Coating implements with material supply – Bifurcate pointed nib tool – Including reservoir and feeder
Patent
1992-01-14
1993-06-29
Bratlie, Steven A.
Coating implements with material supply
Bifurcate pointed nib tool
Including reservoir and feeder
401141, 401224, 401230, 401232, B43K 510, B43K 518
Patent
active
052228240
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to writing instruments and more particularly to reservoir pens.
It was been proposed to construct a reservoir pen having a barrel enclosing an ink reservoir, a nib, a feed bar underlying the nib and defining an ink feed channel for supplying ink from the reservoir to the underside of the nib, and a valve for closing the ink feed channel coupled to the nib to be opened thereby upon application of the nib against a surface during writing to allow ink to flow to the nib. The advantage of a valve is that it can prevent the ink drying up in the feed channel during periods of non-use. As far as is known, however, no such pen has been made available on the market, a major reason for which is believed to be due to difficulties of controlling ink flow from the reservoir when the valve is opened. In order to achieve a regulated ink flow the feed channel and/or valve must be made to such close tolerances that it cannot be manufactured economically by present day production methods.
The present invention aims at a solution to the foregoing problem and in accordance with the invention there is provided a pen comprising a primary ink reservoir chamber, a secondary ink reservoir chamber, a nib, an ink feed channel for conducting ink from the secondary ink reservoir chamber to the nib via a nib actuated valve, and flow restricting means for regulating ink flow from the primary to the secondary reservoir chamber and thereby flow of ink to the nib when the valve is opened.
In a pen according to the invention the ink flow rate is conveniently controlled by including suitable flow restricting means within the reservoir structure, whereby the flow regulating duty is taken away from the ink feed channel and/or valve so that the latter becomes a simple on-off valve and the severe tolerancing demands on these components are obviated. The flow restricting means can be any device, member or element capable of allowing ink to flow through or past at a controlled maximum rate. Very satisfactory results have been achieved with an element of microporous material consisting of a length cut off from a extruded plastics rod having capillary channels extending along its length. With such material, which may be the same as that sometimes used as porous writing tips in other writing instruments, the flow resistance can readily be adjusted by taking longer or shorter lengths.
The secondary ink reservoir can be of very substantially smaller capacity than the primary chamber where nearly all of the ink is stored, the secondary chamber being included to ensure a volume of ink immediately available for supply to the valve and hence the nib when the valve is opened.
In conventional fountain pens air must enter the ink reservoir chamber to replace the ink as it is used up. Expansion of the air within the reservoir due to changes in temperature and/or ambient pressure (e.g. when carried on an aeroplane) can cause ink to be expelled. This disadvantage is avoided in the pen described in the present specification by virtue of the fact that the primary reservoir chamber is made so that it reduces in volume as the ink is used. This means that the need for air to enter the reservoir is precluded and the reservoir system remains a closed ink-filled system. The reducible volume reservoir may take different forms, such a flaccid sack, but in a preferred embodiment comprises a cylindrical body and a grease plug which slides along the body following the ink as it is used up.
In accordance with a novel feature of the invention the grease plug incorporates a reinforcement frame of rigid material. The frame which consists of a skeletal structure defining a large contact area for the grease and dimensioned to fit freely within the reservoir body so that a layer of grease is always present between them has been found to help maintain the integrity of the grease mass, especially when large diameter reservoir bodies are concerned. The frame can also serve to limit contact between the grease and atomsphere air which can lead to oxidation and dry
REFERENCES:
patent: 70453 (1867-11-01), Metten
patent: 881215 (1908-03-01), Wurdemann
patent: 2669970 (1954-02-01), Gordon
patent: 4347011 (1982-08-01), Yanagita
patent: 4547090 (1985-10-01), Baker et al.
Diossy Charles
Nicoll Roy
Bratlie Steven A.
The Gillette Company
LandOfFree
Regulated ink flow control system for pen does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Regulated ink flow control system for pen, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Regulated ink flow control system for pen will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1750881