GB2177295A

GB2177295A - Writing or painting instrument

Info

Publication number: GB2177295A
Application number: GB08613044A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Yoshiomi Konose
Original assignee: Mitsubishi Pencil Co Ltd
Current assignee: Mitsubishi Pencil Co Ltd
Priority date: 1985-05-29
Filing date: 1986-05-29
Publication date: 1987-01-21
Also published as: FR2582581B1; GB8613044D0; IT8620593A0; IT1204878B; FR2582581A1; DE3617930A1; GB2177295B

Abstract

A writing or painting instrument comprises a cartridge-like ink reservoir 8 which is detachably attached to a main body 1 of the instrument. The reservoir integrally contains a valve spring support 11 of a valve unit with the valve unit components assembled with the reservoir to simplify the instrument construction, assembly and other manufacturing processes thereof and further to reduce production costs. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Writing or painting instrument The present invention relates to a writing or painting instrument having a valve unit for controlling the flow of writing or painting fluid to a tip of the instrument.

As used herein the term "writing instrument" includes a so-called writing brush, while the term "painting instrument" includes a manicure liquid applying instrument.

Hitherto, various kinds of such writing or painting instruments (hereinafter referred to simply as writing instruments) have been provided.

However, such a conventional writing instrument has an ink reservoir and a valve unit separate from one another forming separated units. The number of components required in this conventional writing instrument is therefore considerable, making assembly of the instrument complicated and time consuming with a consequently high assembly cost.

Further, since the reservoir and the valve unit are quite separate units, the reservoir cannot be formed into a cartridge to enable the reservoir to be detachable or exchangeable.

The present invention seeks to provide an improved writing or painting instrument.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a writing or painting instrument having a reservoir for receiving writing or painting fluid and a valve unit for controlling the flow of said fluid from the reservoir to a tip of said instrument, wherein a support for a valve spring of said valve unit is formed integrally within said reservoir.

The present invention also provides a cartridge for a writing or painting instrument for receiving writing or painting fluid, the cartridge comprising a reservoir and a valve unit for controlling the flow of said fluid to a tip of the instrument, said valve unit having a valve closure, a valve seat; a valve spring for urging said valve closure towards said valve seat and a valve spring support; wherein said support is formed integrally within said reservoir and said valve spring, said valve closure seat are assembled with said reservoir.

The present invention further provides a writing or painting instrument having a main body and a reservoir detachably connected to said main body for feeding writing or painting fluid to a tip of said instrument; said cartridge comprising a valve unit for controlling the flow of writing or painting fluid from said reservoir to said tip, the valve unit havinga valve spring support integrally within said reservoir, a valve closure, a valve seat and a valve spring for urging said valve closure towards said valve seat and said valve clousre, valve seat and valve spring being assembled with said reservoir; wherein said mainbody comprises connection means detachably connected to said valve unit for feeding fluid from said valve unit to said tips and wherein one of said main body and said cartridge further comprises a sealing means for sealing said connection means to said reservoir and means for releasably retaining said cartridge in engagement with said main body.

It is preferable that the components of the valve unit are assembled with the reservoir in an integral manner.

The present invention is further described hereinafter, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a writing brush provided with a cartridge-like reservoir according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through a marking pen provided with a spring support according to the present invention; and Figure 3 is a longitudinal section through a further embodiment of a marking pen according to the present invention.

In Figure 1, the reference character "A" denotes a writing brush and the reference numeral 1 denotes a tubular outer shaft of the writing brush to a front end of which is threadably connected a tubular front shaft 2.

A feed pipe 3 for ink and the like and a plug 4 abutting against a front end surface and radial flange of the ink feed pipe 3 are clamped and fixed between a front end of the outer shaft 1 and an internal shoulder of the front shaft 2. On the side of the plug 4 remote from the feed pipe 3 a brush core 5 is fixed to the front shaft 2 to be held therein while covered with a holder 6. The brush core 5 is fixed to the front shaft 2 to be held therein while covered with a holder 6. The brush core 5 communicates with the ink feed pipe 3 through an opening 4a which is provided in a central portion of the plug 4.

A cartridge-like inner shaft 8 is detachably and axially movably mounted inside the outer shaft 1 so as to be reciprocable therein.

The cartridge-like inner shaft 8 is constructed as an ink reservoir 9 with a valve unit integrally provided in a front end portion of the inner shaft 8 and a tail plug 10 for sealing (e.g. hermetically) the rear end of the inner shaft 8.

The valve unit is constructed of a spring support 11 integrally provided internally of the inner shaft 8; a valve closure member 12; a valve seat 13; a seal 14; a securing sleeve 15; and a spring 16 mounted between the spring support 11 and the valve stem 12.

The spring support 11 is constructed of a preferably annular base portion 1 7 projecting inwardly from an inner wall.of the inner shaft 8 and a tubular element 18 extending rearwardly from the base portion 17. In a rear end portion of the tubular element 18, there is provided a shoulder 19 for receiving one end of the spring 16. The tubular element 18 is coaxially disposed in the inner shaft 8. The tubular element 18 receives the closure member 12 which has a cylindrical stem and is formed with a shoulder 20 adjacent the front end of the valve closure 12 for receiving the other end of the spring 16, and a valve portion 21 provided with a tapered front end.

The valve portion 21 of the valve closure 12 is always urged toward the front end of the outer shaft 1 by the spring 16 so as to be brought into a sealing contact with the annular valve seat 13 which abuts against the base portion 17 of the spring support 11. The securing sleeve 15 is threadably connected to the front end of the inner shaft 8 and clamps an annular seal 14 between itself and the valve seat 13. Since the ink received in the reservoir 9 of the inner shaft 8 is prevented from leaking by means of the tail plug 10 and the valve unit when closed, the inner shaft 8 can be detachably inserted in the outer shaft 1 in a cartridge-like manner.

When the cartridge-like inner shaft 8 is inserted into the outer shaft 1 from the rear end of the same, the ink feed pipe 3 secured within the outer shaft 1 passes through the securing sleeve 15, annular seal 14 and the valve seat 13 to enter the inner shaft 8, with the rear end of the ink feed pipe 3 abutting against the valve closure 12 and being retained in such condition, while the seal 14 seals the ink feed pipe 3 to the shaft 8 over its full circumference. In order to prevent the cartridge-like inner shaft 8 fromn falling out of the outer shaft 1 by accident, a cap 22 is threadably connected to the rear end of the outer shaft 1 and abuts the plug 10.

When a cover of the brush tip is removed from the brush and fitted into the tail plug and the cover is then pressed with a force greater than the resilient force of the spring 16 the inner shaft 8 is pushed towards the front end of the writing instrument, the engagement established between the valve stem 12 and the valve seat 13 is resolved because the valve closure 12 abuts against the ink feed pipe 3 and is prevented from moving forward while the valve seat 13 is carried forward with the inner shaft 8. As a result the valve unit opens and ink leaks between the valve stem 12 and the valve seat 13 to flow into the ink feed pipe 3, and is then fed to the brush core 5. The annular seal 14 prevents ink from flowing forward between the shaft 8 and ink feed pipe.When the pressure applied to the rear end of the writing instrument is removed, the inner shaft 8 is moved rearwardly by the resilient force of the spring 16 acting on the spring support 11 of the inner shaft 8, so that the valve seat 13 engages with the valve closure 12 once again.

When the inner shaft 8 is removed from the outer shaft 1, through the rear end of the latter the engagement established between the valve seat 13 and the valve stem 12 is maintained by the resilient force of the spring 16 so that there is no problem of leakage of ink, while any ink having accumulated in the space between the valve closure 12 and the seal 14 is substantially wiped from the ink feed pipe surface by the seal 14 and is therefore recovered and prevented from entering the ink feed pipe 3. This reduces the possibility of occurrence of ink stains.

As described above, the inner shaft 8 serves as the ink reservoir integrated with the valve unit, which gives the inner shaft 8 a relatively simple construction and facilitates its assembly while further providing a cartridgelike construction.

In Figure 2, the reference character B denotes a marking pen and the reference numeral 23 denotes a main body provided with a reservoir 24 in its central hollow portion. A rear end of the main body 23 is hermetically closed by a tail plug 10' inserted into the end. The opposite, front end of the main body 23 has a valve unit which is substantially similar to that of the writing brush shown in Figure 1. In this valve unit of the marking pen B, each of a spring support 11', a spring 16' and a valve closure 12 has a construction similar to that of the valve unit of the writing brush shown in Figure 1, while in place of the annular seal 14 shown in Figure 1 an annular sponge member 25 is provided on the side of a valve seat 14' remote from the plug 10'. A tip 2' is threadably connnected to the end of the main body 23 remote from the plug 10'.

Each of the tip 2' and the sponge member 25 is provided with a central thin bore through which passes a pen core 26 having a cylindrical shape. The pen core 26 is connected to a front end of the valve closure 12'.

Since the valve closure 12' is urged forward by the resilient force of the spring 16', usually the valve closure 12' is sealingly engaged with the valve seat 14' to prevent ink in the reservoir portion 24 from leaking. When the pen core 26 is pushed rearward with a force greater than the resilient force of the spring 15', the valve closure 12' is moved rearward in the spring support 11' to open the valve and allow ink to flow through and be absorbed temporarily by the sponge member 25 through which the ink is fed to the pen core 26. Under such conditions, the sponge member 25 prevents the inks from flowing freely, and gradually feeds the ink to the pen core 26 so as to serve as a controlling means for feeding an adqeuate amount of the ink to the pen core 26.

In Figure 3, the reference character C denotes another marking pen having a construction different from that of the marking pen shown in Figure 1. The main body 23' is shaped into an integral ink reservoir 24' with a closed rear end. The spring support 11' is integrally formed as an extension of the front end opening edge portion of the main body 23' so as to form an inner bore of the same.

Each of the valve seat 14", sponge member 25" and the front tip 2" is disposed outside the main body 23'. However, there is substantially no difference in action and effect between the marking pens shown in Figures 2 and 3, and thus the valve unit of Figure 3 has substantially the same construction and action as the valve unit of the marking pen shown in Figure 2.

As described in the above, according to the present invention, the spring support employed in the valve unit is integrally formed within the ink reservoir so that there is no need to form the valve unit of separate components. This simplifies the construction, assembly and other manufacturing processes of the instrument.

Since the valve is integral with the ink reservoir, it is possible to shape the ink reservoir into a cartridge-like form, so that the ink reservoir can be detachably attached to the main body of the writing instrument.

Claims

1. A writing or painting instrument having a reservoir for receiving writing or painting fluid and a valve unit for controlling the flow of said fluid from the reservoir to a tip of said instrument, wherein a support for a valve spring of said valve unit is formed integrally within said reservoir.

2. A writing or painting instrument as claimed in claim 1, wherein said valve unit and said reservoir form a self-supporting assembly.

3. A cartridge for a writing or painting instrument for receiving writing or painting fluid, the cartridge comprising a reservoir and a valve unit for controlling the flow of said fluid to a tip of the instrument, said valve unit having a valve closure, a valve seat, a valve spring for urging said valve closure towards said valve seat and a valve spring support; wherein said support is formed integrally within said reservoir and said valve spring, said valve closure and said valve seat are assembled with said reservoir.

4. A cartridge as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a sealing means for sealing said cartridge to main body of said instrument when said cartridge is operably attached to said instrument.

5. A cartridge as claimed in claim 4, wherein: said sealing means comprises an 0ring.

6. A writing or painting instrument having a main body and a reservoir detachably connected to said main body for feeding writing or painting fluid to a tip of said instrument; said cartridge comprising a valve unit for controlling the flow of writing or painting fluid from said reservoir to said tip, the valve unit having a valve spring support integrally within said reservoir, a valve closure, a valve seat and a valve spring for urging said valve closure towards said valve seat and said valve clousure, valve seat and valve spring being assembled with said reservoir; wherein said main body comprises connection means detachably connected to said valve unit for feeding fluid from said valve unit to said tip and wherein one of said main body and said cartridge further comprises a sealing means for sealing said connection means to said reservoir and means for releasably retaining said cartridge in engagement with said main body.

7. A writing or painting instrument as claimed in claim 6 wherein said cartridge comprises said sealing means.

8. A writing or painting instrument as claimed in claim 6 or 7 wherein said sealing means comprises an O-ring.

9. A writing or painting instrument as claimed in claim 6, 7 or 8 wherein said retaining means comprises a cap-like member which is threadably connected to said main body of said writing or painting instrument.

10. A writing or painting instrument substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 or Figure 2 or Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.

11. A cartridge for a writing or painting instrument, for receiving writing or painting fluid, the cartridge being construction substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 or Figure 2 or Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.