Screwdriver pen

Details Screwdriver pen Screwdriver pen

1999-08-03

2001-03-27

Scherbel, David A. (Department: 3723)

Tools

Wrench, screwdriver, or driver therefor

Having work engaging and force exerting portion inserted...

C081S490000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06205893

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a multiple screwdriver pen.
2. Description of Prior Art
It is well known to provide a “pen” that contains a number of writing implements that can be selected in turn and are contained in a common cylindrical housing that fits and clips conveniently in a breast pocket, for example. Typically a pencil and ink implement may be provided, or say three different coloured ink implements, in the one housing. The selected implement is then pushed forward and out of one end of the housing and held in position for use. When the writing is finished, the selected implement is retracted into the housing, the “multiple pen” is replaced in a breast pocket, and is readily available for subsequent use.
It has been proposed to use the mechanical arrangement of such multiple writing implements to provide a set of small screwdrivers, herein referred to as a “screwdriver pen”, in which the cylindrical housing contains two or more different screwdriver heads that can be selectively partially exposed out of one end of the housing and retracted wholly within the housing when not in use. The requirements for screwdriving, especially the mechanical strength for resisting relative longitudinal and rotational movement of the screwdriver heads and the housing in use, are significantly different to those required for a writing implement. This means that a straight-forward adaption of the writing pen mechanical arrangements do not provide a satisfactory configuration for a screwdriver pen and so far proposed screwdriver pens have not been generally commercially successful probably for this reason.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to overcome or at least reduce this problem.
According to the invention there is provided a screwdriver pen comprising a plurality of different screwdriver heads slidingly supported side by side in a forward elongate housing, a separately formed rear housing that is joined end-to-end to the forward housing and contains for each head a manually operable longitudinally relatively slidable actuator for pushing the head forwards so as to be partially exposed for use out of a remote end of the forward housing, in which an aperture in the remote end is formed to engage over and to rotatably grip the screwdriver head so that turning of the forward housing turns the screwdriver head whenever the screwdriver head is partially exposed, and including a push wire for each screwdriver head that extends between the head and the actuator, and releasable catch means to hold each actuator in a forward position.
The housings are preferably formed of moulded plastics material and a reinforcing band is mounted externally of the forward housing surrounding the aperture.
The forward and rear housing are preferably connected together by a laterally extending pin that prevents relative rotation between the housings.
A spring for each head may be included and arranged to bias the head towards a rear position inside the forward housing so that in use whenever the actuator is released the head retracts from the partially exposed position automatically under the bias of the spring.
An apertured annular collar preferably fits inside the housings for separatingly locating and guiding the push wires in a respective aperture, in which each aperture has a slot extending from the aperture to allow the push wires to enter the apertures sideways from outside the collar.
Inner surfaces adjacent the aperture are preferably chamfered so as to provide guiding surfaces for the heads as they are moved forwards towards the aperture.
External forward surfaces of each head is also preferably chamfered for guiding the head into the aperture whenever the screwdriver head moves forwards towards the aperture. External rearward surfaces of each head are also preferably chamfered.
The releasable catch means may each comprise a ledge on a side of the actuator and a stop fixed in relation to the rear housing, the ledge and the stop having surfaces that can mate against one another to hold the actuator in the forward position, in which a plane of at least one of mating surfaces extends to some extent in a direction away from the forward direction so that strain on the actuator away from the forward position presses the mating surfaces more firmly against one another.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3750729 (1973-08-01), Lemieux
patent: 4425828 (1984-01-01), Berdinner, Jr.
patent: 4515046 (1985-05-01), Johnson
patent: 4762036 (1988-08-01), Orlitzky et al.
patent: 5325745 (1994-07-01), Koehler
patent: 5337637 (1994-08-01), Bih-Lien
patent: 5509705 (1996-04-01), Woodsum
patent: 5673600 (1997-10-01), Yanagi et al.
patent: 5947212 (1999-09-01), Huang
patent: 63-70881 (1988-05-01), None
patent: 2617698 (1997-03-01), None

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