WO2004078488A2

WO2004078488A2 - Colouring apparatus with marker pen

Info

Publication number: WO2004078488A2
Application number: PCT/GB2004/000859
Authority: WO
Inventors: Terence William Bolton
Original assignee: Terence William Bolton
Priority date: 2003-03-05
Filing date: 2004-03-02
Publication date: 2004-09-16
Also published as: WO2004078488A8; WO2004078488A3

Abstract

A marker pen comprises a casing open at one end and including a fluid absorbent nib ('marker nib') containing a liquid or dye of a first color. One end of the marker nib protrudes outwardly beyond the confines of the casing and the other end protrudes inwardly into the casing. The interior of the casing is adapted to receive a reservoir pen having a fluid absorbent nib ('reservoir pen nib') containing a liquid or dye of a second color (which may be neutral, e.g. clear color). When the reservoir pen is inserted into the open end of the casing, its nib makes contact with the inwardly protruding end of the marker nib (or a fluid absorbent extension thereof) whereby liquid or dye of the second color can be donated by the reservoir pen nib to the marker nib.

Description

COLOURING APPARATUS

This invention relates to colouring apparatus. More especially, the invention relates to marker pens.

Typically marker pens comprise a tubular housing having a fibrous feltlike nib connected via a liquid absorbent wick to an internal chamber containing a fluid indicator such as a water-based ink which contains a coloured dye (hereinafter referred to as a dye or coloured dye for ease of understanding). As the marker pen is used the fibrous nib is replenished with ink which travels through the wick from the chamber by capillary action to the nib. Such pens are well known and are used inter alia to mark text and produce coloured effects on paper or similar materials.

Generally, a marker pen is dedicated to producing a single colour. If two or more colours are required, the same number of individual pens are normally required. Marker pens having more than one nib have been proposed, the intention of these being to produce two or more side-by-side coloured lines with one stroke of a pen or a single line of a selected colour. Such a marker pen is disclosed in WO 94/0997, WO 01/15912, US-A- 5203638, US-A-3887287, UK-A-2277253. Marker pens are also known in which a finer nib can overlie a larger nib to enable a single pen to produce lines of different widths. Such pens are disclosed in EP-A-630326, US-A- 5813787 and US-A-5651627. To the best of Applicant's knowledge, there are no marker pens presently available by which a colour change from, for example, red to blue can be produced in a single line or succession of such lines using the same marker pen.

One object of the present invention is to provide a marker pen capable of producing in a line or succession of lines a uniform and consistent colour change from one colour to another colour.

According to the present invention in one aspect, there is provided a marker pen which comprises a casing open at one end and including a fluid absorbent nib (referred to hereinafter as the marker nib) containing a liquid or dye of a first colour one of whose ends protrudes outwardly beyond the confines of the casing and the other of whose ends protrudes inwardly into the casing, the interior of the casing being adapted to receive at least a portion of a reservoir pen having a fluid absorbent nib (hereinafter referred as the reservoir pen nib) containing a liquid or dye of a second colour (which may be a neutral) which, when the reservoir pen is inserted into the open end of the casing, makes contact with the inwardly protruding end of the marker nib (or a fluid absorbent extension thereof) whereby liquid or dye of the second colour can be donated by the reservoir pen nib to the marker nib.

By "neutral" is meant a clear colour.

The reservoir pen may contain a coloured dye or a translucent liquid such as water.

Preferably, in cross-section the size of the marker nib is the same as that of the reservoir pen nib. Alternatively, the size of the marker nib is larger than that of the reservoir pen nib.

The open end of the casing may be closed by a releasable plug. A cap may be provided to cover the marker nib when not in use.

Elongate ribs may protrude inwardly from the internal surface of the casing to assist location and retention of the reservoir pen within the casing. Other means of locating and retaining the reservoir pen within the casing may be adopted. A reservoir pen conventionally includes a transorb in which coloured dye is confined. A transorb essentially comprises a quantity of fluid retaining fibrous material positioned within an impermeable sheath. The fluid retaining material may be a fibrous material. The sheath is typically open at one end and makes contact with a wick by which fluid present in the transorb passes by capillary action to the nib of the reservoir pen. The transorb then operates as a donor of coloured dye for the marker nib. As the marker pen is used, the donated dye gradually replaces dye present in the marker nib. In this way, the stripe of colour produced by the marker pen will initially be the original colour of the marker nib, this changing to the colour of the donor reservoir pen nib once the original colour is dissipated. In between these two colours will be a stripe length of gradually changing colour. Of course, additional colour changes can be produced by donating one or more additional colours to the nib of the recipient pen. Colour fading can be achieved by using reservoir pen whose nib is loaded with water.

The marker nib and/or reservoir pen nib may be produced from a fibrous material such as felt. Alternatively, one or each nib may be produced from a relatively inflexible material; a preferred material is that marketed under the trade mark POREX. This is a porous fluid retaining substance which holds its shape when applied to a surface in the manner of a marker to paper, card or like material. Other materials having similar physical properties may, however, be used.

The coloured dye may comprise an indicator such as a water-based ink containing coloured dyes, dispersed pigments or other colouring media. Alternatively, the coloured dye may be oil-based.

In a further aspect, the invention provides colouring apparatus comprising a marker pen having a housing including an absorbent nib (referred to as the marker nib) containing a liquid or dye of a first colour, the housing being dimensioned and shaped to receive at least a portion of a reservoir pen having an absorbent nib (referred to as the reservoir pen nib) containing a liquid or dye of a second colour in contact with the marker nib or a fluid absorbent extension thereto.

The invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which :-

Figure 1 is a side view in section of a marker pen in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a side view in section of a tubular casing of the marker pen shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side view of a nib of the marker pen shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a side view of a reservoir pen to be received by the tubular casing shown in Figure 2;

Figures 5 and 6 are side views in section of a plug and cap of the marker pens shown in Figure 1;

Figure 7 shows the reservoir pen of Figure 4 being inserted into the tubular casing of Figure 2;

Figure 8 shows the reservoir pen inserted into the tubular casing and ready for use;

Figure 9 is an exploded side view in section of an alternative marker pen in accordance with the invention;

Figure 10 is a side view in section of the marker pen shown in Figure 9 with its end plug removed;

Figures 11 and 12 are respectively a perspective exploded view of an alternative marker pen in accordance with the invention;

Figure 13 is a side view in section of a part of the marker pan illustrated in Figure 11; and

Figures 14 to 16 are side views of three different marker nibs in accordance with the invention.

As will be seen from Figures 1 to 8 of the drawings, the illustrated marker pen comprises a tubular casing 1 which is open at one end 2 and is formed at its other end 3 with an opening 4 dimensioned to receive and retain a fluid absorbent nib 5. Nib 5 is referred to below as the marker nib. As will be seen from Figure 3, the marker nib 5 has a rounded writing end 6 and a hollowed or bifurcated end 7 which protrudes into the casing interior.

The casing end including the opening 4 is tapered and includes a step 8 or a series of steps which cooperate to retain the marker nib 5 firmly in place in the opening.

Longitudinally extending ribs 9 protrude inwardly from the internal surface of the casing to locate and retain a reservoir pen 11 in the position shown in Figure 1.

The reservoir pen 11 is illustrated in Figure 4. This may comprise a suitably dimensioned marker pen and has a fluid absorbent nib 12 connected to receive via a wick a supply of liquid dye present in a transorb located within the elongate body 14 of the pen. The size of the reservoir pen nib 12 is the same as that of the marker nib 5. Alternatively, the size of the reservoir pen nib 12 may be less than that of marker nib 5. Nib 12 is referred to below as the reservoir pen nib.

The open end 2 of the casing may be closed by an end plug 15 as shown in Figure 5. The end plug is formed with an annular seating 16 dimensioned to receive and retain the end of the reservoir pen 11 remote from its nib 12. The open end of the plug is formed with a lip 17 which cooperates with a complementary lip 18 of the casing 1 as shown in Figure 1.

When not in use, a cap 19 may be positioned over the nibbed end of the marker pen to prevent loss of fluid from the marker nib 5 through evaporation.

In use, a selected reservoir pen 11 is inserted into the casing 1 as shown in Figure 7. At this time the marker nib 5 will contain a quantity of fluid dye of a first colour. For the purpose of explanation, it will be assumed that this first colour is blue. If it is assumed that it is the wish of the user to produce a single line showing a colour change from blue to green to yellow, the selected reservoir pen 11 will have a nib and transorb containing a yellow dye. After insertion of the reservoir pen, the assembly will be as shown in Figure 8. As will be seen, in this position the tip of the reservoir pen nib 12 lies within and in contact with the hollow or bifurcations of the marker nib 5. Through this contact, fluid dye is donated by the reservoir pen nib to the marker nib 5.

When the marker pen shown in Figure 8 is first used, the colour of the created line will be the blue already retained within the marker nib 5. This colour will progressively change from blue to green as the original and donated colours are mixed within the nib. In time, the line colour will be predominantly green. As the line continues and as more yellow dye is donated to the nib 5, so the colour will gradually change from green to yellow until, when all colour other than the donated colour has been removed from the nib, the line colour will be yellow. Other colour changes can, of course, be effected simply by appropriate selection of the original and donated colours. Thus, donated liquid may be, for example, water. In this arrangement, the line produced will essentially comprise an initially coloured line which fades until it is transparent.

An alternative marker pen is illustrated in Figures 9 and 10. In this embodiment, the same reference numerals have been used in relation to the same integers shown in Figures 1 to 8.

The tubular casing 1 of the pen and its end plug are the same as those employed for the marker pen illustrated in Figures 1 to 8. In the pen illustrated in Figures 9 and 10, however, the tubular casing 1 carries an elongate fluid absorbent marker nib 21 which protrudes both outwardly of the casing and inwardly into the casing. Both ends of the marker nib 21 are generally convex. The reservoir pen 11 is formed with a neck 22 dimensioned to receive the inwardly protruding end of the marker nib 21 in a snug fit. Positioned within the neck is an absorbent nib 23 of the reservoir pen 11. The outwardly facing surface of the reservoir pen nib 23 is generally concave, the concavity being shaped and dimensioned to receive the convex shaped end of the nib 21.

Use of the pen illustrated in Figures 9 and 10 is essentially the same as that described above in respect of the pen shown in Figures 1 to 8.

Reference will now be made to the alternative marker pen illustrated in Figures 11 to 13. In this embodiment, the same reference numerals have been used in relation to the same integers shown in the previous two embodiments.

The illustrated marker pen comprises a reservoir pen 11 having a fluid absorbent nib 12 connected to receive via a wick a supply of liquid present in the transorb located within the elongate body 14 of the pen. The end of the body 14 remote from the nib 12 is open and is dimensioned to receive as a snug fit a marker nib 5 retained within one end of a marker casing 25. The casing 25 is stepped to ensure that the marker nib 5 is effectively sealed from the atmosphere when positioned within the open end of the body 14 of the reservoir pen. As will be seen from Figures 11 and 12, the riser 26 between the stepped portions 27, 28 of the marker casing abuts against the rim 29 of the reservoir pen when the casing 25 is located within the open end of the reservoir pen. Similarly, the riser 30 of the stepped portion 27 of the marker casing abuts an appropriately dimensioned and contoured surface positioned within the open end of the reservoir pen.

When the marker pen is to be used, the marker casing 25 is removed from its position within the open end of the reservoir pen and placed as a cap over the other end of the pen. As will be seen from Figure 13, in this position the inwardly protruding end of the marker nib 5 makes contact with the reservoir pen nib 12 in the same way as explained above. It will be seen from the drawings that the nib end of the reservoir pen is stepped to enable the marker casing to define a snug fit when fitted over the end of the reservoir pen.

A cap 31 is provided to seal from the atmosphere whichever nib is exposed at any given time.

It will be appreciated that the marker casing 25 and nib 5 can be used in association with one of a large number of reservoir pens retaining different coloured dyes, water or other fluid to produce numerous colour changes at the whim of the user.

These differently sized marker nibs 5 are shown in Figures 14 to 16. In Figure 14, the nib has a brush tip 32, in Figure 15 a writing tip 33 and in Figure 16 a broad wash tip 34. Any of these (and many other differently shaped nibs) can be used with marker pens in accordance with the invention.

It will be appreciated that the foregoing is merely exemplary of marker pens in accordance with the invention and that various modifications can readily be made thereto without departing from the true scope of the invention described as set out in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A marker pen which comprises a casing (1) open at one end (2) and including a fluid absorbent nib (5) (referred to hereinafter as the marker nib) containing a liquid or dye of a first colour one of whose ends protrudes outwardly beyond the confines of the casing (1) and the other of whose ends protrudes inwardly into the casing, the interior of the casing being adapted to receive at least a portion of a reservoir pen (11) having a fluid absorbent nib (12) (hereinafter referred as the reservoir pen nib) containing a liquid or dye of a second colour (which may be neutral) which, when the reservoir pen (11) is inserted into the open end of the casing (1), makes contact with the inwardly protruding end of the marker nib (5) (or a fluid absorbent extension thereof) whereby liquid or dye of the second colour can be donated by the reservoir pen nib (12) to the marker nib (5).

2. A marker pen as claimed in claim 1 wherein the reservoir pen nib (12) contains a coloured dye or translucent liquid.

3. A marker pen as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein, in cross- section, the size of the marker nib (5) is the same or substantially the same as that of the reservoir pen nib (12).

4. A marker pen as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the size of the marker nib (5) is larger than that of the reservoir pen nib (12).

5. A marker pen as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the open end of the casing is closed by a releasable plug (15).

6. A marker pen as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein elongate ribs (9) protrude inwardly from the internal surface of the casing (1) to assist location and retention of the reservoir pen (11) within the casing.

7. A marker pen as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the reservoir pen (11) includes a transorb in which coloured dye is confined.

8. A marker pen as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the marker nib (5) and/or reservoir pen nib (12) are produced from a fibrous material.

9. A marker pen as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the marker nib (5) and/or reservoir pen nib (12) are produced from a relatively inflexible material.

10. A marker pen as claimed in claim 9 wherein the material is a porous fluid retaining substance which holds its shape when applied to a surface.

11. A marker pen as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the coloured dye comprises an indicator.

12. A marker pen as claimed in claim 11 wherein the indicator comprises a water-based ink containing coloured dyes, dispersed pigments or other colouring media.

13. Colouring apparatus comprising a marker pen having a housing (1) including an absorbent nib (5) (referred to as the marker nib) containing a liquid or dye of a first colour, the housing (1) being dimensioned and shaped to receive at least a portion of a reservoir pen (11) having an absorbent nib (12) (referred to as the reservoir pen nib) containing a liquid or dye of a second colour in contact with the marker nib or a fluid absorbent extension thereto.