Offset pen

Details Offset pen Offset pen

1999-10-14

2001-06-26

Huson, Gregory L. (Department: 3751)

Coating implements with material supply

With means to attach or conform to body of user

C401S195000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06250828

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is related to an offset pen, and more particularly to an offset pen having a structure advantageous for easy making and convenient assembling.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
So far, conventional writing tools such as fountain pen, pencil, ball point pen, coloring pencil and writing brush on the market are all linear in shape. That is, a writing head and a holding stick of a writing tool are substantially coaxial. Owing to the limit of people's palm structure, the writing tool generally tilts rearward the wrist while being used so that the vision line of the user will be obstructed by the writing tip of the writing tool. As such, there are several defects in writing or drawing with the conventional writing tool. First of all, a user cannot clearly see the space behind the writing tool along the vision line, so it is difficult for the user to write straight or draw in position. Especially for kids, they are likely to change their sitting posture, e.g. lie their heads upon the desks, while writing in an attempt to bypass the blockage of the vision line by the writing tool, and it is harmful to kids' eyesight and bone.
In addition, people are used to holding the writing tool slantwise, so the linear shape of the writing tool results in the slant of the writing portion relative to the working surface, and as such, the user gets no right point to exercise the pressing point and has to exert more stress on the working surface while writing or drawing. The inevitable fatigue would ruin children's interests in writing. Furthermore, the slant of the writing portion relative to the working surface makes the drawing operations with an assistant tool such as a ruler unable to achieve the best effect, since the writing tip will not be in close contact with the side surface of the ruler.
Moreover, under special writing conditions, the writing operation may suffer from the interruption of ink provided that an ink-type pen such as a ball point pen, is used. For example, if a user would like to write on a substantially vertical surface at a position higher than his head, a pen will be held slant so that the writing tip becomes higher than the ink reservoir. It is apparent that such an orientation of the pen is likely to result in the interruption of the ink owing to the adverse flow of the ink from the writing tip due to gravity. Even if the writing operation is performed on a substantially vertical surface at a relatively low position, for example lower than the height of the user's chest, the wrist of the user's writing hand has to significantly and uncomfortably bend toward the user's body in order to assure of good contact between the writing tip and the writing surface for smooth writing.
The present inventor found that the above problems can be solved by providing a nonlinear writing tool called an “offset pen” hereinafter. An offset pen includes an intermediate portion between a holding portion, i.e. the pen stick, and a writing portion, i.e. the writing head, to make the holding portion and the writing portion positioned in different axes. For example, FIGS.
1
~
3
schematically show how is an offset pen used to solve the above problems.
Please refer to
FIG. 1A
in which an offset pen including a holding portion A, an intermediate portion B and a writing portion C is shown. Owing to the presence of the crooked intermediate portion B, the axis of the writing portion C and that of the holding portion A will intersect at a certain angle to create a space therebetween. In addition, the angle between the writing portion C and the working surface can be made to be approximately 90 degrees owing to the offset of the writing portion. As such, the vision line of the user will not be obstructed by the writing tool as by the front portion P
1
of a conventional pen. Accordingly, the writing operation of the user will proceed relatively smoothly. Furthermore, the crooked intermediate portion B provides an additional structure suitable for user's index finger to rest and exert force thereon, as shown in
FIG. 1B
, so as to lessen the load of user's fingers. The effect is especially prominent for duplication with carbon paper.
Please refer now to
FIG. 2
in which an offset pen is used together with a ruler R. By using an offset pen including a holding portion A, an intermediate portion B and a writing portion C as mentioned above, the writing portion C is approximately perpendicular to the working surface K so as to be in close contact with the side surface R
2
of the ruler R. As such, the user will be able to draw a line precisely as desired without being influenced by his palm structure and the thickness of the ruler.
FIGS. 3A and 3B
schematically show the situations of the offset pen for use to write on a vertical surface at a relatively high and a relatively low positions, respectively. Referring to
FIG. 3A
, the crooked intermediate portion B allows a section of the ink reservoir B
1
to remain higher than the writing tip C
1
so as to avoid the interruption of the ink. Referring to
FIG. 3B
, the pen-holding posture can be adjusted to be comfortable by simply turning the offset pen by 180 degrees using the holding portion of the pen as the turning axis.
Even though advantageous over conventional linear pens in many aspects, the offset pen encounters problems in manufacturing and assembling. It is complicated to produce a crooked and hollow pen structure. Furthermore, the ink refill or reservoir is difficult to be installed into the crooked pen structure, and also inconvenient to be replaced.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, an objective of the present invention is to provide an offset pen which is mounted therein a writing material to leave marks on a working surface and has a structure advantageous for easy making and convenient assembling.
Basically, an offset pen structure according to the present invention includes a holding portion to be supported by a user's writing hand, a writing portion to be mounted thereon a writing tip of the writing material, and an intermediate portion located between the holding portion and the writing portion to make the writing portion deflect from the axis of the holding portion. Characteristically, the writing portion is separable from the holding portion so as to facilitate the mounting of the writing material. For example, the intermediate portion includes two engageable parts, a first part of which is connected to the holding portion and a second part of which is connected to the writing portion. The first part constitutes an upper part of the intermediate portion, and the second part is partly inserted into the first part to constitute a lower part of the intermediate portion. Alternatively, the second part is integrally formed with the writing portion and completely inserted into the first part to form a lower surface of the intermediate portion. Thereby, the writing portion is allowed to be separated from the holding portion through the disengagement of the first and the second parts of the intermediate portion.
Alternatively, the writing portion is detachably mounted to the intermediate portion so that the writing portion is allowed to be separated from the holding portion through the disengagement of the intermediate portion and the writing portion.
Preferably, a hollow passage which extends from the writing portion through the intermediate portion to the holding portion is arranged within the offset pen for accommodating a writing material including the writing tip and an ink supply.
In a preferred embodiment, the offset pen is a retractable pen which allows the writing tip to selectively protrude from or to be retracted into the writing portion in response to a user's operation. In order to achieve this purpose, the offset pen includes a button and a spring. The button is mounted on a top end of the holding portion, and has a hollow tube to be engaged with the ink supply. When the button is pushed down to depress the writing material from a relative

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