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
  • B43K5/02—Ink reservoirs
  • B43K5/06—Ink reservoirs with movable pistons for withdrawing ink from an ink-receptacle
  • B43K5/08—Ink reservoirs with movable pistons for withdrawing ink from an ink-receptacle with ink-supplying valves

Definitions

• This invention is concerned with writing instruments, and in particular relates to a reservoir pen in which a valve is provided to control flow of ink from an ink channel to the underside of a nib, the valve being opened in response to nib movements when the pen is in use.
• a pen of the above kind is described in our European Patent No. EP 0472660 and has a valve member which extends through a hole in the nib and which is biased into sealing contact with the valve seat by a leaf spring positioned above the nib.
• the valve member In use, when the nib flexes upwardly, the valve member is lifted away from the seat, against the bias of the spring, by the nib.
• the need to provide the hole in the nib is an inconvenience from a manufacturing viewpoint, and the nib performance can be impaired by the nib being responsible for the valve opening.
• the present invention addresses the shortcomings of the known construction and as an alternative it provides a reservoir pen comprising a valve for controlling flow of ink from an ink channel to the underside of a nib, the valve including a seat and a valve member springingly biased away from the seat for opening the valve and arranged to be urged by the nib against the spring bias and into sealing contact with the seat.
• the nib does not require a hole to accommodate the valve member and its flexing characteristics are not influenced by having to lift the valve member off of the seat.
• the spring bias may be exerted by a separate spring element, such as a leaf spring, by the valve member which for this purpose can be provided with a resilient portion, conveniently formed as an annular flange, or by a deformable valve seat member which is deformed by the valve member from a position in which they are not sealingly engaged to a position in which sealing engagement is established.
• a separate spring element such as a leaf spring
• Figure 1 shows the forward end part of a first embodiment in axial cross-section
• Figure 2 is a plan view of the spring element incorporated in the pen of Figure 1 ;
• Figure 3 is a transverse cross-section through the feed bar of the pen of Figure 1 and taken along the line III-III;
• Figure 4 is an axial cross-section through the forward end part of a second pen embodying the invention;
• Figure 5 shows on an enlarged scale the valve of the pen of Figure 4.
• Figure 6 is a plan view of the feed bar of the pen shown in Figure 4.
• Figure 7 shows in plan view the feed bar of the pen shown in Figure 4.
• Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to Figure 4 and showing the valve opened;
• Figure 9 illustrates a modified form of valve for the pen shown in Figure 4;
• Figure 10 is an axial cross-section through a front end part of a third pen embodying the invention with the valve closed;
• Figure 11 is a transverse cross-section taken along the line XI-XI of Figure 10, but with the nib omitted;
• Figures 12 and 13 are views corresponding to Figures 10 and 11 but showing the valve opened;
• Figure 14 is a plan view of the valve seat member of the pen of Figures 11 to 13;
• Figures 15 and 16 are enlarged scale views showing the valve components of the pen of Figures 11-14 in the open and closed positions, respectively;
• Figure 17 is a plan view showing the reservoir pen of Figures 4 to 8 equipped with an alterative form of nib
• Figure 18 is a plan view showing the reservoir pen of Figures 4 to 8 equipped with another alternative form of nib;
• Figure 19 shows in axial cross-section the forward end part of a further embodiment of a reservoir according to the invention;
• Figure 20 shows the pen of Figure 19 in plan view
• Figure 21 is a cross-section corresponding to Figure 19 but showing the valve open
• Figure 22 is an axial section through the forward end part of another pen embodying the invention
• Figure 23 is a plan view of the pen shown in Figure 22;
• Figure 24 is a transverse cross-section taken along line XX-XX in Figure 22, shown on an enlarged scale.
• Illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 is a reservoir pen, or more especially a fountain pen, having a nib and feed bar assembly fitted within the forward end of a barrel 1 by a sleeve 2.
• the feed bar 3 includes an ink channel 4 for conducting ink from an ink reservoir chamber 5 to the underside of the nib 6 under control of a valve described in detail below.
• the forward end part of the nib has a slit 6A to provide a capillary for conducting ink to the writing tip.
• the ink channel includes a flow restrictor 7 which determines the maximum flow rate of ink when the valve is opened.
• the upper side of the feed bar 3 includes a part spherical recess 8 in which a valve member 9 is accommodated and which defines a valve seat 11 extending about a laterally directed ink port 10 communicating with the ink charnel 4.
• a capillary slot 12 is also provided in the feed bar for delivery of ink to the underside of the nib 6 when the valve is opened.
• the valve member 9 includes a substantially hemispherical sealing portion 14 for cooperation with the valve seat 11, a short section of constant diameter, and an enlarged head 15 with a domed top and which defines a shoulder to provide an annular abutment surface 16 against which a spring element 17 can act.
• the spring element is a leaf spring which includes a ring 18 through which the valve member 9 extends, a spring strip 19 and an anchorage plate 27 which is secured within a recess 28 provided on the upper side of the feed bar 3.
• the nib 6 bears on the top of the valve member 9 and presses the hemispherical portion 14 into sealing contact with the valve seat 11 thereby preventing flow of ink through the port 10 from the ink channel 4.
• the leaf spring 17 is flexed downwardly when the valve is closed.
• the pen illustrated in Figures 4 to 8 differs from that of Figures 1 to 3 in that the leaf spring is omitted and the valve member 9 is adapted to provide the spring bias for lifting the valve member away from the seat 11 when the nib 6 is deflected away from the feed bar 3.
• the enlarged head 15 of the valve member has an annular notch or groove 20 so that the flange 21 formed by the outer edge portion can flex resiliently.
• the recess 8 of the feed bar 3 accommodating the valve member includes a conical valve seat 11 , and an annular step 22 providing a surface for engagement by the flange 21.
• An upstanding rib 23 is provided on the step 22 to facilitate flexing of the flange 21 when the valve member 9 is pressed down into sealing contact with the valve seat 11 by the nib 6.
• valve operation is largely the same as described above in connection with the first embodiment.
• the peripheral flange 21 of the valve member 9 flattens out from is deformed condition and lifts the sealing portion 14 away from the seat 11 so that the valve is opened allowing ink to pass into the ink slot 12 and to the nib 6.
• the capillary slot 12 extends rearwardly from the opening defined by the valve seat and the slit part of the nib 6 remains in contact with the feed bar at the rearward extremity of the slot 12 when the nib is deflected to open the valve so that there is maintained a continuous capillary path from the valve to the writing tip of the nib when the nib is flexed away from the feed bar and the valve is opened.
• the capillary slot 12 is shown extending forwardly from the valve as well as rearwardly, the forward section of the slot 12 may be omitted.
• the resilient peripheral flange 21 is located at a medial position on the valve member 9, but the valve operates to open and close the ink supply path in the same way as the valve of Figures 3 to 6.
• the fountain pen illustrated in Figures 10 to 15 has a spherical valve member 9 in the form a hard ball, and the valve seat is provided by a resiliently deformable disc 30 mounted on an annular support shoulder 31 within the feed bar 3. At the centre of the disc 30 is a through hole 32 and disposed around the hole are three uniformly spaced slots 33, when the valve member 9 rests on the valve seat member 30 without the latter being deformed (Figs. 12, 13 and 15) the valve is open as the slots 33 ensure a flow path for ink from the ink channel 4 to the nib 6.
• the nib 6 normally urges the valve member 9 downwardly so that the valve seat member 30 is deformed and sealing contact is established between the valve member and the seat surface 11 of the disc 30, as shown in Figures 10, 11 and 16, the valve then being closed to shut off the ink flow path to the nib 6.
• the valve seat member 30 under its own resilience returns to a substantially flat condition moving the valve member 9 away from the seat 11 so that the valve is opened.
• FIGS 17 and 18 Illustrated in Figures 17 and 18 are two alternative forms of nib which can be used in the pen of Figures 4 to 8 in place of the nib 6.
• the nib 61 shown in Figure 17 has a resilient portion 62 confined between parallel longitudinal slots 63 which terminate at a distance from the rear end of the nib.
• the nib 65 shown in Figure 18 has a shorter resiliently flexible portion 66 confined by L- shaped slots 68.
• the provision of a resilient section 62 or 66 of narrow width in comparison with the nib as a whole can allow greater control over the nib flexibility and hence better control over the operation of the ink valve.
• the nibs 61 and 65 of Figures 17 and 18 have slits 6A defining capillaries for conveying ink to their writing tips.
• the fountain pen illustrated in Figures 19, 20 and 21 is a modified form of that illustrated in Figures 4 and 8, and only the differences will be described.
• the nib 6 has a slit 6B defining a capillary for conducting ink to the writing tip, which slit 6B extends rearwardly to a position at which the nib is held by a surrounding sleeve 70 from moving out of contact with the feed bar 3.
• the slit 12 in the feed bar similarly extends, rearwardly to a position in which the nib is held against moving out of contact with the feed bar, for example when the nib flexes to open the valve as depicted in Figure 21.
• the nib 6 and feed bar 3 are so arranged that a T-shaped ink channel 80 is confined between them.
• the lateral sections 81 of the T-shaped channel it is ensured that a continuous route for ink flow is maintained even if the nib slit 6B should wander out of register with the slot 12.
• the depth of the lateral sections of the T-shaped channel is kept small so that the capillary action of the slot 12 and/or slit 6B is not compromised.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Pens And Brushes (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=10852101

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (8)

Family Cites Families (3)

• 1999
  • 1999-04-22 GB GBGB9909326.2A patent/GB9909326D0/en not_active Ceased
• 2000
  • 2000-04-20 KR KR1020017013465A patent/KR20020010610A/ko not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2000-04-20 JP JP2000613663A patent/JP2002542092A/ja active Pending
  • 2000-04-20 WO PCT/US2000/010889 patent/WO2000064689A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2000-04-20 CN CN00806522A patent/CN1356941A/zh active Pending
  • 2000-04-20 EP EP00928311A patent/EP1171315A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2000-04-20 AU AU46568/00A patent/AU4656800A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2000-04-20 MX MXPA01010661A patent/MXPA01010661A/es active IP Right Grant

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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