U.S. patent number 3,604,817 [Application Number 05/015,693] was granted by the patent office on 1971-09-14 for writing instruments.
Invention is credited to Takaji Funahashi.
United States Patent |
3,604,817 |
Funahashi |
September 14, 1971 |
WRITING INSTRUMENTS
Abstract
This invention provides writing instruments such as felt pens,
marking pens or sign pens in which the construction is reinforced
to strengthen the effect of writing instrument thereby increasing
writing practice without causing deformation due to pressure
applied to the pen point.
Inventors: |
Funahashi; Takaji (Nagoya-shi,
Aichi-ken, JA) |
Family
ID: |
11986288 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/015,693 |
Filed: |
March 2, 1970 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
Mar 3, 1969 [JA] |
|
|
44/18963 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
401/199; D19/200;
401/284 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B43K
1/003 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B43K
1/00 (20060101); B43k 005/18 () |
Field of
Search: |
;401/198,199,284,292 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Skogquist; Harland S.
Claims
What I claim:
1. A writing instrument comprising a core structure made of a
wearproof and ink resistant material and consisting of a plurality
of vane plates arranged to form a stellate configuration in
sectional shape and extending along the length of the structure,
subcore elements each having a capillary structure and each being
positioned between each adjoining vane plates such as to define a
small space therebetween, and a synthetic resin coating covering
the entire outer periphery of the core and subcore assembly such as
to form a sheath, with the end of said sheath being machined to
form a pen point.
2. A writing instrument according to claim 1, in which said
wearproof and ink-resistant material constituting said core
structure is polyacetal resin, polyamide resin or light metal.
3. A writing instrument according to claim 1, in which said each
subcore element is made of polyacetal resin.
4. A writing instrument according to claim 1, in which said sheath
is made of polypropylene resin or polyethylene resin.
Description
This invention relates generally to the writing instruments, and
more particularly to such writing instrument of the type comprising
a core structure made of a wearproof and inkproof material and
consisting of a plurality of vane plates arranged to form a
stellate configuration in sectional shape and extending along the
length of the instrument, subcore elements each having a capillary
structure and each being positioned between each adjoining vane
plates such as to form a small space therebetween, and a synthetic
resin coating covering the entire outer periphery of the core and
subcore assembly such as to form a sheath, with the end of said
sheath being machined to form a pen point.
In other terms, the present invention relates to the improvements
in the writing instruments such as felt pens, marking pens, sign
pens or the like whereby desired writing practice can be performed
by self-feeding the ink contained in the pen stem by utilizing the
capillary action of the pen structure.
Heretofore, the writing instruments of this type have been mostly
composed of a solidified assembly of a plurality of longitudinally
disposed single fibers which were bundled and solidified into a
penlike structure, or of a felt-made assembly also shaped into a
penlike structure, with one end of said structure being formed like
a pen point. However, these conventional articles are so poor in
wear resistance that the pen point or nib portion is subject to
early wear and is undesirably broadened during use. Also, due to
such wear, the capillary structure tends to be partly blocked to
deteriorate passage of ink.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an
improved writing instrument which is free of the above-said defects
and which can be manufactured on a mass-production scale with
ease.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved
writing instrument of the type just described, in which the subcore
elements each having a capillary structure are mounted between the
vane plates of said core structure such as to define small spaces
between said core structure and subcore elements, thereby to
provide reinforcing effect to strengthen the writing instrument and
to allow proper and desired writing practice without causing
deformation due to pressure applied to the pen point during writing
practice.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an
improved writing instrument of which the nib or writing portion,
owing to the above-described construction, is highly resistive to
wear and is not broadened even if it is used for a long time, and
which also has no possibility that the capillary structure is
partly blocked to deteriorate passage of ink.
Now, the invention will be described in detail by way of its
preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings,
in which:
FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the writing
instrument according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view as taken on the line II--II of
FIG. 1; and
FIG. 3 is a fragmental perspective view of a blank article
according to the present invention.
Referring generally to the drawings, reference number 1 denotes the
vane plates of the core structure 2, said vane plates being
arranged radially as shown and made of a wearproof and
ink-resistant material such as polyacetal resin, polyamide resin or
light metals. Reference number 3 designates the capillaries (for
example 0.1 mm. wide) provided at the center of the subcore
elements 4 made of polyacetal resin or other similar material. It
is to be noted that each said subcore element 4 is disposed between
each adjoining vane plates 1 in such a manner as to form
therebetween a small space 5 (for example 0.05 mm. wide). Enclosing
the outer periphery of the vane plate and subcore assembly is a
sheath structure 6 made of easily meltable synthetic resin such as
polypropylene resin or polyethylene resin, with one end of said
sheath 6 being formed like a pen point. Designated by reference
number 8 in the drawings is a small hole which is formed in the
center of the core structure 2 along the full length thereof when
the viscosity of inks is high. In said hole 8 is stuffed a sheaf of
fibers such as acrylic filaments (said sheaf having a size of
several of for example 3 denier).
In use of the present device having the above-described
construction, the sheathed structure is inserted rear-endwise into
a pen holder through an end opening in the head portion thereof
until the rear end of the sheath 6 reaches the ink source in the
holder, whereby ink will be allowed to flow through the small
spaces 5 between the vane plates 1 and the subcore elements 4 and
through the capillaries 3 to the nib or writing portion 7 at the
front end of the structure. Since the writing portion 7 is
constantly supplied with a suitable amount of ink, it is possible
to conduct the smooth and desired writing practice in the same
manner as the conventional writing pens.
According to the present invention, additional strengthening effect
is provided by the subcore elements 4 which are securely fitted
between the vane plates 1 in a bracelike manner, so that smooth and
proper writing practice can be performed even for a long time
without causing any undesirable deformation of the nib portion 7
due to pressure applied thereto during the writing practice. Also,
there is no fear that the nib portion 7 is worn and broadened, or
that the capillary structure is partly blocked to deteriorate
passage of ink.
AN EXAMPLE:
With particular reference to FIG. 3, a plurality of small tubular
elements 4' each made of polyacetal resin and each having formed in
its center a small axial hole 3' of about 0.1 mm. in diameter are
mounted around an about 50 meter-long core structure 2 made of
polyacetal resin such that each said tubular element 4' is disposed
between each adjoining vane plates 1 of said core structure, to
thereby prepare a blank article as shown. Then, a compressing
pressure (about 120.degree. C., 50 kg/cm.sup.2) is applied
uniformly on the circumferential periphery of said article to press
said small tubular elements 4', whereby said small holes 3' will be
flattened to constitute the capillaries 3, and thereby the sub-core
elements 4 are formed. Thereafter, a coating of synthetic resin
such as polypropylene resin is applied entirely or partly on the
outer peripheral surface of the prepared structure to form a sheath
6. Then the structure is cut into segments of a desired length (for
example 3 cm.), and one end of each said segment is lathed by a
grinder or other suitable cutting means to form a nib portion 7,
thereby completing an article of the present invention.
* * * * *