GB2247864A - Multiangular pen - Google Patents

Abstract

A pen which can write equally well in any direction comprises a multiangular pen nib (1) containing an ink chamber, a pen nib holder sleeve (31a) having a through-hole adapted to hold the pen nib (1) and a stopper section engaging the pen nib to prevent it from rotating, a holding sleeve (38a) having a guide hole communicating with the hole in the pen nib holder sleeve, an ink introducing core of fibrous or porous resin material extending through the sleeves and a channel in the pen nib to the ink chamber, a pen holder (41) for housing an assembly of the pen nib (1), pen nib holder sleeve (31a) and holding sleeve (38a) and an ink holding member (45). The pen nib (1) is prevented from rotating by a stopper section on the inner face of the pen nib holder sleeve (31a) and the sleeve (31a) is tapered to engage the pen nib and prevent it from moving in the forward direction. <IMAGE>

Description

Title: MULTIANGULAR PEN The present invention relates to a multiangular pen which is excellent in rigidity and durability and which can be easily manufactured.

In order to overcome the disadvantage that writing can be done only in one angular direction when the conventional writing means having a pen nib is used, there has been proposed a multiangular pen comprising plural pen nib pieces (three pen nib pieces, for example) each having substantially the same construction as that of the conventional pen nib and said pen nib pieces being bonded back-to-back to one another to enable writing to be done in all directions.

One of these multiangular pens is disclosed in U.S. Patent Specification No. 4465391, for example. This multiangular pen comprises a pen nib having a trunk extending in the longitudinal centre axis and projections radially and outwardly projected from the trunk with a certain angular interval of about 1200 interposed between the projections, and a pen core closely contacted with the outer surface of the pen nib to hold the latter.

In the case of this pen nib assembly, however, the pen core must be made of synthetic resin and fine ink passages which allow ink to flow to the front end of the pen nib due to capillarity must be formed at the barrel portion of the pen core. This takes a long time and makes the process difficult.

Holder pieces which are intended to closely contact with the outer surface of the pen nib must be shaped to meet the pen nib and this calls for accuracy in the manufacturing process.

The pen nib is fitted into a holder at the front end of the pen core and supported by this holder. Depending upon the force on the pen nib, therefore, the holder can be bent and deformed to make the pen nib unsteady.

The present invention aims to provide a multiangular pen having a rigid pen nib and which is capable of substantially reducing the difficulty of manufacturing the pen.

A second aim of the present invention is to provide a multiangular pen capable of carrying out the pen nib assembly with reliability.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a multiangular pen comprising a pen nib having a trunk extending in the longitudinal direction of the pen nib, plural projections radially and outwardly projected from the trunk with a certain angular interval interposed between the projections, a channel extending along the centre axis of said trunk, plural slits each extending downward from the tip of the trunk between the projections, plural clearances each extending along the tip portion of the projection, and an ink chamber surrounded by the slits and projections and made continuous from said channel, said slits and projections being alternately arranged with the same angular interval interposed between the slit and the projection and the tip portion of said pen nib being formed as a pyramid; a pen nib holder sleeve having a hole extending along its centre axis to house the pen nib and also having a tapered portion whose diameter becomes smaller and smaller as it comes nearer and nearer the front end thereof; a holding sleeve having a guide hole extending in its longitudinal direction and communicating with the pen nib housing hole, said holding sleeve being fitted into the pen nib housing hole at the back end side of said pen nib holder sleeve to strike against the back end face of said pen nib; an ink introducing core made of fibrous material or porous resin material and extending to the ink chamber, passing through the guide hole, pen nib housing hole and channel in the pen nib; a penholder for hosing an assembly of the pen nib, pen nib holder sleeve and holding sleeve; and an ink holding member; wherein a stopper section is provided on the inner face of the pen nib housing hole in said pen nib holder sleeve to fix and hold the pen nib to prevent it from rotating and said pen nib is restricted by the tapered portion of said pen nib holder sleeve so as not to move in the forward direction.

According to this invention, the pen nib is fixed and held in the pen nib holder sleeve by the stopper section which prevents the pen nib from becoming loose relative to the pen nib holder sleeve and to the penholder, thereby keeping the pen steady while it is used to write something on a sheet of paper.

The invention will now be described in detail, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a front view of a pen nib employed in an embodiment of a multiangular pen according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is a rear view of the pen nib shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section view through a multiangular pen according to the present invention fitted with the pen nib shown in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line IV-IV in Fig. 3 in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line V-V in Fig. 3 in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line VI-VI in Fig. 3 in the direction of the arrows; and Fig. 7 is an enlarged longitudinal section showing in detail the construction of a pen nib assembly employed in a multiangular pen according to the invention.

Referring to the drawings, a pen nib la includes pen nib pieces 2a made of metal, ceramic or metal plate. Each pen nib piece 2a is shaped to be triangular at the front end portion thereof and is bent like a boat along two lines which are separated by a certain length from its longitudinal centre line (Fig. 2).

As seen in the case of the nib of the multiangular pen which forms the subject of British Patent Specification No.

2213107, the pen nib la is formed by bonding three of the pen nib pieces 2a back-to-back to one another by spot welding and gathering their tips together as a unit. Each pen nib piece 2a is bent along the lines 3a like a boat, as described above, and when these three pen nib pieces 2a are bonded back-to-back to form the pen nib 1a, therefore, a channel 6a having such a comparatively large diameter that enables an ink introducing core to be passed therethrough is formed along the centre axis of the pen nib 1a.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section showing an arrangement of the multiangular pen according to the present invention.

Reference numeral 31a denotes a pen nib holder sleeve having the same construction as the one employed in British Patent Application No. ......... except that, in this case, no holder piece is provided.

Reference numeral 38a represents a holding sleeve which is inserted into a pen nib housing hole 32a in the pen nib holder sleeve 31a at the base end side of the holder sleeve 31a. This sleeve 38a has a through-hole therein, which serves as a guide hole 39a having a circular section and allowing an ink introducing core to be passed therethrough and whose outer diameter is made a little larger than the inner diameter of the pen nib housing hole 32a. The holding sleeve 38a is pressed into the pen nib housing hole 32a and fixed there.

Reference numeral 40c represents an ink introducing core, which has such a diameter that it can be passed through the hole 39a in the holding sleeve 38a and which also has suc a smaller diameter at the front end portion thereof that allows that portion to be passed through the narrow channel 6a. The ink introducing core 40c is made of liquid permeating material such as polyester, nylon, acryl, felt, glass fibres and cotton. A core made by injection-moulding a porous resin such as polyacetal may be used.

The pen nib 1a is inserted into the pen nib housing holes 32a and 32b in the pen nib holder sleeve 31a at the base (or back) end side of the holder sleeve 31a, as in the case of the multiangular pen which forms the subject of British Patent Application No. ,,.,..... The pen nib la has a tapered section whose diameter becomes smaller and smaller as it comes nearer and nearer the front end thereof. The pen nib housing hole 32b also has a tapered section at the front end of the pen nib holder sleeve whose diameter becomes smaller and smaller as it comes nearer and nearer the front end thereof.When the front end portion of the pen nib 1a is projected by a predetermined length from the front end of the pen nib holder sleeve 31a, therefore, the pen nib la is stopped by the front inner rim of the pen nib holder sleeve 31a. When the sleeve 38a is pushed this time into the pen nib housing hole 32a at the base end side of the pen nib holder sleeve 31a, the sleeve 38a fitted and pressed into the pen nib housing hole 32a strikes against the back end of the pen nib la at the front end thereof rigidly to fix and hold the pen nib la in the pen nib holder sleeve 31a. The pen nib la, pen nib holder sleeve 31a, holding sleeve 38a and ink introducing core 40c are assembled in this manner to form a pen nib assembly which is attached to a penholder 41.

Ink moves from the ink holding member 45 to the base end of the ink introducing core 40c, passes through fibres in the ink introducing core 40c or pores in the injection-moulded resin, and enters into the channel 6a in the pen nib 1a, passing through the holding sleeve 38a and pen nib holder sleeve 31a (Figs. 4, 5 and 6). As described above, the ink introducing core 40c contacts with the inner wall of the channel 6a which leads to an ink chamber at the front end portion of the pen nib la and is stored in the ink chamber.

This ink chamber is similar to the ink chamber 10 disclosed in British Patent Specification No. 2213107.

When a user uses the pen to write on a sheet of paper, the ink stored in the ink chamber permeates outside the pen nib 7a through all of the clearances and slits 7 surrounding the ink chamber which are similar to the clearances 8 and slits 7 of the pen nib disclosed in 3ritish Patent Specification No. 2213107.

Claims (7)

1. A multiangular pen comprising a pen nib having a trunk extending in the longitudinal direction of the pen nib, plural projections radially and outwardly projected from the trunk with a certain angular interval interposed between the projections, a channel extending along the centre axis of said trunk, plural slits each extending downward from the tip of the trunk between the projections, plural clearances each extending along the tip portion of the projection, and an ink chamber surrounded by the slits and projections and made continuous from said channel, said slits and projections being alternately arranged with the same angular interval interposed between the slit and the projection and the tip portion of said pen nib being formed as a pyramid; a pen nib holder sleeve having a hole extending along its centre axis to house the pen nib and also having a tapered portion whose diameter becomes smaller and smaller as it comes nearer and nearer the front end thereof; a holding sleeve having a guide hole extending in its longitudinal direction and communicating with the pen nib housing hole, said holding sleeve being fitted into the pen nib housing hole at the back end side of said pen nib holder sleeve to strike against the back end face of said pen nib; an ink introducing core made of fibrous material or porous resin material and extending to the ink chamber, passing through the guide hole, pen nib housing hole and channel in the pen nib; a penholder for housing an assembly of the pen nib, pen nib holder sleeve and holding sleeve; and an ink holding member; wherein a stopper section is provided on the inner face of the pen nib housing hole in said pen nib holder sleeve to fix and hold the pen nib to prevent it from rotating and said pen nib is restricted by the tapered portion of said pen nib holder sleeve so as not to move in the forward direction.

2. A multiangular pen according to claim 1, wherein said pen nib comprises plural pen nib pieces bonded back-to-back to one another, each of said pen nib pieces being bent like a boat, and said channel is formed along the centre axis of the trunk by the bottoms of said boat-shaped pen nib pieces bonded back-to-back to one another.

3. A multiangular pen according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said pen nib in the pen nib housing hole is restricted by the holding sleeve fitted into the pen nib holder sleeve not so as to move in the backward direction.

4. A multiangular pen according to any preceding claim, wherein said guide hole in the holding sleeve has a circular section and extends along the centre axis of the push sleeve.

5. A multiangular pen according to any preceding claim, wherein said ink introducing core extends from the ink holding member to the front end of the channel, passing through the guide hole in the holding sleeve and the channel in the pen nib.

6. A multiangular pen according to any preceding claim, wherein the front end of said ink introducing core is contacted with the inner face of the front end portion of said pen nib.

7. A multiangular pen substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.