EP0837779B1 - Instrument de marquage - Google Patents

Instrument de marquage Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0837779B1
EP0837779B1 EP96924317A EP96924317A EP0837779B1 EP 0837779 B1 EP0837779 B1 EP 0837779B1 EP 96924317 A EP96924317 A EP 96924317A EP 96924317 A EP96924317 A EP 96924317A EP 0837779 B1 EP0837779 B1 EP 0837779B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
feed member
diaphragm
marking
cavity
instrument according
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP96924317A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0837779A1 (fr
Inventor
Roy Nicoll
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Berol Corp
Original Assignee
Gillette Co LLC
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Gillette Co LLC filed Critical Gillette Co LLC
Publication of EP0837779A1 publication Critical patent/EP0837779A1/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0837779B1 publication Critical patent/EP0837779B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B43—WRITING OR DRAWING IMPLEMENTS; BUREAU ACCESSORIES
    • B43K—IMPLEMENTS FOR WRITING OR DRAWING
    • B43K5/00—Pens with ink reservoirs in holders, e.g. fountain-pens
    • B43K5/18—Arrangements for feeding the ink to the nibs
    • B43K5/1818—Mechanical feeding means, e.g. valves; Pumps
    • B43K5/1827—Valves
    • B43K5/1836—Valves automatically closing
    • B43K5/1845—Valves automatically closing opened by actuation of the writing point
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B43—WRITING OR DRAWING IMPLEMENTS; BUREAU ACCESSORIES
    • B43K—IMPLEMENTS FOR WRITING OR DRAWING
    • B43K5/00—Pens with ink reservoirs in holders, e.g. fountain-pens
    • B43K5/18—Arrangements for feeding the ink to the nibs
    • B43K5/1818—Mechanical feeding means, e.g. valves; Pumps
    • B43K5/1827—Valves
    • B43K5/1836—Valves automatically closing
    • B43K5/1845—Valves automatically closing opened by actuation of the writing point
    • B43K5/1854—Valves automatically closing opened by actuation of the writing point mounted on ink-cartridges

Definitions

  • This invention is concerned with marking instruments of a kind in which a supply of marking fluid is stored in a reservoir and is delivered to a marking tip under control of a valve device arranged so that the reservoir is isolated when the instrument is not in use, e.g., so that leakage and/or dry out problems do not arise.
  • the invention relates especially, but not necessarily exclusively, to writing instruments and is applicable to highlighter pens, felt tip pens, fibre tip pens, ball-point pens, roller ball pens and to pens of other types.
  • a marking instrument having a valve device comprising a diaphragm with a central hole through which extends a feed member having a feed channel for conducting marking fluid to the marking tip.
  • the inner end of the feed channel opens through radially directed ports which are normally closed by being covered by the inner peripheral surface of the diaphragm.
  • the feed member is adapted to retract under normal writing forces experienced due to the marking tip being applied against a surface, this retraction causing the diaphragm to deflect so that it lifts clear of the ports and thereby opens up communication between the feed channel and a reservoir chamber defined rearwardly of the valve.
  • EP-A-556440 is also concerned with a diaphragm valve controlled passage for conveying fluid (ink) to a writing tip.
  • a marking instrument including a reservoir chamber, a marking tip at the forward end thereof, a feed member with a channel for conducting marking fluid supplied from said reservoir chamber to said marking tip, the channel having an inlet port at a peripheral surface of the feed member, and a resilient valve member surrounding and arranged to seal against said peripheral surface for isolating the channel from the reservoir chamber, said feed member being retractable to deflect the valve member to open the port to the reservoir chamber, characterized in that a cavity is defined between the valve member and the feed member to communicate with the port, deflection of the valve member in a direction to open the port causing the volume of the cavity to diminish and deflection in the other direction causing the volume of the cavity to increase.
  • the cavity can be formed by a recess, e.g. a circumferential groove, in the peripheral surface of the feed member preferably located adjacent a shoulder provided on the feed member for abutment with the valve member.
  • the cavity can be formed by shaping the valve member, such as by providing a valve diaphragm with a tapered surface for co-operation with the peripheral surface of the feed member.
  • the cavity is constituted by a portion of the port, the port being dimensioned so that an element of the valved member moves into the port portion when the valve is opened and moves out again when the valve is closed.
  • marking fluid When marking fluid can occupy a space adjacent a forward edge of a diaphragm, there is a risk that the fluid can leak through and reach the exterior of the feed member in front of the engagement between the diaphragm and the feed member. Such leakage is undesirable as it may lead to malfunction or result in marking fluid leaking from the instrument.
  • the present invention seeks to avoid the leakage problem and provides a writing instrument comprising a feed member with a channel for conducting to a marking tip marking fluid supplied from a reservoir chamber, the channel having an inlet port at a peripheral surface of the feed member, the exterior of the feed member being stepped to define a shoulder in front of said peripheral surface and an outer surface extending forwardly from the shoulder, and a resilient diaphragm surrounding and arranged to seal against the peripheral surface for isolating the port from the reservoir chamber, the diaphragm being arranged to seal constantly against said outer surface.
  • the diaphragm has an integral skirt projecting forwardly and in sealing engagement with said outer surface of the feed member.
  • the diaphragm skirt may be arranged to closely surround the outer surface of the feed member, e.g. adjacent to and forwardly from the shoulder. However, a particularly effective seal is obtained if the skirt is equipped with an inner lip, such as at its free end, for sealing contact with the feed member, which can also ease manufacture.
  • the diaphragm can conveniently serve to confine the reservoir chamber and its outer edge can be adapted to seal between two body parts of the marking instrument.
  • the marking instrument is arranged to receive a replaceable cartridge containing marking fluid, and comprises a seal element for co-operation with a forward end of the cartridge, said seal element being integral with a diaphragm which controls flow of marking fluid to a marking tip.
  • the seal element may be an elongate cylindrical sleeve into which a forward end portion of the cartridge is inserted with a push fit. To provide greater stiffness to the sleeve it can be reinforced externally.
  • a tubular carrier of stiffer material surrounds the sleeve and is united with the sleeve due to the seal component and carrier being formed in one piece as a two part moulding.
  • the marking instrument illustrated in Figure 1 is a ball-point pen.
  • the pen has a body including a barrel 1, only the front end portion of which is shown, enclosing a reservoir chamber 2 for storage of a volume of ink.
  • the reservoir chamber can be of such a kind that its internal volume reduces as the ink is used up.
  • the rear end of the chamber can be closed by an ink follower, such as a grease plug, which moves along the chamber to follow the ink column contained in the chamber as the ink is consumed. In this way it is unnecessary to supply replacement air to the chamber to take up the space vacated by the ink as it is used.
  • an ink follower such as a grease plug
  • the pen body includes a nose 3 with a tapering cone portion having a stepped axial bore, and a rearwardly directed cylindrical portion into which the forward end of the barrel 1 is fitted.
  • a feed member 4 is axially slidable in the nose bore and includes a feed channel 5 for conducting ink to the ball-point tip 6. Adjacent the rear end of the feed member the feed channel opens through radially directed ports 7 at a cylindrical peripheral sealing surface of the feed member.
  • An annular diaphragm 8 surrounds the peripheral sealing surface and is arranged to cover the ports 7 in order to close communication between the reservoir chamber and feed channel 5.
  • the front face of the diaphragm is in abutment with a shoulder 9 provided on the feed member, and formed integrally with the diaphragm and projecting forwardly from it is a skirt 10 with an inwardly directed sealing lip 11 at this free end which seals against the outer surface 12 of the feed member at a distance in front of the shoulder.
  • the outer edge of the diaphragm is flanged for this edge to be held securely between the barrel 1 and nose 3 and to provide a seal to prevent leakage of ink from the reservoir chamber.
  • a cavity 14 is formed by a recess 15 in the peripheral surface of the feed member, this cavity being in communication with the ports 7.
  • the feed member 4 retracts into the pen body and causes the inner part of the diaphragm to deflect rearwardly and the rear edge to lift away from the peripheral sealing surface of the feed member so that the ports 7 are opened and ink can flow from the reservoir chamber into the feed channel for delivery to the tip.
  • the forward inner edge of the diaphragm tends to move rearwardly away from the shoulder and inwardly into the cavity 14, thereby reducing the cavity volume.
  • the cavity 14 is defined by a tapered surface 16 on the diaphragm.
  • the operation remains essentially the same, the diaphragm tending to reduce the volume of the cavity when the valve is opened, and tending to increase the volume again after the valve is closed during forward displacement of the feed member.
  • the cavity could be defined by a combination of a recess in the feed member and relieving the diaphragm surface so that it is clear of the peripheral sealing surface at the forward inner edge of the diaphragm.
  • a similar effect to a tapered diaphragm as depicted in Figure 2 can be obtained by a diaphragm which in the normal rest position extends outwardly, at a small angle to the radial direction, rearwardly away from the marking tip.
  • a diaphragm which in the normal rest position extends outwardly, at a small angle to the radial direction, rearwardly away from the marking tip.
  • the pen illustrated in Figure 3 is basically similar to that of Figure 1, but it is adapted to receive a replaceable ink cartridge 20 having at its forward end a cylindrical boss 21.
  • the rear end face of the nose 3 defines a stop against which a flange 22 on the cartridge abuts.
  • the diaphragm 8 has an integral rearwardly extending sleeve 24 for sealing around the boss 21 of the cartridge.
  • a tubular carrier 25 To impart greater structural strength to the sealing component with a view to easing handling and assembly and to avoiding distortion in use, such as when the boss 21 is pushed into the sleeve, it is surrounded by a tubular carrier 25. Consequently the carrier and sealing component are manufactured together as a two part moulding.
  • the pen valve illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 is substantially similar to that of Figure 1, the main difference being that instead of an annular groove the cavity is defined by a portion of the or each port 7 located adjacent the shoulder 9 of the feed member 4.
  • an element 31 of the diaphragm 8 enters the said portion of the port as depicted in Figure 5, and causes an initial positive pressure to be created in the feed channel 5 before communication between the port 7 and the reservoir chamber is established.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Pens And Brushes (AREA)
  • Coating Apparatus (AREA)
  • Loading And Unloading Of Fuel Tanks Or Ships (AREA)
  • Check Valves (AREA)

Claims (10)

  1. Instrument de marquage comportant une chambre de réservoir (2), un bout de marquage (6) placé à son extrémité avant, un organe d'alimentation (4) ayant un canal (5) destiné à conduire le fluide de marquage provenant de la chambre de réservoir (2) au bout de marquage (6), le canal ayant un orifice d'entrée (7) à une surface périphérique de l'organe d'alimentation, et un organe obturateur élastique (8) entourant la surface périphérique et coopérant de façon étanche avec celle-ci pour isoler le canal de la chambre de réservoir, l'organe d'alimentation (4) étant rétractable afin qu'il fasse fléchir l'organe obturateur (8) et ouvre l'orifice (7) vers la chambre de réservoir (2), caractérisé en ce qu'une cavité (14) est délimitée entre l'organe obturateur (8) et l'organe d'alimentation (4) afin qu'elle communique avec l'orifice, le fléchissement de l'organe obturateur dans le sens qui ouvre l'orifice (7) provoquant une diminution du volume de la cavité (14), et le fléchissement dans l'autre sens provoquant une augmentation du volume de la cavité.
  2. Instrument de marquage selon la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce que la cavité (14) est formée au moins en partie par un évidemment (15) de l'organe d'alimentation (4) à proximité de l'orifice (7).
  3. Instrument de marquage selon la revendication 1 ou 2, caractérisé en ce que la cavité est constituée au moins partiellement par une partie de l'orifice dans laquelle un élément de l'organe obturateur est déplacé lorsque la soupape est déplacée pour l'ouverture de l'orifice.
  4. Instrument de marquage selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1, 2 et 3, caractérisé en ce que la cavité est formée partiellement par la surface (16) de l'organe obturateur (8) placée en face de la surface périphérique qui est dégagée vers un bord avant de la surface.
  5. Instrument de marquage selon la revendication 4, caractérisé en ce que ladite surface (16) de l'organe obturateur (8) a une forme tronconique.
  6. Instrument de marquage selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1 à 5, caractérisé en ce que l'organe obturateur est un diaphragme (8) dont la face avant est en appui contre un épaulement (9) formé sur l'organe d'alimentation (4), la cavité (14) étant adjacente à l'épaulement (9).
  7. Instrument de marquage selon la revendication 6, caractérisé en ce que l'organe d'alimentation (4) possède une surface externe (12) qui s'étend vers l'avant de l'épaulement (9), et en ce que le diaphragme a une jupe solidaire (10) qui s'étend vers l'avant en coopération étanche avec la surface externe (12).
  8. Instrument de marquage selon la revendication 7, caractérisé en ce que la jupe (10) est en coopération étanche avec l'organe d'alimentation (4) à l'extrémité libre de la jupe.
  9. Instrument de marquage selon la revendication 7 ou 8, caractérisé en ce que la jupe (10) est placée à distance à l'extérieur de la surface externe (12) de l'organe d'alimentation (4) et a une lèvre interne (11) destinée à coopérer de manière étanche avec ladite surface.
  10. Instrument de marquage selon l'une quelconque des revendications 6 à 9, caractérisé en ce que la chambre de réservoir comprend une cartouche remplaçable (20), et en ce que le diaphragme (8) a un élément solidaire d'étanchéité (24) destiné à coopérer de façon étanche autour d'une extrémité avant de la cartouche.
EP96924317A 1995-06-30 1996-06-27 Instrument de marquage Expired - Lifetime EP0837779B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GBGB9513391.4A GB9513391D0 (en) 1995-06-30 1995-06-30 Marking instrument
GB9513391 1995-06-30
PCT/US1996/010993 WO1997002148A1 (fr) 1995-06-30 1996-06-27 Instrument de marquage

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0837779A1 EP0837779A1 (fr) 1998-04-29
EP0837779B1 true EP0837779B1 (fr) 2000-11-15

Family

ID=10776952

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP96924317A Expired - Lifetime EP0837779B1 (fr) 1995-06-30 1996-06-27 Instrument de marquage

Country Status (13)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0837779B1 (fr)
JP (1) JPH11512981A (fr)
AR (1) AR002578A1 (fr)
AU (1) AU712990B2 (fr)
BR (1) BR9609655A (fr)
CA (1) CA2220379A1 (fr)
CO (1) CO4520201A1 (fr)
DE (1) DE69610981T2 (fr)
ES (1) ES2152032T3 (fr)
GB (1) GB9513391D0 (fr)
TR (1) TR199701735T1 (fr)
TW (1) TW354289B (fr)
WO (1) WO1997002148A1 (fr)

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB9120517D0 (en) * 1991-09-26 1991-11-06 Gillette Co Marking instruments
JP2679918B2 (ja) * 1992-02-17 1997-11-19 二郎 堀 筆記具
GB9422906D0 (en) * 1994-11-14 1995-01-04 Gillette Co Writing/marking instrument

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0837779A1 (fr) 1998-04-29
ES2152032T3 (es) 2001-01-16
TR199701735T1 (xx) 1998-04-21
JPH11512981A (ja) 1999-11-09
WO1997002148A1 (fr) 1997-01-23
GB9513391D0 (en) 1995-09-06
AU6480396A (en) 1997-02-05
AR002578A1 (es) 1998-03-25
TW354289B (en) 1999-03-11
BR9609655A (pt) 1999-04-06
DE69610981D1 (de) 2000-12-21
DE69610981T2 (de) 2001-06-13
CA2220379A1 (fr) 1997-01-23
AU712990B2 (en) 1999-11-18
CO4520201A1 (es) 1997-10-15
MX9709938A (es) 1998-03-31

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