Buckles – buttons – clasps – etc. – Article holder attachable to apparel or body – Article held by flexible connector
Utility Patent
1999-08-06
2001-01-02
Sakran, Victor N. (Department: 3626)
Buckles, buttons, clasps, etc.
Article holder attachable to apparel or body
Article held by flexible connector
C024S01000R, C024S0110CT, C401S088000, C401S195000, C211S069500
Utility Patent
active
06167596
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates in general to a secured pen and pen holder designed to facilitate replacement of the pen in the holder.
The utility of this invention is for places such as banks, post offices and other public locations where the pen is provided by the establishment for use by its customers.
A pen replacement procedure for a secured pen usually involves a maintenance person when the pen is to be replaced either because the pen has run out of ink or because it has been stolen.
An example of a secured pen is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,699,536 issued Oct. 13, 1987. This patent teaches attaching a coin-like disk to the far end of the tether that is connected to the pen. The pen holder or base includes a slot into which the disk can be placed and which serves to prevent removing the pen.
When the pen runs out, replacement requires that a tool be used. For example, shears appropriate to cut the tether may have to be employed. This means calling in maintenance personnel.
As a practical matter, in large institutional use, it is important that the secured pen be removable from the base and replaceable without requiring a tool. This permits any person to make the change. It tends to assure that when the pen has to be replaced, it will be replaced because there is no need to either find the tool or to find the person who is authorized to use the tool. By assuring the ready replacement of pens, a substantial problem of customer complaint concerning inoperative pens is avoided.
Accordingly, the primary object of this invention is to provide a pen and a pen holder which permit quick and easy replacement of the pen in the pen holder without requiring the use of a tool to either remove the pen from the pen holder or to attach the pen to the pen holder.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In brief, one embodiment of this invention employs an affixed base having a cylindrical sidewall. Inside the base is a rotatable transport disk having a recess in the wall. It is called a transport herein because of its function, which is best understood in connection with the rest of the mechanism of the pen holder. A cylindrical cover fits over the base. It covers the base and also covers the transport.
A pen assembly has a pen body to which is attached a flexible tether. The far end of the flexible tether has a bulbous ball like element which performs the function of a stop when the pen assembly is received in the pen holder.
An important relationship is that between a circular opening in the sidewall of the base cover, a comparable circular opening in the base and the above mentioned recess in the transport. When these two openings and the recess are placed in radial alignment, the pen holder is in the state to have the pen assembly either removed or inserted.
Adjacent to the opening in the base is a circumferential slot having a height great enough to accommodate the tether and small enough to prevent the stop at the end of the tether from being pulled through the slot. When the pen assembly is being coupled to the pen holder, the stop at the end of the tether is inserted through the hole in the base cover and through the hole in the base and into the recess in the transport.
A rotatable knob extends through a top opening in the base cover and into the transport to engage the transport. Knob rotation causes the transport to rotate relative to the stationary base.
When the stop is received in the recess of the transport and the transport rotates, this rotation causes the stop to move with the transport thereby causing the tether to abut against the wall of the opening in the cover. Accordingly, rotation of the knob causes both the transport and the cover to move relative to the base. The tether moves along the circumferential slot in the base. Rotation at a predetermined amount of, for example, 90° brings the tether and stop to a pen retention position such that pulling the pen radially outward will cause the stop to abut against the inner wall of the base and thus prevent removal.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1462108 (1923-07-01), Holywell
patent: 1511167 (1924-10-01), Jesnig
patent: 2853054 (1958-09-01), Rosa
patent: 3570284 (1971-03-01), Hendricks
patent: 4699536 (1987-10-01), Berman
patent: 5123548 (1992-06-01), Milne
patent: 5699591 (1997-12-01), Kane
Sakran Victor N.
Smith LLP Reed
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