Coating implements with material supply – Projectable and retractable tool – With movable closure or gate
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-08
2001-05-15
Walczak, David J. (Department: 3751)
Coating implements with material supply
Projectable and retractable tool
With movable closure or gate
C401S107000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06231257
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to marking instruments and in particular it relates to so-called retractable marking instruments of the kind having a barrel into which a replaceable refill unit is fitted, the refill unit including a marking tip and a reservoir for marking fluid to be supplied to the tip, and a retraction mechanism operable by the user for moving the marking unit between advanced and retracted positions for displacing the marking tip either to project through the forward end of the barrel to enable the marking instrument to be used, or to be withdrawn into the barrel so that the tip is enclosed during periods of non-use.
Retractable marking units, in particular retractable ball point pens, have been known and used for many years. However, as a special seal arrangement is needed to seal around the retracted tip if the tip is of a kind from which fluid tends to dry out during periods of non-use, the use of retractable pens has been mostly restricted to ball point pens which use viscous ink and do not suffer from dry out problems. Various proposals have been made to incorporate a sealing arrangement at the forward end of the barrel for sealing around the retracted tip to prevent tip dry out, but such arrangements generally suffer drawbacks of being complicated in construction or operation and/or being incapable of ensuring a reliable sealing function over long term use of the writing instrument, during which term the refill unit may be replaced several times.
The present invention addresses these limitations and as a solution it provides a marking instrument comprising a barrel, a marking unit including a marking tip and marking fluid reservoir disposed in the barrel and replaceable therein, a retraction mechanism for advancing and retracting the marking unit for moving the marking tip between a writing position projecting through an opening at the forward end of the barrel and an inoperative position within the barrel, a seal for closing off the retracted marking tip from the barrel opening when the marking tip is retracted, and wherein the seal is replaceable within the barrel with a removable seal holder.
By providing a seal which is readily replaceable, an effective seal at the forward end of the barrel can be ensured for the entire useful lifetime of the marking instrument by replacing the seal at appropriate intervals, such as each time the marking unit is replaced. Thus, when purchasing a refill unit for the marking instrument a customer may acquire with the refill unit a new seal to replace that previously fitted to the marking instrument.
In accordance with another aspect, therefore, the invention provides a refill unit for a marking instrument in accordance with the invention as described above, the refill unit comprising a marking tip and a reservoir containing marking fluid for delivery to the marking tip, and a sealing device which is arranged to seal around the marking tip when the sealing device and refill unit are installed in a marking instrument.
Conveniently the sealing device will serve to seal around the marking tip both before the refill unit is installed into the marking instrument, in particular within the packaging in which the refill unit and sealing device are supplied to a customer, and after the refill unit and sealing device have been inserted into the marking instrument.
The seal may be a simple sealing member of annular configuration, the preferred form of seal being one which is adopted to roll to and fro within a seal holder cavity as the marking tip is advanced and retracted through the seal. The most preferred forms of seals are those described in our copending International Patent Application No. PCT/US98/05688, to which reference should be made for a clear understanding of the form of the seal and the way in which it cooperates with the marking tip for closing off the tip from ambient atmosphere to prevent marking fluid drying out from the tip. The present invention may be embodied with each and every one of the particular seal arrangements described in the aforementioned International application the contents of which should be taken as incorporated herein by reference.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3525573 (1970-08-01), Fend
patent: 4711592 (1987-12-01), Gregory
patent: 4969764 (1990-11-01), Gregory
patent: 5823697 (1998-10-01), Talbot
Marshall O'Toole Gerstein Murray & Borun
The Gillette Company
Walczak David J.
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