view of the rear part of the writing instrument from Fig. 1b.

The embodiment of the writing instrument shown in FIGS. 1-8 has a one-piece outer sleeve 2 and a one-piece closure 1 (FIG. 1b), which can be opened in two halves 12 via a film hinge 19 (FIG. 3). The closure halves 12 of the closure 1 are each provided with a rubber-elastic sealing half-shell 5 (FIGS. 1 and 3). The closure 1 is biased against the outer sleeve 2 by a strong compression spring 6 and is thereby compressed in the manner of a collet by a closure cone 8 at the front opening of the outer sleeve 2, the elastic sealing half-shells 5 being closed under high pressure (FIG. 1b) .

Furthermore, the writing instrument has a writing lead 4, which is arranged in the outer sleeve 2. The writing refill 4 is biased against the closure 1 by means of a small spring 7, the spring 7, in order to keep the lead tip 14 and thus the length of the writing wick as short as possible, partially sinks into a special spring pocket 16 which is embedded in the rear end of the closure 1 (e.g. Figs. 1 and 3). In the closed state (FIG. 1b), the writing lead 4 is supported against a projection 18 at the rear via a special shoulder 17 which is located at the tip of the lead 14. The writing tip 9 of the writing lead 4, which is at risk of drying out, is hermetically and pressure-tightly closed within the sealing half-shells 5 of the closure 1 during the closed state (FIG. 1b). Finally, in the front area of the outer sleeve 2, the writing instrument has a grip zone 10 consisting of three recessed grips (FIGS. 1, 5 and 7), one of the recessed grips consisting of a separate grip zone part 3 (FIG. 6), which is located in a special recess 11 (Fig. 5 and 1) on the outer sleeve 2 (Fig.1, 5, 6 and 7).

In order to put the writing instrument into the writing state (FIGS. 1, 1a), the end 13 of the writing lead 4, which protrudes outwards from the outer sleeve 2 itself, is pressed down instead of an otherwise usual push button (from FIG. 1b to FIG. 1a). Here, the opening shoulder 15 of the mine tip 14 meets the Opening projection 21 within the closure 1, the two halves 12 of the closure 1 being opened. The opening process is such that the elastic seals of the sealing half-shell 5 are not touched by the writing tip 9. The rear seal 22 of the sealing half-shell 5, which rests directly on the lead tip 14, is also lifted off during the opening after a very short grinding movement (about 0.5 mm) from the lead tip 14, so that this does not occur during the entire feed and when writing is touched by the mine tip 14. Despite the simplicity of the opening control, a great longevity of the seal both outwards and inwards (rear seal 22) is achieved. After the writing tip 9 has moved sufficiently far out of the closure 1 for the writing state, the shoulder 17 of the writing lead 4 engages in the time switch projection 24 on the grip zone part 3 (FIG. 1a).

However, this support is a relatively unstable support. Only when the user starts to write will the support of the writing lead 4 become stable (FIG. 1). This is done in that when writing one of the three writing fingers presses on the grip zone part 3, whereby the timing switch protrusion 24 is pressed somewhat more strongly than the non-writing on the shoulder 17 of the writing lead 4 (FIG. 1). This slight amplification of the pressure from the grip zone part 3 via the time advance 24 on the shoulder 17 is therefore sufficient to keep the latching of the writing lead 4 in the writing state permanently stable during writing.

If writing is no longer carried out and the writing instrument is simply left open, as most users are used to with ballpoint pens, the additional pressure on the timing projection 24 is omitted (FIG. 1a). For a certain time, the support of the writing lead 4 via the shoulder 17 and the part 24 remains relatively stable, so that the writing instrument can be taken off again at any time and continued to be written.

However, if the writing instrument is left lying longer than this, structurally definable point in time (for example 15 minutes), then the grip zone part 3 is slowly raised above the timer projection 24 by the shoulder 17, the force of the spring 7 against the writing lead 4 being the cause of this . The lifting of the grip zone part 3 is also facilitated in that the front part 25 of the grip zone part 3 is made thinner and flexible, while the rear part 28 is thicker and inelastic.

The engagement of the writing lead 4 thus gradually changes from a stable to an unstable engagement.

Insofar as the grip zone part 3 is now raised beyond a certain point, the engagement between the time switch projection 24 and the shoulder 17 is released and the writing lead 4 loses its rear support (FIG. 2). As a result, the writing lead 4 is pushed back via the pressure of the spring 7 and the closure 1 closes and hermetically seals the writing tip 9 again (FIG. 1b).

The pushing back of the writing lead 4 is not jerky, but slightly braked, since the pressure of the opening projections 21 on the lead is maintained and dampens the force development of the spring 7. In this way, the ink supply is moved back together with the writing lead 4 without vibration, so that no tendency to leakage can develop, i.e. the writing refill 4 can easily be equipped with a high writing capacity or a large ink supply.

Because the shoulder 17 of the writing lead 4 has different flattened angles in different sections around the writing lead 4, with which it can come to rest against the timing projection 24, the point in time after which the writing instrument closes automatically can be used by the user change. Instead of different Angles can also be incorporated on the shoulder 17 to change the timing, such as different surfaces and shapes, etc. on the individual sections of the shoulder 17. The change in the closing time 23 associated with the individual contact angles of the shoulder 17 can be seen on the rear Read the end 13 of the writing lead 4 via the time setting notch 20.

If the closing time of the writing instrument is too fast or too slow for the user, he can extend or shorten it by rotating the writing lead 4 protruding out of the outer sleeve 2. The user can also use the mass production to correct possible variation widths in the structurally predetermined shutter speed.

In addition to this individual setting, the automatic shutter speed can be set constructively by a number of factors. On the one hand, this includes the shape and nature of the grip zone part 3, how thin or thick the front, flexible part 25 and the rear, less elastic part 28 are made (FIGS. 6 and 2). This also includes the shape and surface condition of the timing switch projection 24 and the shoulder 17. An essential one The materials from which the parts of the time mechanics are made also play a role. For example, it is conceivable to manufacture the timer projection 24 together with the grip zone 3 from a harder material with a rough surface and the shoulder 17 from a softer material with a smooth surface, etc.

Another way of influencing the shutter speed is to coat the surface of the otherwise hard material part with a soft plastic on one or more of the parts which are unstable to support the writing state, for example 17, 24 or 3, as a result of which the latches slide past one another can be further slowed down. Furthermore it is also possible, e.g. to incorporate certain patterns into a somewhat enlarged time switch projection 24, which unstably engage with corresponding patterns on the adapted shoulder 17.

Another possibility is, for example, by casting a small pivotable flap on the inner side of the grip zone part 3, which cooperates with a corresponding projection in the region of the shoulder 17, so that this pivoting flap when the Writing lead 4 first has to lift the grip zone part 3 briefly before the writing lead loses its rear support and switches to the locked state. The regulation of the timing can also be supported in that the inner regions of the outer sleeve 2, which lie opposite the shoulder 17 during the writing state, are also included in the switching sequence. For example, certain angles or protrusions here can press the shoulder 17 against the protrusion 24 when the writing lead slides back, or the inner surface quality of the outer sleeve 2 can also interact with the shoulder 17 here, similarly to the options previously available for the timer protrusion 24 and the switch 17 has been described.

Furthermore, the most varied possible combinations of all these factors are: material properties, elasticity, surface, shape, adjacent angles, etc. conceivable, depending on what result you want to achieve.

The type and pressure strength of the compression spring 7 and the compression spring 6 also play an important role.

The constructionally specified closing time would expediently be longer for writing instruments with normal writing inks which are less prone to drying out, e.g. 15 minutes, and correspondingly shorter for writing instruments with fast-evaporating, alcoholic inks, e.g. 5 minutes. The individual controllability could be designed, for example, to extend the set closing time up to three times, the present exemplary embodiment also having a setting (D = continuous operation) in order to switch off the automatic closure (FIG. 8).

On the other hand, a position "W" would also be possible, where the shoulder 17 falls away completely and the writing lead 4 can be pulled out and changed.

On the other hand, if you want to close the writing instrument in the writing state (FIG. 1a) immediately, for example to take it with you, you simply press the locking button 27, which is located at the end of the rear lever of the grip zone part 3 (FIG. 2). As a result, the time switch projection 24 is immediately unlocked from the shoulder 17 without a time delay (FIG. 2) and the writing lead 4 slides under the pressure of the spring 7 into the writing instrument, where the writing tip 9 is hermetically sealed again by the closure 1 (FIG. 1b).

Claims (19)

1. Liquid writing implement comprising an advanceable cartridge (4) arranged in a housing (2), a closure (12) closing a writing tip or nib (9) of the retracted cartridge, and means for advancing and retracting the cartridge and opening the closure, and a retaining element for retaining the cartridge in the writing position, characterized by a time switch element cooperating with the retaining element and delaying the release of the retaining element, the retracting of the cartridge and the closing of the writing tip or nib by a predetermined or adjustable period of time.
2. Writing implement according to claim 1, characterized in that said delay time period starts when the cartridge (4) is brought into the writing position.
3. Writing implement according to claim 1, characterized in that means are provided for detecting the end of the writing operation and for starting the delay time period on detection of the end of the writing operation.
4. Writing implement according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that the time-switch-element consists of a cam member (24) which is connected to the housing (2) and engages a counter member (17) which is mounted on the cartridge (4) of the writing implement.
5. Writing implement according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the cam member (24) lies in the grip zone of the writing implement in order to prevent the release of the retaining element.
6. Writing implement according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that at least the counter member (17) has an inclined surface from which the cam member (24) comes free by lateral yielding after defined interval of time.
7. Writing implement according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that the inclined surface and/or cam member (24) has a roughened surface.
8. Writing implement according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that the counter member (17) on the cartridge comprises a plurality of inclined surfaces of different inclinations to enable different closure times to be set by turning and setting the cartridge (4).
9. Writing implement according to claim 8, characterized in that the difference in the inclination of the surface is continuous.
10. Writing implement according to any one of claims 4 to 9, characterized in that the counter member (17) on the cartridge comprises a plurality of inclined surfaces of different roughness.
11. Writing implement according to any one of claims 4 to 10, characterized in that the cam member (24) or the inclined surfaces are coated with soft plastic or soft rubber.
12. Writing implement according to any one of claims 4 to 11, characterized in that the cam member (24) is arranged on a lever (3) which is tiltably mounted on the housing (2) and the one end (25) of which engages behind the housing on the tip side.
13. Writing implement according to any one of claims 4 to 12, characterized in that the other end (27) of the lever (3) is freely accessible for manual release of the time switch element from outside the housing (2).
14. Writing implement according to any one of claims 4 to 13, characterized in that the portion of the lever between the cam member (24) and the free end (27) is made flexurally stiffer than that between the cam member (24) and rearwardly engaging end (25).
15. Writing implement according to any one of claims 4 to 14, characterized in that the counter member (17) is in engagement in the closed state of the writing implement with a further cam member (18) on the housing (2).
16. Writing implement according to any one of claims 4 to 15, characterized in that the inclined surface at a predetermined portion of the cartridge periphery comprises a recess to enable the cartridge to be withdrawn from the housing (2).
17. Writing implement according to any one of claims 4 to 16, characterized in that the cam member (24) is a pivot flap which is connected to the housing (2) and which on advancing the cartridge (4) is tilted so that it holds the cartridge (4) in a locked position of defined instability.
18. Writing implement according to any one of claims 4 to 17, characterized in that the lever (3) is biased towards the cartridge (4).
19. Writing implement according to any one of claims 4 to 18, characterized in that a closure portion (12) of the automatic cap bears in the writing position under pressure on the cartridge tip (14) and thereby retards the release of the locked position.

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