GB2187141A - A pen having a cap connected to the body - Google Patents

Abstract

A pen or similar item comprising a protecting cap (14) for the writing tip (15) connected to the pen's body (12) by means of a spiral spring (18), the spring being an elastic means to keep in place the cap when it is positioned on the writing tip or on the pen's tail. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A pen having a cap connected to the body by means of a spring element The present application refers to pensorwriting objects. The pens known nowadays are generally provided with a separate cap which is applied on the pen for protecting the writing tip and is kept in place by friction.

Adisadvantageofsaid caps isthattheycan separatefrom the pen or get lost or be difficult to find when necessary.

Therefore many sistems are now being studiedto make the pen body and the cap integral so thatthis last is always easily available.

An object of this invention is to create a kind of pen in which body and cap are integral, the latter not being cumbersome and unconfortableforthe user when removed from the pen's writing tip.

This object has been achieved with a pen or writing object comprising a body, a writing tip protruding from the body, a cap for covering said writing tip, said cap being connected to the pen body by means of a spring element. The spring element generally comprises a single spiral spring passing in a through hole provided in the cap and anchored with the ends thereof at an intermediate position of the body's sides. The length of the spring element is chosen so that it should be stretched for both placing the cap on the writing tip or on the tail opposite to the writing tip so that two stable cap positions are fixed, one on the writing tip and the other on the tail.In this way not only an efficacious protection ofthewriting tip is provided but, besides, the cap can't get lost and can always be positioned on the pen thus forming a single group, so that it does notturn out to be bothersome for the writer.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention will be described hereunder reference being made to the enclosed drawings in which: Figure lisa front view of a pen according to this invention, shown in an open position; Figure2 is a right hand view of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a frontview of the pen, the same being in a closed position; Figure 3a shows an enlarged detail of the pen in exploded view; Figure 36 shows the detail in Figure 3a in an assembled condition; Figure 4is an enlarged interrupted side view ofthe pen, partially sectioned along plane 4-4 of Figure 1.

Reference being made to the drawings, a pen or writing object 10 according tothis application comprises a body 12 and a cap 14. Body 12 has any elongated shape wanted and particularly, in the example shown, it has a shape tapered from the tail portion 12a to the tip portion 12b.The pen tip portion carries a writing tip 15. At an intermediate longitudinal position of body 12 two stakes or protrusions 16 extend, their ends being engaged by spring element 18. Spring ,element 18 is preferably but not necessarily a single element and passes in a through hole 20 provided in the cap (obviously a modified embodiment having two elastic elements lies within the scope ofthis invention).Element 18 comprises a spiral spring and its length, when it is notsubjectedto stress, is at least slightly less than that allowing the cap to be placed on the tail or writing tip of the pen. Preferably the coupling ofthe spring to stake 16 is carried out as shown in Figures 3a and 3b, that is to say, one or more spring end rings are bent so that they substantially lie on a plane parallel to the spring axis and said rings are pushed on stake 16 where they remain anchored due to the existence of the enlarged head 16'. This assembly allows a very good rotation ofthe spring on stakes 16, the spring still being closely adjacent to the pen body.

Furthermore the cap is provided with a cavity 22 shaped to receive the writing tip and preferably a positioning projection 23to be housed in a positioning notch 24 provided on the tail part 1 2a of the body.

With the above mentioned configuration of the parts it is evident that when not using the pen, it is possible to place the cap on the writing tip 15 (housed in cavity 22), the cap being firmly kept in this position by means of element 18. It is also possible to place the cap on seat 24 ofthe pen's tail when writing is required, so that the cap is kept firmly againstthe seat by the elastic element 18 and it does not bother the person using the pen.

1. Awriting object comprising a body,awriting tip protruding from the body, a protecting cap forthe writing tip, the cap being connected to the body by means of an elastic means.

2. Awriting object as in claim 1,whereinsaid elastic means is a spiral spring element the ends of which are anchored atan intermediate position on the object's body, said spring element having such a length to be streched when the cap is positioned on the writing tip or on the writing object's tail.

3. Awriting object as in claim 2, wherein the spring is provided at each one ofthe ends anchored to the body, with one or more rings placed on a plane that is substantially parallel to the spring axis, said rings being engaged on stakes protruding from the spring body, said rings and thus the spring being pivoted around the stakes.

4. Awriting object as in claim 2, wherein said spring element passes in a through hole provided in the cap.

5. Awriting object as in claim 1, wherein the tail of the object's body and the cap are provided with recess means and projecting meansfora reciprocal firm positioning.

6. Awriting object as described in the present report and shown in the enclosed drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (6)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION A pen having a cap connected to the body by means of a spring element The present application refers to pensorwriting objects. The pens known nowadays are generally provided with a separate cap which is applied on the pen for protecting the writing tip and is kept in place by friction. Adisadvantageofsaid caps isthattheycan separatefrom the pen or get lost or be difficult to find when necessary. Therefore many sistems are now being studiedto make the pen body and the cap integral so thatthis last is always easily available. An object of this invention is to create a kind of pen in which body and cap are integral, the latter not being cumbersome and unconfortableforthe user when removed from the pen's writing tip. This object has been achieved with a pen or writing object comprising a body, a writing tip protruding from the body, a cap for covering said writing tip, said cap being connected to the pen body by means of a spring element. The spring element generally comprises a single spiral spring passing in a through hole provided in the cap and anchored with the ends thereof at an intermediate position of the body's sides. The length of the spring element is chosen so that it should be stretched for both placing the cap on the writing tip or on the tail opposite to the writing tip so that two stable cap positions are fixed, one on the writing tip and the other on the tail.In this way not only an efficacious protection ofthewriting tip is provided but, besides, the cap can't get lost and can always be positioned on the pen thus forming a single group, so that it does notturn out to be bothersome for the writer. An exemplary embodiment of the invention will be described hereunder reference being made to the enclosed drawings in which: Figure lisa front view of a pen according to this invention, shown in an open position; Figure2 is a right hand view of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a frontview of the pen, the same being in a closed position; Figure 3a shows an enlarged detail of the pen in exploded view; Figure 36 shows the detail in Figure 3a in an assembled condition; Figure 4is an enlarged interrupted side view ofthe pen, partially sectioned along plane 4-4 of Figure 1. Reference being made to the drawings, a pen or writing object 10 according tothis application comprises a body 12 and a cap 14. Body 12 has any elongated shape wanted and particularly, in the example shown, it has a shape tapered from the tail portion 12a to the tip portion 12b.The pen tip portion carries a writing tip 15. At an intermediate longitudinal position of body 12 two stakes or protrusions 16 extend, their ends being engaged by spring element 18. Spring ,element 18 is preferably but not necessarily a single element and passes in a through hole 20 provided in the cap (obviously a modified embodiment having two elastic elements lies within the scope ofthis invention).Element 18 comprises a spiral spring and its length, when it is notsubjectedto stress, is at least slightly less than that allowing the cap to be placed on the tail or writing tip of the pen. Preferably the coupling ofthe spring to stake 16 is carried out as shown in Figures 3a and 3b, that is to say, one or more spring end rings are bent so that they substantially lie on a plane parallel to the spring axis and said rings are pushed on stake 16 where they remain anchored due to the existence of the enlarged head 16'. This assembly allows a very good rotation ofthe spring on stakes 16, the spring still being closely adjacent to the pen body. Furthermore the cap is provided with a cavity 22 shaped to receive the writing tip and preferably a positioning projection 23to be housed in a positioning notch 24 provided on the tail part 1 2a of the body. With the above mentioned configuration of the parts it is evident that when not using the pen, it is possible to place the cap on the writing tip 15 (housed in cavity 22), the cap being firmly kept in this position by means of element 18. It is also possible to place the cap on seat 24 ofthe pen's tail when writing is required, so that the cap is kept firmly againstthe seat by the elastic element 18 and it does not bother the person using the pen. CLAIMS

1. Awriting object comprising a body,awriting tip protruding from the body, a protecting cap forthe writing tip, the cap being connected to the body by means of an elastic means.

2. Awriting object as in claim 1,whereinsaid elastic means is a spiral spring element the ends of which are anchored atan intermediate position on the object's body, said spring element having such a length to be streched when the cap is positioned on the writing tip or on the writing object's tail.

3. Awriting object as in claim 2, wherein the spring is provided at each one ofthe ends anchored to the body, with one or more rings placed on a plane that is substantially parallel to the spring axis, said rings being engaged on stakes protruding from the spring body, said rings and thus the spring being pivoted around the stakes.

4. Awriting object as in claim 2, wherein said spring element passes in a through hole provided in the cap.

5. Awriting object as in claim 1, wherein the tail of the object's body and the cap are provided with recess means and projecting meansfora reciprocal firm positioning.

6. Awriting object as described in the present report and shown in the enclosed drawings.