GB2355961A

GB2355961A - An automatic writing instrument having a series of capped writing elements

Info

Publication number: GB2355961A
Application number: GB9926312A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Cheng-Hua Chuang
Original assignee: Pioneer Industrial Corp Taiwan
Current assignee: Pioneer Industrial Corp Taiwan
Priority date: 1999-11-05
Filing date: 1999-11-05
Publication date: 2001-05-09
Anticipated expiration: 2019-11-05
Also published as: GB9926312D0; GB2355961B; DE19958563A1

Abstract

The instrument includes a series of writing elements 6 arranged one behind the other. Each writing element comprises a tip portion 12 at the front end and a cap 14 having a hole 16 for receiving therein the tip portion of an adjacent writing element. The forward writing elements are received in the lower end of the instrument body 2 which includes an outlet 18 for holding the foremost writing element 20. An inner tube 4 receives the other writing elements. Depressing the inner tube 4 against spring 8 causes the foremost writing element 20 to be replaced by the following writing element and the discharge of the foremost writing element 6 from the inner tube 4. The instrument body may include a locking mechanism (51,Fig 8) for fixing the inner tube 4 in the lower position when depressed.

Description

2355961 AUTOMATIC WRITING APPARATUS FOR SEGMENTAL WRITING ELEMENTS WITH

CAPS

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Thepresent invention relates to a writing apparatus, and more particularly to an automatic writing apparatus for capped writing elements.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A conventional automatic pencil has a very thin writing element, which are often broken during writing. Furthermore, a conventional automatic pencil usually has a inetal pen-tip tube, which may tear the paper due to a careless writing. These defects can be avoided by using a capped writing element pencil. The capped writing element pencil mcludes several axial-posited wnitmig elements stored within a casing tube.

Each of the writing elements includes a pre-sharpened writing elernent held by an element cap. The element cap 'includes a hole at its rear portion to receive the tip portion of the next writing element. Wien the front-most writing element is blunt or broken, it must be detached from the front opening of the casing tube and inserted into the casing tube fi7oi-n the rear opening of the casing tube. Unfortunately, the replacing operation is executed manually. Accordingly it is des' able to develop an I I ir automatic capped writing element writing apparatus.

Furthermore, the pen tip of the conventional capped writing element pencil is not retractable, so a tip-cap is needed to protect the pen tip. If the tip-cap is lost the pen tip cannot be I)rotected anymog.

7 r SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic capped writing element pencil.

Another object of the present invention IS to provide a capped writing element pencil witli retractable pen tip.

According to the present invention, an automatic capped wr),ting element writing apparatus is provided- The, pparatus, includes a plurality of writiniz elements axially positioned-one by one. Each of the elements has a tip portion at the front end and an element cap having a hole for receiving tlierein the tip portion of an adjacent one of the writing elements. The apparatus further includes an outer tube for receiving therein a first and a second writing elements. The outer t-tibe includes a pen-tip outlet for receiving the first one of the writing elements. The apparatus ftirther includes an inner tube for receiving therein the others of the writing elements and propelling the second one of the writing elements toward the pen-tip outlet for replacing the first one of the writing elements.

The inner tube preferably includes a end opening for engaging with the element cap of the second one of writing elements and allowing a third one of the writing elements to fall into the outer tube from the inner tube. The r1in of the leap cap is preferably sharpened for properly engaging with the end opening of the inner tube when being propelled. Furthennore, the rim of the end opening is preferably saw-toothed for properly engaging with the elernent cap of the second one of the writmig elements when propelling the second one of the writing elements.

Preferably, the tipper end of the inner tube is exposed from the outer tube for being pressed by a user to propel the second one of the wn'tig ei-einents.--The-appai--atu&-p-e,mblylath-ez-M(,,Iudes a resilient ellementfor keeping the inner tube in an original position when the 'inner tube is not pressed. The resilient element is preferably a spring sleeved on the inner tube.

2 In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the pen tip of the apparatus is retractable. The apparatus preferably ftirtlier includes a locking rneclianisin for maintaining the inner tube in a lower position when the second one of the writing elerrients has been propelled to replace the first one of the writing elements.

Preferably, the locking mechanism includes a flexible piece mounted on the outer wall of the inner tube. The locking inechanisin ftirther includes an opening fon-ned on the outer tube so that when the inner tube is in the lower position, the flexible piece is st-Lick at the opening for preventing the inner tube froin being urged back by the resilient element to the original position.

The apparatus preferably ffirther comprising a clip mounted on the outer tube, wherein the clip includes a raised portion facing the opening of the outer tube so that the flexible piece is pushed away frorn the opening when the clip is pressed. An article is preferably against the tip portion of the second one of the writing elements when the flexible piece is pushed away from the opening so that the second one of the writmig elements is pushed back into the outer tube by the article to retract the second one of the wn'ting elements.

The apparatus preferably further includes a raised stnicture formed on the inner wall of the outer tube for maintaining the tip portion of the second one of the writing elements within the outer t-Libe when being retracted.

owing-- description with reference to the accompanymg drawings, in wluich:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. I is an explosive view of an automatic capped wniting element pencil according to the present invention, 3 FILY. 2 illustrates the asserribled automatic capped writing element pencil of Fig. I Figs. 3-6 illustrates the operation of the autornatic capped writing element pencil of Fla, 2 Fig. 7 is an explosive view of -anothe.r autornatic capped writing elernent pencil with retractable pen tip according to the present invention,, Flu, 8 illustrates the assembled automatic capped writing element pencil of Fig. 7; Figs. 9-12 Illustrates the operation of the automatic capped writing element pencil of Fig. S) Fig. 13 illustrates an appearance of another automatic capped writmg elernent pencil according to the present invention; Fig. 14 111LIStrates a locking ineclianisi-ri of an aUtoinatic capped writing elernent pencil with retractable pen tip according to the present invention'.

Fig. 14(a) is a cross sectional view of Fig. 14 alone the line a-al Fig. 15 shows another automatic capped writing element pencil according to the present invention, Fig. 16 illustrates the engagement between the writing element and the inner tube acCOFdlng to the present invention Fig. 17 shows another embodiment of the automatic capped writing element pencil according to the present invention, Fig, 18 Illustrates an automatic capped writing element pencil havlJIC-7 -a -vm-tftTg-zlmnmitstopper--a-t-&4he-ffe-s-e.nt-4nventio Fig. 19 illustrates the writing element stopper i Fig. 18-3 Fig. 20 is a cross sectional view of Fig. 18 alone the line b-b I - and 4 Fig. 2 1 illustrate an autornatic capped writing elernent pencil with pen-tip writing element retracted within in the casing tube and supported by a raised structure according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERR-ED ENEBODIN[ENTS

As shown in Figs. I and 2, the- autornatic capped writing element I I includes an outer tube 2, an inner tube 4. writing elements 6, a penci I 1 spring 8, and a fixer 10. Each of the writing elements 6 has a tip portion 12 at the front end and an element cap 14 having a hole 16 for receiving therein the tip portion 12 of the adjacent writing element. The tip portion 12 is a pre-sharpened writing element held by the element cap 14. The writing element can be a pre-sharpened lead, a pre-sharpened crayon, or other segmental writing elements. The element cap 14 is made of plastic or inetal. All the writing elements are positioned axially one by one.

Except the front-most one, the tip portion 12 of each writing element is received by the hole 16 of the preceding one. The front-most writing element 20 is held by the writing element outlet IS of the outer tube 2.

Some of the writing elements 6 together with the inner tube 4 are posited in the outer tube 2. The spring 8 serves as the resilient element for keeping the inner tube 4 in an original position when the inner tube is not pressed. The other writing elements are stored in the Inner tube 4. A recess portion 22 is fonned on the inner wall of the outer tube 2 to receive the spning 8. A raised portion 24 is formed on the outer surface of the inner tube 4 for compressu'ig the spring 8. The stopper 10 is mounted at --til-e-jigp-er-em-d_ vent n_gAie-kui"-Wbe_4_ft_oin__ escaping from the outer tube 2.

The operation of the automatic capped writing element apparatus I is illustrated in Figs. 3)-6. At the beginnmg, as shown in Fig. 3, the spring 8 is not compressed and the inner tube 4 is in an origmial position 30. Then, as shown In Fig. 4, the inner tube 4 is pushed fom the top 28 to propel the writing element 36. The bottorn opening 26 of the inner tube 4 is engaged witli the element cap of the writing element 36. The writing elements 34 and 20 are also propelled by tfic writing element 36. The writing element 20 held by the writing elerrient-outlet is then replaced by the writing element 34. The spring 8 is cornpr-essed by the raised portion 24 during the propelling process. When the inner tube 4 is released ftorn the propelling force, as shown in Fig. 5, the spring force generated by the spring 8 will urge the inner tube toward the original position 3)0. However, because of gravity, the writing elements stored in the inner t-Libe 4 will not be back to their original positions and the writing element 38 will escape from the bottorn opening 26 to the bore 35 of the outer tube I F12 6 illustrates that the automatic capped writing element pencil I is used on an article 32. Because the element cap 37 of the writing element '18 is engaged with the bottorn opening 26 of the in-ner tube, the writing element 3 1 1 34 which serving as the pen-tip will not be pushed back into the writing element-outlet 18.

Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate an automatic capped writing element pencil 39 with retractable pen tip 41. Similar to the automatic capped wniting element apparatus 1, the automatic capped wraing element pencil 39 also includes an outer tube 40, an inner tube 42, writing elements 46, a spring 44, and a fixer 48. However, the automatic capped writmig element pencil 39 further includes a locking mechanism 51 for fixing the irmer tube 42 in a lowtrpositiun-when it -Is-pfessed-. -TIeAocktng4nechanism__5_1 -inchides an opening 52 formed on the outer tube 40 and. a flexible piece 54 fori- ned on the inner tube 42, When the inner tube 4.2 is in an original position, the flexible piece 54 is located above the operfling 52 and is compressed bv the inner wall of the outer tube 40. When t1i.e UMer tube 42 is pressed, 6 the flexible piece 54 will raise from the opening 52 of the outer tube 40.

Tlie outer tube ftirther includes a clip 50. The clip 50 has a tip portion 60 raised toward the opening 52.

The operation of the atitornatic capped writing elernent pencil 39 is L_ illustrated in Figs. 9-12. Fig, 9 shows that the pen-tip writing element 41 is retracted within the writing element outlet 43) and the flexible piece 54 is located above the opening 52. When the inner tube 42 is pressed, the pen-tip writing element 41 is propelled to the writing element outlet 43 and held by it. The flexible piece 54 is moved to the opening 52 and raises tip since it is no more limited by tile outer tube 40. Furthermore, the spring 44 is compressed during the propelling process. When the inner tube is released from the propelling force, the spring 44 will urge the raised portion of the inner tube 42 upwardly. However, as shown in Fig.

10, since the flexible piece 54 raises in the opening 52, it will be stuck at the tipper edge 58 of the opening 52 to prevent the aimer tube 54 frorn returning back to the original position, To retract the pen-tip writing element 41 again, the userjust has to put the pen-tip writing element 41 on an article 62 and press the tip portion 60 of the clip 50. The flexible piece 54 is then compressed by the tip portion 60 and will no more be stuck at the tipper edge 58, Accordingly, the m-ner tube 42 is pushed by the spring 44 to return back to the oniginal position 61. At the same Wine, the pen-tip writing element 41 is pushed by the article 62 to be retracted within the outer tube 40.

-------Fig.--I---)-ilhrsite-appearanc-e---ef--th"utoinatic-x,Vp-ed writing- element pencil. For ginding the flexible piece 71 of the Himer tube 72, as shown in Figs. 13)(a) and 14, a guiding slot 64 is formed on the casing tube 74 from the opeiu'ng 65 to the rear end 66 of the casing tube 74. The entrance of the guiding slot 64 formed on the rear end 66 is efflarged to 7 make the assembling of the casing tube 74 and the inner ttibe 72 easier. The flexible piece 7 1 can be inserted from the enlarged entrance 67 to the slot 64 vary easily and the trOLiblesome of aligning the flexible piece 71 and the guiding slot 64 is avoided. Furthermore, a surface 70 corresponding to the front surface 68 of the inner tube 72 is formed on Ille inner wall of the outer ttibe 74 to serve as an end point of the propelling process of the inner ttibe 72.

Fig. 15 illustrates that a curved portion -/I'S is fori-ned on the casinc, tube 76 for helping the tiser to grasp the casing rube 76 more properly.

Fig, 16 shows the engagement between ti-,e lower opening 84 of the inner ttibe 82 and the element cap 88 of the writing element 86. The lower opening 84 of the inner tube 82 has a saw-toothed rirn to make a proper engagement. For the same pUrpose, the rim of the element cap 88 is sharpened. Furthermore, the writing elernent 86 is slightly inclined to the wail of the outer tube 80 because of grav'lt-y. Such a situation can make a better engagement between the inner rube 82 and the writillLy element 86.

The spring for urging the inner tube rna.y be posited tinder or abo've the opening of the outer tube. Fig. 17 Illustrates an example of positinLy the spring above the opening. An opening 94 is fori-ned on the casing tube 90 opposite to the tip portion 97 of the clip 96. A fle'.U'ble piece 90 is formed on the inner t-tibe 92- A recess 102 is formed on the inner wall of the casing tube 90 for receiving the spring 100. The recess 102 is located -above4he---&g--94-.- A raised-pogion_ID4_of tlie__nner tube 92_oxin_ed____ above the spring 100 to compress it.

Fig. IS illustrates a writmig element stopper 112 forined near the writing element OLItlet 108 of the casmig rube 106 to prevent the pen-tip writing element 110 frorn being pushed back into the writing element 8 outlet 108. As shown in Fig. 19, the writing element stopper 112 is a flexible piece being against the end of the pen-tip writing element I 10.

Furthermore, as illustrated in Fig. 20, raised strips 109 are forined around the pen-tip writing element I 10 to reduce a contact area between the pen tip writing element 110 and the writing element outlet 108. Such a structure can prevent the pen-tip writing element I 10 from being stuck at the writing element outlet 108.

However, for an automatic writing element writing apparatus with retractable pen-tip writing element, a structure for maintaining the pentip writing element within the casing tube is needed while the pen-tip writing element is retracted. As shown in Fig. 21, the pen-tip writing element 120 is pushed by the article 122 to be retracted within the casing tube 114.

Wien the casing tube 114 is removed from the surface of the article 122, the pen-tip writing element 120 will not fall down because it is supported by the raised stnicture 118. The raised structure 118 is a flexible piece integrally forined on the wall of the casing tube 114. It is also formed near the writing element outlet 119. The raised structure 118 has inclined surfaces 124 and 126 facing the inner tube 115 and the writing element outlet 119 respectively. Accordingly, the raised structure 118 is pushed away when the pen-tip writing. element 120 is propelled toward the writing element-outlet 119 or pushed by the article 122.

W"hile the invention has been described in terms of what are presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments,:d that ithe-inventimi it-e-s not be-hinited to the disclosed embodiment. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims which are to be accorded with the broadest 9 interpretation so as to encompass all stich inodifications and similar stnictures - M&C Folio: 230P81453 Document #: 441705

Claims

CLAIMS:

I An automatic writing apparatus, comprising: a plurality of writing elements generally axially positioned in series, each of which has a writing tip portion and an element cap having a hole for receiving therein the tip portion of an adjacent writing element; an outer tube for receiving therein a first and a second writing element, said outer tube including a tip outlet for receiving therein said first writing element; and an inner tube receiving therein the remaining writing elements and having an end opening having a fixed radius for propelling said second one of said writing elements toward said tip outlet for replacing said first writing element.
2. An apparatus according to Claim I wherein said end opening of said inner tube engages with said element cap of said second writing element and allows a third writing element to fall into said outer tube from said inner tube.
3. An apparatus according to Claim 2 wherein said element cap includes a sharpened rim for engaging with said end opening of said inner tube when being propelled.
4. An apparatus according to Claim 2 wherein said end opening includes a sawtoothed rim for engaging with said element cap of said second writing element when propelling said second writing element.
5. An apparatus aeeording to Claim 1 wherein an tipper portion of said -hL-ner -LU- UV, 13 exposed from said outer tube for being pressed by a user to propel said second writing element.
6. An apparatus according to Claim I further comprising a resilient element for keeping said inner tube in an original position when said inner tube is not pressed.

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7. An apparatus according to Claim 6 wherein said resilient element is a spring sleeved on said inner tube.
8. An apparatus according to Claim 6, further comprising a locking mechanism for maintaining said inner tube in a lower position when said second writing element has been propelled to replace said first writing element.
9. An apparatus according to Claim 8 wherein said locking mechanism includes: a flexible piece mounted on the outer wall of said inner tube; and an opening formed on said outer tube so that when said inner tube is in said lower position, said flexible piece is stuck at said opening for preventing said inner tube from being urged back by said resilient element to said original position.
10. An apparatus according to Claim 9, further comprising a clip mounted on the outer tube, wherein said clip includes a raised portion facing said opening of said outer tube for pushing away said flexible piece from said opening when being pressed.
11. An apparatus according to Claim 10, further comprising an article being against said tip portion of said second writing element when said flexible piece is pushed away from said opening so that said second writing element is pushed back into said outer tube by said article to retract said second writing element.
12. An apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a raised structure formed on the inner wall of said outer tube for maintaining said tip portion of said second writing element withiri-said-outer-tube when being -retracted.--- --- - - 13. An apparatus according to Claim 9, further comprising a guiding slot formed on the inner wall of said outer tube for guiding said flexible piece to said opening.
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14. An apparatus according to Claim 13 wherein said guiding slot includes an enlarged entrance formed on a rear end of said outer tube.
15. An apparatus according-to- Claim 1, further comprising a writing element stopper for preventing said first writing element from being pushed into said outer tube.
16. An apparatus according to Claim 15 wherein said writing element stopper is a flexible structure formed on the inner wall of said outer tube.
17. An automatic writing apparatus, substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.