U.S. patent application number 09/745647 was filed with the patent office on 2001-08-23 for writing instrument with finger gripping device.
This patent application is currently assigned to BIC Corporation. Invention is credited to Lockshier, Roger F., Lovejoy, Marc W., Perry, Gordon, Stevens, Craig M..
Application Number | 20010016139 09/745647 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 21953689 |
Filed Date | 2001-08-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010016139 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Perry, Gordon ; et
al. |
August 23, 2001 |
Writing instrument with finger gripping device
Abstract
A writing instrument is provided including a cartridge carrying
a writing or highlighting medium, and a writing tip exposed at one
end of the cartridge. The cartridge includes a reduced
cross-section which forms an annular recessed and tapered cavity. A
gripping member is received in the cavity and is preferably tubular
in shape and is tapered to follow the tapered contour of the
cartridge. The gripping member includes a smooth surface which may
include a slightly elevated or raised pattern. The elevated pattern
may comprise a plurality of interconnected parts so as to form a
continuous lattice or pattern such as hexagons. The pattern is
preferably continuous over the entire smooth surface. The elevated
pattern is resiliently compressible with respect to the smooth
surface so that a user's fingers may deform the elevated pattern to
provide additional traction during use. The writing instrument may
also include a vented cap.
Inventors: |
Perry, Gordon; (New York,
NY) ; Lovejoy, Marc W.; (Milford, CT) ;
Stevens, Craig M.; (Bethany, CT) ; Lockshier, Roger
F.; (Monroe, CT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
PENNIE AND EDMONDS
1155 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS
NEW YORK
NY
100362711
|
Assignee: |
BIC Corporation
|
Family ID: |
21953689 |
Appl. No.: |
09/745647 |
Filed: |
December 22, 2000 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
09745647 |
Dec 22, 2000 |
|
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09048280 |
Mar 26, 1998 |
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6164855 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
401/6 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B29L 2031/7252 20130101;
B43K 23/008 20130101; B43K 23/124 20130101; B29C 45/00
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
401/6 |
International
Class: |
A46B 005/02 |
Claims
1. A writing instrument comprising: an elongated writing instrument
body; a gripping section arranged along a portion of said writing
instrument body normally used for gripping by a user; and a tubular
gripping member over said gripping section; wherein said tubular
gripping member: has a smooth outer surface positioned to be
gripped by a user; is formed from a soft, resiliently deformable,
anti-slip material; and is adhered to said gripping section by one
of welding, solvent bonding, or a co-injection or two-component
injection molding process, whereby a bond is formed therebetween
that is sufficiently strong to prevent separation of said gripping
member from said gripping seciton.
2. The writing instrument of claim 1, wherein said gripping member
has a plurality of elevated sections comprising interconnected
polygons.
3. The writing instrument of claim 1, wherein said gripping member
has a plurality of elevated sections forming a continuous lattice
over an entire peripheral portion of the smooth outer surface of
said gripping member.
4. The writing instrument of claim 1, further comprising a cap,
wherein said gripping member is configured and dimensioned to be
received by said cap.
5. The writing instrument of claim 4, wherein said gripping member
has a Shore A hardness of less than 40 durometer and is completely
covered by said cap upon insertion of said gripping section into
said cap.
6. The writing instrument of claim 1, wherein said gripping member
has a plurality of elevated sections raised in the range of 0.1 to
0.5 mm above the smooth surface of said gripping member.
7. The writing instrument of claim 1, wherein said gripping member
is fabricated of a material which is softer than the material of
said writing instrument body.
8. The writing instrument of claim 7, wherein said gripping member
is fabricated of an elastomeric material.
9. The writing instrument of claim 8, wherein said gripping member
is fabricated of a thermoplastic elastomer.
10. The writing instrument of claim 7, wherein said gripping member
preferably has a Shore A hardness of less than 40 durometer.
11. The writing instrument of claim 10, wherein said gripping
member more preferably has a Shore A hardness of less than 3
durometer.
12. The writing instrument of claim 10, wherein said gripping
member most preferably has a Shore A hardness of 3 to 15
durometer.
13. The writing instrument of claim 1, wherein said writing
instrument further comprises a vented cap member.
14. The writing instrument of claim 1, wherein said gripping member
has a plurality of elevated sections formed to be resiliently
deformable to provide additional traction between said gripping
member and a user's fingers.
15. The writing instrument of claim 1, wherein: said writing
instrument has a writing tip; said gripping section further
comprises a recessed cavity having a first end wall adjacent said
writing tip and a second end wall axially spaced therefrom; and
said gripping member further comprises a first end and a second end
positioned between said first and second end walls of said recessed
cavity.
16. The writing instrument of claim 15, wherein: said gripping
section further comprises a stepped member at said first end wall
of said recessed cavity and a raised section at said second end
wall of said recessed cavity; said gripping member is positioned
between said stepped member and said raised section; said gripping
member is flush with said stepped member; and said raised section
is elevated above said gripping member.
17. The writing instrument of claim 16, further comprising a cap,
wherein: said cap is dimensioned to fit over said writing tip and
at least a portion of said gripping member and to be releasably
attached to said writing instrument.
18. The writing instrument of claim 1, wherein said gripping member
is formed such that said gripping member is adhered to said
gripping section as a result of the formation of said gripping
member.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates generally to writing
instruments such as ink pens, pencils, felt tip markers and the
like. More specifically, this invention relates to a writing
instrument having a gripping device thereon.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Handwriting remains an important and useful skill and manual
writing instruments remain important tools. Most writing
instruments include an elongated tube containing a writing medium,
such as ink or pencil lead, or highlighting medium, such as yellow,
green and pink highlighters or the likes, and having an end at
which the writing or highlighting medium is exposed for contact
with the writing surface, such as paper. The elongated tube section
of the writing instrument, which is grasped and held by the user
when writing, is characterized typically by a smooth, exterior
surface. The smooth surface may be attractive and pleasant to the
touch, but it can be become slippery during use resulting in writer
discomfort and impaired legibility of the handwritten text
produced.
[0003] Devices are known in the prior art to assist a user in
manually gripping a writing instrument. U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,598 to
Schwartz et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,468,083 to Chesar, U.S. Pat. No.
4,167,347 to Hoyle, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,800 to Lin et al.
illustrate pen or pencil attachment devices which may be attached
to the writing instrument in an attempt to reduce writer
discomfort, cramp and fatigue. These writing aids are typically
structures designed to fit over the exterior of a writing
instrument. These independent structures which are slid onto the
exterior of the instrument tend to be bulky and thick, and create a
non-uniform surface constraining the user to hold the writing
instrument in a fixed position.
[0004] Other structures have contoured grip surfaces constituting
complex molded surfaces aimed at approximating the anatomical
contours of a writer's fingertips during grasping of the writing
instrument. However, the grip surfaces are not able to match the
differing anatomical shapes and pen grasping techniques of
different individuals.
[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 5,221,152 to Chuang discloses a writing
instrument having a gripping segment on a section of the pen, which
screws onto a portion of a main body of the writing instrument. The
gripping segment comprises a number of annular slip-preventing
grooves axially disposed on its outer peripheral surface to help
retain the instrument to the material or surface it is clipped to.
It is not concerned with providing comfort and ease to the user of
the instrument when writing.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,599 to McCall et al. discloses a writing
instrument having a deformable gripping portion, which deforms in
response to manual pressure during manual grasping of the
instrument to permit reshaping of the gripping portion from an
initial shape to a custom fit shape generally conforming to the
writer's fingertips. The gripping portion retains the custom fit
shape for a short period after release and returns substantially to
its initial shape. During operation, the gripping portion requires
pressure to be applied at the onset to conform the gripping portion
to the shape desired by the user.
[0007] Thus, there remains a need to provide a gripping surface for
a writing instrument which is consistent and uniform with the
surface of the writing instrument, is comfortable and easy to use,
provides a firm grip and does not require excessive pressure to
conform the shape desired by the user.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] These objects and advantages as well as other objects and
advantages are accomplished in a writing instrument including an
elongated cylindrical body preferably in the form of a cartridge
element carrying a writing or highlighting medium therein and
having a writing tip exposed at one end. The cartridge element is
insertable into a barrel member and may be permanently bonded to
the barrel or releasably attached so that a replacement cartridge
may be inserted into the barrel member when the writing or
highlighting medium therein is depleted.
[0009] In a preferred embodiment of the invention the cartridge
element includes a reduced cross-section thereon which forms an
annular recessed tapered cavity. A gripping member is received by
the cavity. The gripping member is preferably tubular in shape and
is tapered to follow the tapered contour of the cartridge element.
Gripping member may be permanently attached to the annular recessed
cavity by means of co-extrusion, two-component injection molding,
or by chemical or mechanical bonding.
[0010] The gripping member has a smooth surface which may include a
slightly elevated or raised pattern thereon. Preferably, the
elevated pattern may be constructed in the form of hexagons having
sides which are contiguous with neighboring hexagonal sections and
are interconnected so as to form a continuous lattice or pattern of
hexagons on the smooth surface. The pattern is preferably
continuous over the entire smooth surface. Moreover, the pattern
may be formed from shapes which are not connected, but which are
disposed throughout the smooth surface.
[0011] The elevated pattern formed on the smooth surface provides
friction between the gripping section and a user's fingers, and is
resiliently compressible by the user's fingers for an improved
grip. When in use, the writing instrument is grasped by a user at
the gripping section. The gripping section provides a soft,
textured and compressible surface which is comfortable to the touch
and is not prone to slippage between the user's thumb and fingers.
Since the gripping surface is permanently attached to the body of
the pen, the possibility of having the gripping member becoming
loose during use is greatly reduced. In another aspect of the
invention, a cap may be provided on the cartridge element and
fitted over the gripping member and the writing tip to cover
same.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] Features of the present invention are disclosed in the
accompanying drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote
similar elements throughout the several views, and wherein:
[0013] FIG. 1 is a front view of the writing instrument of the
present invention showing the gripping section thereon;
[0014] FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view of the writing instrument
shown in FIG. 1 illustrating the features of the gripping
section;
[0015] FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the writing instrument of FIG.
1 shown with a cap member thereon;
[0016] FIG. 4 is a front view of the writing instrument shown in
FIG. 1 with the cap member;
[0017] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the cap member; and
[0018] FIG. 6 is a top view of the cap member.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0019] Turning to FIGS. 1 through 3, an embodiment of a writing
instrument 10 constructed in accordance with the present invention
is shown with the understanding that those of ordinary skill in the
art will recognize many modifications and substitutions which may
be made to various elements.
[0020] Writing instrument 10 generally includes an elongated
cylindrical body 12 preferably in the form of a cartridge element
carrying a writing or highlighting medium therein and having a
writing tip 14 exposed at one end of the cartridge element.
Cartridge element 12 is insertable into a barrel member 13 and may
be permanently bonded thereto or releasably attached so that a
replacement may be inserted into barrel member 13 when the writing
highlighting medium therein is depleted. Methods of attachment
include but not limited to press fitting, snap fitting, chemical
bonding and ultrasonic bonding. Additionally, it is preferred that
cartridge element 12 comprises threads 21, as shown in FIG. 2,
configured and dimensioned to be received by corresponding internal
threads 22 defined on the inside of barrel 13, as shown in FIG. 3,
so that barrel 13 and cartridge element 12 can be releasably
attached to each other. Writing instrument 10 may also include a
writing or highlighting medium that is retractable with respect to
cartridge element 12, so that the writing or highlighting medium
may be selectively positioned outside cartridge 12 when writing is
desired and be retracted into cartridge 12 for storage and
transport.
[0021] In a preferred embodiment of the invention and as depicted
in FIG. 2, cartridge element 12 includes a reduced cross-section,
which forms an annular recessed tapered cavity 15. Gripping member
16 is received in cavity 15 and flush with a stepped member 17 on
body 12. As shown stepped member 17 has a diameter that is slightly
less than the diameter of section 19 of body 12, such that section
19 can facilitate the insertion of a cap member, as discussed
below. Preferably, gripping member 16 is suitably dimensioned and
shaped to fit smoothly within recess 15 of cartridge element 12.
Gripping member 16 is also preferably tubular in shape and is
tapered to follow the tapered contour of cartridge element 12.
Preferably, gripping member 16 is fabricated of a thermoplastic
elastomer, including but not limited to polypropylene, rubber,
polyurethane, polyisobutylene, polybutadiene. Moreover, in order to
provide comfort and ease during operation of the writing
instrument, it is important that gripping member 16 be of a
suitable softness. Preferably, the hardness of the material of
gripping member 16 is in the range of Shore A hardness of 3 to 40
durometer, and more preferably in the range of 3 to 25 durometer,
and most preferably in the range of 3 to 15 durometers. However,
the gripping member may also have a hardness of less than 3
durometer.
[0022] Gripping member 16 is adhered to cartridge element 12 by
kinetic, ultrasonic or laser welding. Alternative methods of
adhering gripping member 16 to cartridge element 12 include but are
not limited to solvent bonding and co-injection molding. The
gripping member and the cartridge element may also be manufactured
by a two-component injection molding process, which produces a
chemical bond between these two members.
[0023] Gripping member 16 has a smooth surface 18 which may include
a slightly elevated or raised pattern thereon. Preferably, the
pattern comprises a plurality of slightly elevated sections 20. As
shown in FIG. 1, elevated sections 20 are in the form of hexagons
having sides which are contiguous with neighboring hexagonal
sections and interconnected so as to form a continuous lattice or
pattern of hexagons on smooth surface 18. The pattern is preferably
continuous over the entire smooth surface 18. The elevated pattern
20, which preferably has less surface area than the smooth surface
18, is resiliently deformable by the user's fingers, so that
additional traction between the gripping member and the user's
fingers is provided in addition to the friction between the
gripping member and the user's fingers. Moreover, the pattern may
be formed of shapes which are not connected, but which are disposed
continuously throughout smooth surface 18.
[0024] When in use, the writing instrument is grasped by a user at
the gripping section. The gripping section provides a soft,
textured surface which is resiliently deformable and is therefore
not prone to slippage between the user's thumb and fingers. Since
the gripping surface is permanently attached to the body of the pen
the possibility of having the gripping member becoming loose during
use is greatly reduced. The thickness of gripping member 16 is
preferably in the range of 0.50 to 2.0 mm as measured from smooth
surface 18 to elevated sections 20. The elevated pattern 20 is
preferably the range of 0.1 to 0.5 mm as measured from smooth
surface 18.
[0025] As shown in FIG. 3, another aspect of the invention includes
a cap 24 provided on cartridge element 12, which is dimensioned to
fit over at least a portion of gripping member 16 and writing tip
14 to cover same. Preferably, cap 24 cooperates with raised section
19 to ensure a tight connection between cap 24 and cartridge 12.
Gripping member 16 is of sufficient size, shape and thickness to
provide a comfortable, flexible surface having anti-slip
properties. It is not bulky to grip, is able to fit neatly on
cartridge 12 and can be easily covered by cap 22.
[0026] Referring to FIGS. 4-6, writing instrument 10 is shown with
cap member 24. Cap 24 is configured and dimensioned to be
releasably attached to cartridge element 12. Cap 24 protects
writing tip 14 when the writing instrument 10 is not in use, and it
also isolates the ink from writing tip 14 from contaminating the
surrounding areas. Cap 24 comprises a hollow body 26 defining an
open end, clip member 28, vented plug 30 and well 32. When not in
used writing tip 14 is inserted into well 32, which is preferably
attached to vented plug 30 by snap fitting, threading, chemical
bonding or ultrasonic bonding. Well 32 can also be formed
integrally with vented plug 30. Plug 30 defines a plurality of
apertures 34 therein such that air communication is established the
interior of cap 24 and the outside environment through plug 30.
[0027] The writing instrument of the present invention may be
manufactured by providing a cartridge element having a writing or
highlighting medium therein and a writing tip thereon. A tubular
shaped gripping member is provided and is adhered to the cartridge
element by a two-step injection molding process to chemically bond
the gripping member to the cartridge element. Alternatively, the
gripping member may be mechanically bonded to the cartridge element
by laser or ultrasonically welding or solvent bonding the member to
the cartridge element.
[0028] While various descriptions of the present invention are
described above, it should be understood that the various features
can be used singly or in any combination thereof. Therefore, this
invention is not to be limited to only the specifically preferred
embodiments depicted herein.
[0029] Further, it should be understood that variations and
modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention may
occur to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains.
Accordingly, all expedient modifications readily attainable by one
versed in the art from the disclosure set forth herein that are
within the scope and spirit of the present invention are to be
included as further embodiments of the present invention. The scope
of the present invention is accordingly defined as set forth in the
appended claims.
* * * * *