Coating implements with material supply – Including floating follower in reservoir – Fluid follower
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-03
2002-12-10
Walczak, David J. (Department: 3751)
Coating implements with material supply
Including floating follower in reservoir
Fluid follower
C401S205000, C401S219000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06491466
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an applicator for fluid, specifically to an applicator for fluid used for writing instruments including a felt tip pen and a ballpoint pen, a corrector, an applicator for adhesive and a dressing instrument.
BACKGROUND ART
An applicator such as a ballpoint pen which is equipped with a liquid movable plug at an end part of a fluid contained in a pipe-shaped reservoir in order to prevent the applying fluid from splashing and vaporizing has so far widely been known. Used as such a conventional liquid movable plug are those comprising non-volatile oils as a principal component such as mineral oil, silicone oil, ester oil and polybutene. However, while they have a volatilization-preventing effect for inks in which volatile liquids having a high polarity such as water are blended, there are problems in that inks in which blended are volatile solvents having a low polarity such as xylene, cyclohexane, methylcyclohexane and ethyl acetate dissolve the liquid movable plugs or pass through the movable plugs to volatilize. Accordingly, they have not yet been put to practical use. The volatile solvents having a low polarity are preferred since the drawn lines are liable to be quickly dried when blended in inks and they have a strong sticking property onto a non-absorbing face and are less liable to cause a water-based ink to bleed when they are used for correction liquids.
Further, a solid movable plug using silicone rubber is available, but a volatilization-preventing effect is unsatisfactory for fluids in which the foregoing volatile solvents having a low polarity are blended, and there used to be a problem that the rubber swells and can not move. In applicators such as a corrector charged with inks in which the foregoing volatile solvents having a low polarity are blended, proposed are those of a type in which a container is closed without providing a movable plug. In this case, however, a variation of an ambient temperature changes the internal pressure, so that there used to be inconveniences that the internal pressure is elevated at a high temperature and the ink flows out too much in using and that the internal pressure is lowered at a low temperature and the ink does not flow out smoothly. In addition thereto, in ink fluids in which pigments such as carbon black and titanium dioxide are used for a colorant, there used to be an inconvenience that these pigments settle down as time passes, so that the applicator has to be shaken violently in using to stir the fluids again.
An object of the present invention is to provide an applicator for fluid in which an applying fluid containing a colorant and using a volatile solvent having a low polarity such as xylene, cyclohexane, methylcyclohexane and ethylcyclohexane which are supposed to be suited to blending in inks in terms of a drying property of the drawn lines, a sticking property and are less liability to cause bleeding is excellently prevented from backleaking and discharges smoothly without being influenced by a variation of an ambient temperature and which is easy to use. Another object of the present invention is to provide an applicator for fluid which can inhibit a colorant from settling down and control “feathering” on a member to be applied and which is excellent in an effect to prevent degradation in the. quality of the applying fluid over a long period of time.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
In order to achieve the objects described above, the present inventors have investigated various combinations of liquid movable plugs with applying fluids charged into a reservoir of an applicator equipped with a discharge-controlling mechanism for an applying liquid such as a ballpoint pen type tip and a needle valve at an end thereof. As a result thereof, it has been have found that the objects can be achieved by providing a movable plug of a liquid substance which is not compatible with an applying fluid and which has a high polarity and is scarcely volatile and releasing the rear part of the movable plug to the atmosphere. Thus, the present invention has come to be completed.
That is, the applicator for fluid of the present invention is characterized by that a reservoir of an applicator equipped with a discharge-controlling mechanism for an applying fluid at an end thereof is charged with the applying fluid containing at least one organic solvent selected from the following A group: n-hexane, n-heptane, n-octane, isooctane, cyclohexane, methylcyclohexane, ethylcyclohexane, toluene and xylene and that at least one scarcely volatile liquid substance selected from the following B group having no compatibility with the above applying fluid: glycerin, diglycerin, polyglycerin, polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, alkylene glycol alkyl ethers, polyglycerin fatty acid esters, alkylene oxide adducts of glycerin, alkylene oxide adducts of diglycerin and alkylene oxide adducts of polyglycerin is charged thereinto as a movable plug for an end part of the applying fluid in a contact state and the rear of the above movable plug in the reservoir is released to the atmosphere.
The applying fluid of the present invention described above is preferably a gelatinous matter to which a structural viscosity-providing material is added and which has a viscosity of 200 mPa·S or less at a shearing rate of 400 S
−1
and a viscosity of 300 mPa·S or more at a shearing rate of 5 S
−1
at a temperature of 25° C.
This makes it easy to inhibit settling of the pigment when a heavy pigment (titanium oxide and the like) is blended as a colorant in an applying fluid and provides the effect that “feathering” on the member to be applied can be inhibited by having a structural viscosity when an ink (fluid) is applied on a member to be applied such as paper.
Further, the movable plug for an end part of the applying fluid described above in the present invention is preferably a gelatinous structural viscous matter obtained by adding a structural viscosity-providing material to a scarcely volatile liquid substance.
This makes it less liable to allow the movable plug of the gelatinous structural viscous matter to transfer to the applying fluid, makes it possible to maintain the quality as a backleaking-preventing body and provides an effect to prevent degradation in the quality of the applying fluid over a long period of time.
Further, the movable plug described above in the present invention is preferably a matter obtained by impregnating a cylindrical spongy continuous porous body with a scarcely volatile liquid.
This elevates an impact resistance of the movable plug, inhibits the scarcely volatile liquid from flowing in the continuous porous body such as sponge, makes it further less liable to physically mix with the applying fluid, makes it possible to maintain the quality as a backleaking-preventing body and provides an effect to prevent degradation in the quality of the applying fluid over a long period of time.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
The embodiment of the present invention shall be explained below in details.
The applicator for fluid which is intended in the present invention is a writing instrument including a felt tip pen and a ballpoint pen, a corrector, an applicator for adhesive and a dressing instrument. Usually, such applicator for fluid is equipped at an end with a discharge-controlling mechanism which prevents the fluid from being discharged too much or scarcely discharged in using. For example, when the fluid (ink or the like) is gelatinous, preferred is an applicator equipped with a ballpoint pen type tip having a structural viscosity-breaking means or a valve which is protruded and forced against a front seat with a resilient body to close a tip hole or an applicator equipped with a discharge-controlling mechanism such as a needle valve.
A reservoir comprising a pipe-shaped container in such applicator is charged with an applying fluid. The applying fluid is prepared by dissolving or dispersing a colorant including a pigment such as carbon black and titanium dioxide and a dye
Eguchi Tamotsu
Ono Makoto
Sato Kenzi
Burns Doane , Swecker, Mathis LLP
Mitsubishi Pencil Kabushiki Kaisha
Prunner Kathleen J.
Walczak David J.
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