US3269584A - Ink cartridge for fountain pens - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 309 1966 HAJlME-ISHIDA ETAL 7 3,259,534

INK CARTRIDGE FOR FOUNTAIN PENS Filed June 29, 1964 INVENTORJ United States Patent 3,269,584 INK CARTRIDGE FOR FOUNTAIN PENS Hajime Ishida and Hirokazu Toma, Hiratsuka-shi, Japan, assignors to Pilot Man-Nen-Hitsu Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo-to, Japan Filed June 29, 1964, Ser. No. 378,515 Claims priority, application Japan, Nov. 2, 1963 (utility model), 38/ 82,775 7 Claims. (Cl. 22027) This invention relates to ink cartridges for fountain pens and more particularly to an improved ink cartridge wherein a piercing member is contained in a hollow neck portion of the ink cartridge to confront a breakable diaphragm which normally seals the ink cartridge.

A conventional fountain pen generally comprises an ink suction device by means of which ink can be sucked into an ink reservoir contained in the fountain pen when it becomes empty. More recently, ink cartridges in which a predetermined quantity of ink is sealed in have been utilized. Each of these cartridges has an opening at one end thereof which is sealed by a breakable sealing member adapted to be pierced by an ink feed portion of a fountain pen to permit the ink contained in the cartridge to flow out and be fed to the pen nib. When the ink in one cartridge has been consumed, the empty cartridge is replaced by a new one.

It is an object of this invention to provide an ink cartridge having a sealing member which can be easily pierced or opened.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel ink cartridge wherein a piercing member is contained in the ink cartridge itself rather than in the ink feed portion of the fountain pen as heretofore has been the practice, thereby simplifying the construction of the fountain pen.

The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as to its organization together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like parts are designated by like reference characters, and in which:

FIG. 1 is an enlarged, fragmentary side view, partly in longitudinal section, showing a portion of the neck portion of a fountain pen in which the novel ink cartridge of this invention can be used;

FIG. 2 is a side view, in longitudinal section and of the same scale as FIG. 1, showing an ink cartridge embodying the principle of this invention;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are fragmentary side views, partly in longitudinal section, indicating the manner in which the ink cartridge of this invention is used; and

FIGS. 5 to 8, inclusive, are views illustrating various modifications of the piercing member and the sealing diaphragm according to the invention.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, more particularly to FIG. 1 there is shown a hollow neck portion 1 of a fountain pen containing an ink feed member 2 with a projecting tube 3. It should be understood that the end surface 3 of the tube 3 will be the upper end when the fountain pen is used with the pen nib pointing downwardly. An ink cartridge of this invention is generally designated by the reference numeral 4 and comprises an ink reservoir 5 of relatively large diameter and a neck 6 of relatively small diameter which are joined by an inclined shoulder 7. An annular groove 8 is provided on the inner surface of the shoulder 7 and a sealing diaphragm 9 is provided to span across the inner edge 9' of the annular groove 8. As shown in the drawing the periphery 9 of the diaphragm is made thin so that the 3 169,584 Patented August 30, 1966 diaphragm can be easily pierced at this portion. A piercing member or tube 11 is slidably inserted in the neck 6 on the outer side of the diaphragm. The inner end of the tube 11 is beveled as shown at 12 to define a sharp edge 13 normally disposed to confront the thin portion 9' of the diaphragm 9.

To install the ink cartridge of this invention in a fountain pen, the right hand end (as viewed in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4) of the projecting tube 3 is inserted into the neck 6 of the cartridge 4, and then a force in the longitudinal direction is applied to break the diaphragm 9 by piercing its weak point 9 by means of the sharp edge 13, as shown in FIG. 3. Thus the ink contained in the reservoir 5 can flow out through the broken diaphragm and thence through the opening 10 within the piercing tube 11 and the projecting tube 3 toward the ink feed member 2. Further inward movement of the projecting tube 3 will cause the piercing tube 11 to enter into the reservoir while upwardly deflecting the broken diaphragm 9 to the horizontal position as shown in FIG. 4.

Since the periphery 9' of the sealing diaphragm 9 is made thin, and an annular groove 8 is provided outside of this thin periphery, the diaphragm can be easily broken and then deflated upwardly as the piercing tube 11 is inserted. Moreover, as the piercing tube adapted to break the diaphragm is contained in the ink cartridge, the fountain pen is not required to be equipped with such a piercing member, whereby the construction of the fountain pen is simplified. A further advantage is that the novel ink cartridge can be easily installed in fountain pens by a simple inserting operation.

While a particular construction of the piercing member and breakable diaphragm has been illustrated and described, it should be understood that various modifications can be made therein Within the scope of this invention. For example, in the modification shown in FIG. 5, the piercing tube 11 takes the form of a short section of a tube with a sharp edge 13,, at its inner end. The piercing members 11 shown in FIGS. 6 and 8 are provided with saw- tooth serrations 13, and 13 respectively, whereas the piercing member 11,, shown in FIG. 7 is a short section of a solid round rod with its upper surface cut away to provide a passage 10 for ink and with its inner end pointed to form a diametrical sharp edge 13 The diaphragms 9 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 are identical to that shown in FIG. 4, but diaphragms 9 shown in FIG. 7C and 8C are provided with radial or diametrical thin portions 9.,. FIGS. 6 7 and 8 show cross sections of the ink cartridge taken along lines VI--VI, VIIVII, and VIIIVIII, respectively, as viewed from right to left, whereas FIGS. 7C and show the same cross section as viewed in the opposite direction.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An ink cartridge for fountain pens comprising an ink reservoir of relatively large diameter, a hollow neck of relatively small diameter and connected to said reservoir by a shoulder having an annular groove on its inner surface, a sealing diaphragm contiguous to and spanning across said annular groove and provided with one or more thin portions and a piercing member slidably contained in said hollow neck and provided with a sharp edge adapted to break said diaphragm at said thin portion or portions when the cartridge is installed in a fountain pen.

2. The ink cartridge according to claim 1 wherein the piercing member comprises a short section of a tube with one end beveled to form a pointed edge.

3. The ink cartridge according to claim 1 wherein the piercing member comprises a short section of a tube with one edge pointed to form an annular sharp edge.

4. The ink cartridge according to claim 1 wherein the piercing member comprises a short section of a' tube with one end serrated.

5. The ink cartridge according to claim 1 wherein the piercing member comprises a short section of solid round rod, with one end pointed to form a sharp diametrical edge, and a portion of the periphery of the rod is cut away to provide a passage for ink.

6. The ink cartridge according to claim 1 wherein the thickness of the periphery of the diaphragm is smaller than the remaining portion thereof.

7. The ink cartridge according to claim 1 wherein the diaphragm is provided with a number of thin radial por- .tions.

No references cited.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

J. B. MARBERT, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. AN INK CARTRIDGE FOR FOUNTAIN PEN COMPRISING AN INK RESERVOIR OF RELATIVELY LARGE DIAMETER, A HOLLOW NECK OF RELATIVELY SMALL DIAMETER AND CONNECTED TO SAID RESERVOIR BY A SHOULDER HAVING AN ANNULAR GROOVE ON ITS INNER SURFACE, A SEALING DIAPHRAGM CONTIGUOUS TO AND SPANNING ACROSS SAID ANNULAR GROOVE AND PIVOTED WITH ONE OR MORE THIN PORTIONS AND A PIERCING MEMBER SLIDABLY CONTAINED IN SAID HOLLOW NECK AND PROVIDED WITH A SHARP EDGE ADAPTED TO BREAK SAID DIAPHRAGM AT SAID THIN PORTION

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