Marking Pen

Abstract

A marking applicator comprising a container having a fluid reservoir therein and a marking nib extending out of the other end of the container for applying fluid or ink to a surface, said nib being disposed in a cylindrical holder having a central bore therein with at least two shoulders therein with one forming a valve seat, a valve plunger secured to said nib and disposed within said bore, said valve plunger having two sealing surfaces thereon with one adapted to seat against one of said shoulders and spring biasing means normally maintaining said valve plunger in a closed position seated upon said shoulder. A secondary reservoir disposed within said valve plunger and in communication with said nib and with an annular channel provided between said valve plunger and said central bore and a bypass passage disposed in said holder adjacent said central bore for supplying fluid to the exterior of said nib when said valve plunger is unseated.

Description

The present invention relates to a fluid applicator, and more particularly to a marking pen for writing with ink and the like on a surface.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a marking pen or applicator having a writing tip or nib secured to a valve plunger having a secondary fluid compartment therein which is in communication with a primary fluid reservoir when the valve plunger is in an unseated position to supply fluid from the primary reservoir to the secondary reservoir at this time.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a marking pen wherein the marking nib is secured to a valve plunger having two spaced sealing surfaces thereon which are adapted to provide a primary seal and a secondary seal.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a marking pen having a writing tip that is press fitted into a valve plunger and which does not interfere with, or restrict, the function of the valve plunger and prevents accidental loss of the marking tip or nib.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel and inexpensive marking pen that is provided with a valve plunger through which the marking tip is secured and which plunger has a secondary reservoir therein which communicates with a primary reservoir when the two sealing surfaces of the valve plunger are not seated and which further is provided with a bypass passage in communication with the exterior of the nib or marking tip when the valve plunger is in an unseated position.

Various other objects and advantage of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof and in which

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the marking pen embodying the present invention, and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged section taken along the lines 2--2 of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawing, the reference numeral 10 generally designates the marking pen of the present invention, and is provided with a cylindrical hollow housing or casing 12 forming a container having a closed end 14 and an open end indicated at 16. Adjacent the closed end 14 is a relatively large primary ink or fluid reservoir 18. Adjacent the open end indicated at 16 is a cylindrical member or holder 20 having a central bore 22 extending therethrough. The member 20 is secured to the interior of the casing 12 by any suitable means and has its outer surface 24 tapered adjacent its upper end so that it can be preferably press fitted into the end of the casing.

The interior of the bore comprises an enlarged upper section 26 which tapers inwardly as indicated at 28 to form a seating surface for a valve plunger 30. Below the tapered seating surface 28 the bore has a reduced section indicated at 32 and thereafter has an annular shoulder 34. The bore then has a reduced section 36 adjacent its lower end.

The outer lower portion of the holder 20 is tapered inwardly as indicated at 40 and a cover or cylindrical cap 42 is press fitted over holder 20, as best illustrated in FIG. 2. The section 32 of the bore is provided with a longitudinally extending drilled passage or recess 44 therein which extends from a point adjacent the tapered seating surface 28 to a point in spaced relationship with the annular shoulder 34.

A marking tip or nib 46 extends loosely through the section 36 of the bore and has its outer end extending a substantial distance beyond the end of the holder 20 so that the nib can be readily used for marking with ink or other fluid. The upper or interior end of the nib is press fitted into a cylindrical recess or countersink 48 provided in the lower part of the valve plunger 30. The interior of the valve plunger 30 is provided with a reduced bore 50 therein above the recess 48 which forms a secondary reservoir in communication with the exterior of the valve plunger through a drilled passage 52. The exterior surface of the valve plunger disposed in the section 32 of the bore is of substantially less diameter than that of the bore section 32 so as to provide an annular channel 54 for fluid therearound. The valve plunger is provided with an outwardly flared rim or shoulder 56 adapted to form a seal with bore section 32.

The upper end of the valve plunger is provided with an outwardly flared or enlarged rim 58 adapted to seat against the tapered surface 28 of the holder 20 so as to form a fluidtight seal therewith. A biasing spring 60 is mounted over the stem 62 of the valve plunger and is maintained in place by an annular loosely fitting retainer disc 64 that is snapped into a recess 66 in the top of the holder 20.

In operation, the marking pen of the present invention will not mark until the end of the nib 46 has been placed against a surface upon which it is desired to discharge the ink from the marking pen because the biasing spring 60 normally maintains the valve plunger is a closed or seated position with the sealing rim 58 of the valve plunger in a seated position against surface 28.

When the marking nib 46 is forced against a surface the biasing spring 60 is compressed and the sealing rim 58 is unseated and moves upwardly in the bore 22 so that the main ink reservoir 18 will communicate through the central opening in the disc 64. The ink will then flow around rim 58 into the annular chamber 54, and the ink will pass through the drilled passage 50 to the felt nib 46. Simultaneously, the sealing surface rim 56 will move up above the drilled bypass passage 44 so that the ink will also flow through this passage 44 around rim 56 to the lower end of bore section 32 and into bore section 36 so that ink will also be fed to the exterior of the felt nib 46.

When the nib 46 is raised from the writing surface so that the biasing spring 60 will again force the valve plunger downwardly into a closed or seated position, any ink in the drilled passage 44 and chamber 54, between rims 58 and 56, is caused to spill through the passage 52 into the secondary well or reservoir 50 by the motion of the pen as it is being used. This action is sufficiently fast so that the pen is always ready for immediate use. A significant feature of this design is also that it enables the user of the pen to continue marking while the ink in the secondary reservoir continues to be absorbed by the nib.

Inasmuch as changes may be made in the form, location and relative arrangement of several parts without departing from essential characteristics of the invention, it is to be understood that this invention is not to be limited except by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A marking pen for writing with ink and the like on a surface, comprising a casing with a primary fluid reservoir in one end thereof and a nib holder in the other end thereof, said holder having a central bore extending therethrough, an absorbent nib disposed in said bore and extending out the end thereof, a movable valve plunger disposed in said bore and having at least two vertically spaced annular sealing elements thereon, said annular sealing elements defining therebetween an annular chamber around said plunger formed between the plunger peripheral surface and the adjacent surface of said bore for receiving fluid when the valve plunger is unseated, biasing means normally holding the valve plunger seated when the nib is not being used, and means defining a secondary fluid reservoir in communication with said annular chamber and located in said plunger in communication with the top end of said absorbent nib, the surface of the bore being formed with a longitudinal recess past the lower end of which the lower one of said sealing elements moves when the valve plunger is unseated, placing said annular chamber in communication with the side surface of said absorbent nib.

2. The pen of claim 1 wherein said longitudinal recess extends from a point below the upper of said sealing elements to a point spaced above the other sealing element.

3. The pen of claim 2 wherein said valve plunger has a countersink with said nib secured therein, and said secondary reservoir is disposed above said countersink centrally of said plunger, and a stem is provided on the plunger and said biasing means is a spring mounted on said stem and an annular disc is secured to said holder to retain said spring on said stem.

4. The pen of claim 3 wherein said first sealing element is an annular rim adapted to seat on a tapered shoulder in said bore and said other sealing element is an annular rim on the lower end of said plunger adjacent said nib, and a drilled passage is provided in said plunger in communication with said secondary reservoir and said annular chamber.