U.S. patent number 3,775,015 [Application Number 05/193,020] was granted by the patent office on 1973-11-27 for ball point pen.
Invention is credited to Tsutomu Saito, Norimasa Tsunoda.
United States Patent |
3,775,015 |
Tsunoda , et al. |
November 27, 1973 |
BALL POINT PEN
Abstract
A pressure ball point pen which comprises a ball point means, a
writing ink reservoir means, an air pressure chamber and an end
closure means. A pressurized air is contained in the air pressure
chamber by the end closure means adapted to be forced into the end
of the air pressure chamber or by means of an outer sleeve adapted
to sheathe the writing ink reservoir means.
Inventors: |
Tsunoda; Norimasa (Yokohama,
JA), Saito; Tsutomu (Yokohama, JA) |
Family
ID: |
14513002 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/193,020 |
Filed: |
October 27, 1971 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
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Nov 6, 1970 [JA] |
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45/109547 (UTILITY MODEL) |
Jun 21, 1971 [JA] |
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46/43960 (UTILITY MODEL) |
Apr 15, 1971 [JA] |
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28,337 (UTILITY MODEL) |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
401/190; 53/471;
53/527; 401/142; 222/394; 53/432; 53/489; 401/141 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B29C
65/08 (20130101); B29C 66/534 (20130101); B29C
66/8322 (20130101); B29C 66/1222 (20130101); B43K
7/035 (20130101); B29C 66/112 (20130101); B29C
66/001 (20130101); B29C 66/1224 (20130101); B29K
2027/06 (20130101); B29C 66/131 (20130101); B29C
66/12841 (20130101); B29C 66/12821 (20130101); B29C
66/71 (20130101); B29C 65/02 (20130101); B29C
66/71 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B29C
65/00 (20060101); B43K 7/035 (20060101); B43K
7/00 (20060101); B43k 007/10 () |
Field of
Search: |
;401/188,190,217,141,142,187 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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624,703 |
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Sep 1961 |
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IT |
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1,159,103 |
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Feb 1958 |
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FR |
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Primary Examiner: Charles; Lawrence
Claims
We claim:
1. A ball point pen comprising an elongated ink reservoir
terminating at one end in writing means and at an opposite end in
an opening, a supply of ink within said reservoir to a level below
its open end, and an end closure of heat fusible material for said
open end and serving to limit one end of a solely fluid filled,
fluid pressurized, chamber delimited at its opposite end by said
ink level, said end closure comprising an enlarged head portion
having an outer end face and an axially extending stem portion
projecting from an inner face of said enlarged head portion
opposite said outer face into said reservoir, said stem portion
being formed throughout its length with at least one longitudinally
extending groove terminating inwardly of said outer face of the
head portion, said end closure having first and second positions in
relation to said reservoir, said inner face of the enlarged head
portion in said first position of said closure being spaced from
the open end of said reservoir with its stem portion and groove
therein at least partially introduced within said reservoir and
being in sealing engagement with the reservoir open end in said
second position of the closure, and an external source supplied
fluid in said reservoir supplied therein via said longitudinally
extending groove in said first position of said end closure and
during positioning thereof to said second position in which said
groove is wholly within said reservoir and sealed against
communication with the atmosphere.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a ball point pen which accomodates a
compressed air chamber adapted to facilitate the smooth discharge
of the writing ink and a method of manufacturing such the pressure
ball point pen.
It is known to increase an atmospheric pressure within the writing
ink reservoir of the ball point pen so that the ink of high
concentration and viscosity may be utilized without causing any
dripping or leakage of the ink and rather enabling the user to
write in the upward direction of the ball point means.
The pressure ball point pen of this type heretofore used has an
intricate construction including an example means for receiving the
chemical substances adapted to generate a high pressure gas which
usually require an expensive manufacturing cost.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a general object of the invention to obviate any
difficulty and inconvenience in the conventional ball point pen and
provide an improved pressure ball point pen of simple construction
which provides an easy manipulation and reduces the manufacturing
cost considerably.
In one aspect of the invention, an elongated ink reservoir having
at its one end a ball point means is filled with the writing ink
from the opposite end thereof which is then sealed in an air-tight
manner by a closing plug means to form a compressed air chamber
between the ink surface and the closing plug means.
An object of the present invention is to provide a pressure ball
point pen which comprises an elongated ink reservoir containing the
writing ink, a ball point means secured to one end of said
elongated ink reservoir and an end closure means forced into an
opposite end of said elongated ink reservoir in an air-tight manner
to provide a compressed air chamber between the ink surface and
said end closure means.
In another aspect of the invention, an inner ink reservoir having
at its one end a ball point means is filled with the writing ink
and from the opposite end thereof sheathed in an air-tight manner
by an outer sleeve through an elastic ring encircling the said
inner ink reservoir to provide a pressed air chamber for
compressing the ink under the desired pressure for the purpose of
continuous smooth writing.
Another object of the invention is to provide a pressure ball point
pen which comprises an elongated inner ink reservoir, a ball point
means secured to one end of said inner ink reservoir, an elastic
ring means encircling said inner ink reservoir and a bottomed outer
sleeve sheathing in an air-tight relation said inner ink reservoir
from an opposite end thereof to provide a compressed air chamber in
abutment with the ink.
In a further aspect of the invention, an ink reservoir having at
its one end a ball point means is filled with the writing ink and
the opposite open end of the ink reservoir is closed in an
air-tight manner by a sealing plug having vertical groove for a
compressed air inlet and adapted to be welded to the open end of
the ink reservoir to provide a compressed air chamber between the
ink surface and the sealing plug.
A further object of the invention is to provide a pressure ball
point pen which comprises an elongated ink reservoir, a ball point
means secured to one end of said ink reservoir and an end closure
means having a vertical groove for compressed air inlet and
inserted into the opposite end of said ink reservoir in a welding
manner to provide a compressed air chamber between the ink and the
end closure means.
A pressure ball point pen of the above third embodiment may be
prepared by an apparatus in accordance with the invention in such a
way that an open end of the ink reservoir containing the writing
ink and having a ball point means at its opposite end is inserted
into a high pressure gas chamber of the apparatus and closed by a
closing plug of heat fusible material having a vertical groove for
air inlet and then compressed air is supplied into the high
pressure gas chamber from the supply source and subsequently into
the space formed between the ink and the closing plug through the
air inlet groove provided in the plug and finally the ultrasonic
oscillation is transmitted through an oscillator to the plug for
thermal welding with the open end of the ink reservoir thereby to
provide a compressed air chamber between the ink and the end
closure plug.
Still a further object of the invention is to provide a method of
manufacturing a pressure ball point pen which comprises filling an
elongated ink reservoir having at its one end a ball point means
with the writing ink, closing an opposite open end of said ink
reservoir by an end closure member of heat fusible material,
subjecting the end closure member to an ultrasonic oscillation for
welding attachment with the open end of the ink reservoir thereby
to provide a compressed air chamber between the ink surface and the
end closure member.
Yet a further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus
for manufacturing a pressure ball point pen which comprises a base
body, an elastic holding mass member accomodated in the base body
and provided with an aperture for supporting an open end portion of
elongated ink reservoir and a high pressure gas chamber, an
ultrasonic oscillation means disposed in the base body in alignment
with the aperture for transmitting an ultrasonic oscillation to an
end closure member inserted into the open end of the ink reservoir
and a path disposed above the ultrasonic oscillation means and
communicating into the high pressure gas chamber.
Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in
part appear hereinafter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a fuller understanding of the nature and object of the
invention a reference should be had to the following detailed
description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing:
FIG. 1 is a vertical view partially in sectioned of the ball point
pen in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 2 is a pictorial elevation of an end closure member before
being inserted into an open end of the ink reservoir;
FIG. 3 is a longitudinally sectioned view of another embodiment of
the ball point pen in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a pictorial elevation of the ball point pen of FIG. 3
showing an outer sleeve before air-tight engagement with an inner
ink reservoir;
FIG. 5 is a front elevation in partially sectioned of a further
embodiment of the ball point pen in accordance with the present
invention;
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an apparatus for manufacturing
the ball point pen of FIG. 5; and
FIG. 7 is a fragmentarily enlarged lateral view in partially
sectioned of an end closure means in engagement with an ultrasonic
oscillator.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now in more detail to the drawings, wherein like parts
are indicated by like reference numerals and initially to FIG. 1,
there is illustrated therein longitudinally sectioned view an
elongated writing ink reservoir tube of the ball point pen 10 made
of steel, hard vinyl chrolide and other suitable materials and
secured at its one end with a ball point 12 with the writing ink 14
received therein.
Into the opposite end of the reservoir 10 an end closure member or
airtight plug 16 is forced to provide a compressed air chamber 18
under the desired pressure of approximately 2 atms. The airtight
plug 16 comprises a support arm 20 provided at its one end with a
sealing member 22 of rubber and other suitable material having a
diameter of approximately from 0.5 to 1mm greater than the inner
diameter of the ink reservoir and at its opposite end with a
closing member 24 with a head rim 26.
After the airtight plug 16 has been completely inserted into the
open end of the ink reservoir 10 under the pressure, a
circumference adjacent the open end of the reservoir tube 10 is
somewhat depressed inwardly to form an annular channel 28 for
air-tight seal with the closing member 24 of the plug 16.
Outer circumferential surfaces of the sealing member 22 and the
closing member 24 may be applied with grease or putty to minimize a
friction with an inner circumferential wall of the ink reservoir on
insertion and to prevent any leakage of the compressed air from the
chamber 18.
The support arm 16 and the airtight seal member 22 may be fixed to
the inner circumferential wall of the reservoir tube 10 by a
suitable bond when desired.
In case the inner diameter of the reservoir tube 10 exceeds 3mm, a
movable plug 30 having approximately 0.2mm smaller diameter than
the inner diameter of the reservoir tube 10 and less specific
gravity than the writing ink in the reservoir may be floated in the
ink surface to check the counter flow of the ink.
In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, an elongated inner ink
reservoir 32 made of steel or other suitable synthetic material is
provided with a ball point 34 at its one end and the opposite end
thereof is left in open.
The inner ink reservoir tube 32 at its proper circumferential
portion is somewhat depressed inwardly to form an annular channel
36 along which an elastic annular ring 38 is encircled as best
shown in FIG. 3. The elastic annular ring 38 is preferably made of
rubber or synthetic resin.
The elongated inner ink reservoir 32 is filled with the writing ink
leaving the upper portion in vacant to provide a pressure chamber
40 as hereinafter described.
The open end of the inner ink reservoir 32 is inserted into an
outer sleeve 42 of somewhat larger diameter than the outer diameter
of the reservoir and having a closed bottom end and when the
annular ring 38 is forced into the outer sleeve 42, an air flow
from the reservoir tube is completely confined and the pressure in
the pressure chamber 40 is raised to approximately two atms by
sliding the inner reservoir upwardly. It will be appreciated that
the annular ring 38 should be properly positioned to keep the
pressure in the pressure chamber 40 at approximately two atms.
As best shown in FIG. 3, an open end of the outer sleeve 42 is
somewhat bent inwardly to make a fixed engagement with a shoulder
portion 44 of the ink reservoir. Alternatively, the open end of the
outer sleeve 42 may be provided with a threaded portion or other
suitable fixing elements so that the inner reservoir 32 after the
ink therein worn out may be replaced by a fresh reservoir
containing the ink. It will be also possible to construct the outer
sleeve so as to compress the gas in the pressure chamber when using
the pen while to keep the pressure chamber at relatively low
pressure when the pen is not used for writing purpose thereby to
prevent any leakage of the ink.
FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the ball point pen according to
the invention, wherein an open end of the ink reservoir 46 is
closed by an airtight plug 48 of heat fusible material such as
vinyl chloride and the details of closing operation will be
described hereinafter.
As best shown in FIG. 5, the airtight plug 48 comprises a head rim
50 integrated with a stem 52 and an extended leg 54 and provided
with one or more vertical groove 55 which extends from the tip of
the leg 54 to the position at least across the stem 52. The open
end of the ink reservoir tube 46 is interiorly provided with a
stepped portion 56 adapted to receive the stem 52.
In FIG. 6, an apparatus for manufacturing the ball point pen
illustrated in FIG. 5 is constructed of a base body 58 which
accomodates an elastic support member 60 having an aperture 62 for
supporting an open end portion of the ink reservoir tube 46.
The elastic member 60 is further provided with a recess 64 which
provides a high pressure chamber 66 when the elastic member 60 is
united with the base body 58.
The base body 58 further accomodates an ultrasonic oscillator 68
disposed in alignment with the aperture 62 and one end of the
ultrasonic oscillator 68 is exposed into the high pressure gas
chamber 66 in opposite relation with the head rim 50 of the
air-tight plug 48. Above the ultrasonic oscillator 68 is provided a
pressurized air path 70 communicating at its one end into the high
pressure gas chamber 66 and communicated at its opposite end with a
pipe 72 connected in turn to a solenoid valve 74 and a pressure
gauge 76.
In operation, the open end of the ink reservoir tube containing the
writing ink is mounted in the aperture of the elastic support
member and then the airtight plug is inserted into the open end
portion so that the head rim of the airtight plug confronts with
the end of the oscillator. In this condition, the solenoid valve is
opened to supply the dehydrated air or other suitable inert gas at
a suitable pressure into the high pressure gas chamber. The gas is
further supplied into the space formed between the ink surface and
the closing plug through the vertical groove provided in the
closing plug. Thereafter, the oscillator is moved toward the head
rim of the plug for compression and simultaneously an oscillation
is applied thereto to transmit the oscillation to the contacting
portions between the plug and the open end of the ink reservoir so
that the heat is generated therebetween with fusing of the plug
member. The fused material is penetrated into the vertical groove
of the airtight plug resulting with an intimate fixation of the
closing plug with the open end of the ink reservoir thereby to
provide the compressed air chamber at the end portion of the ink
reservoir. These operations including from the opening of the
solenoid valve to the finishing may be accomplished in a
second.
In accordance with the ball point pen of the present invention, a
compressed air of desired pressure may be sealed into the ink
reservoir in a simple and effective manner for the purposes of
smooth and extended writing by the user without following any
leakage of the ink.
While certain preferred embodiments of the invention have been
illustrated by way of example in the drawings and particularly
described, it will be understood that modifications may be made in
the constructions and that the invention is no way limited to the
embodiments shown.
* * * * *