Coating implements with material supply – Material flows through porous tool – Wick feed from within reservoir to tool
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-02
2001-06-12
Walczak, David J. (Department: 3751)
Coating implements with material supply
Material flows through porous tool
Wick feed from within reservoir to tool
C401S198000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06244775
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a writing implement. In detail, the invention relates to a writing implement which comprises a shaft barrel storing ink in an interior portion thereof and a plug body (for example, a tail plug or a pen point hold body) removably mounted on one end of the shaft barrel. In the present invention, a term “front” means the pen point side of the writing implement, whereas a term “rear” means the tail plug side thereof. Also, an expression “front surface” means the axial-direction outer surface of the writing implement, whereas an expression “back surface” means the axial-direction inner surface thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, for example, in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Hei. 11-48679, there is disclosed a writing implement in which, for the purpose of removing an ink storing body stored into an interior portion of a shaft barrel, a tail plug is removably mounted on an opening formed in a rear end portion of the shaft barrel. Further, between a flange portion of the tail plug and the rear end portion of the shaft barrel, there is formed a groove (a cutaway portion) into which a coin such as a ten-yen coin or a tool can be engaged. By engaging the coin into the groove, the tail plug can be forced open.
Also, in the above-cited publication, there is also disclosed a writing implement in which a pen point hold body including a pen point is removably mounted on an opening formed at a front end portion of a shaft barrel. Between a flange portion of the pen point hold body and the front end portion of the shaft barrel, there is formed a groove (a cutaway portion) similar to the above-mentioned structure.
However, in the above-mentioned conventional writing implements, since the groove for forcible opening is shallow inwardly in a diameter direction thereof, when forcing open the tail plug or pen point hold body, the coin or tool can be inserted into the groove only in a small amount. Namely, the tail plug or pen point hold body cannot be forced open easily; or, a large force is necessary to force open the tail plug or pen point hold body. Therefore, there is a fear that the end portion of the shaft barrel, the flange portion of the tail plug, or the flange portion of the pen point hold body can be damaged.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention aims at solving the problems found in the above-mentioned conventional writing implements. Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a writing implement in which a tail plug or pen point hold body can be easily removed from an end portion of a shaft barrel. Thus the end portion of the shaft barrel, a flange portion of the tail plug, or a flange portion of the pen point hold body can be fully prevented against damage.
[1] A writing implement, according to a first aspect of the invention, comprises: a shaft barrel storing ink in an interior portion thereof and having an opening at one end portion thereof; and a plug body removably mounted on the opening of the shaft barrel, the plug body comprising: a flange portion provided outwardly in an axial direction of the shaft barrel from the one end portion of the shaft barrel. In the writing implement, a forcibly opening groove is formed between one surface of the flange portion and the one end portion of the shaft barrel, the forcibly opening groove being formed more deeply inwardly in a diameter direction of the shaft barrel than an inner surface of the one end portion of the shaft barrel. (See
FIGS. 1
to
8
).
Since the forcibly opening groove
5
,
5
′ is formed more deeply inwardly in the diameter direction of the shaft barrel
4
than the inner surface of one end opening of the shaft barrel
4
, in case where a tool
9
such as a coin is inserted into the groove
5
,
5
′, the diameter-direction inner end portion of the tool
9
is positioned more deeply than the inner surface of the one end opening of the shaft barrel
4
.
Therefore, as shown in
FIGS. 1 and 7
, in case where the diameter-direction outer end portion of the tool
9
is pushed inwardly in the axial direction of the tool
9
with one end portion of the shaft barrel
4
as a fulcrum thereof, the surface of the diameter-direction inner end portion of the tool
9
is pressed against the back surface of the flange portion
21
,
31
outwardly in the axial direction thereof. Namely, the plug body
2
,
3
can be removed easily from one end opening of the shaft barrel
4
with a slight force. Also, not only by the above-mentioned forcibly opening method, as shown in
FIGS. 6 and 8
, by twisting a tool
9
which is inserted into the groove
5
,
5
′, the plug body
2
,
3
can be removed easily from one end opening of the shaft barrel
4
.
Since the plug body
2
,
3
can be removed easily from one end opening of the shaft barrel
4
using the tool
9
, one end portion of the shaft barrel
4
as well as the flange portion
21
,
31
of the plug body
2
,
3
can be prevented against damage. At the same time, the mutual connection between the shaft barrel
4
and plug body
2
,
3
can be strengthened. Therefore, unless a forcibly opening operation is executed using the tool
9
, the plug body
2
,
3
cannot be removed easily, which makes it possible to prevent the plug body
2
,
3
against removal.
[2] According to a second aspect of the invention, in the writing implement
1
according to the first aspect of the invention, preferably, the plug body may further comprise: a fitting tubular portion fitted with the inner surface of the shaft barrel; and a connecting portion connecting together the fitting tubular portion and the flange portion, wherein a space is formed between an outer surface of the connecting portion and the inner surface of the one end portion of the shaft barrel, and connected to the forcibly opening groove.
Due to this structure, when removing the plug body
2
,
3
using the forcibly opening operation (that is, the pressing operation or twisting operation) of the tool
9
, the space
6
,
6
′ provides an escape space for the plug body
2
,
3
with respect to the tool
9
. This makes it possible to prevent the back surface of the diameter-direction inner end portion of the tool
9
from being abutted on one end portion of the fitting tubular portion
23
,
33
of the plug body
2
,
3
. Also, this makes it possible to separate the shaft barrel
4
and plug body
2
,
3
greatly from each other simply by the forcibly opening operation of the tool
9
, so that the removing operation of the plug body
2
,
3
can be facilitated further.
[3] According to a third aspect of the invention, in the writing implement
1
according to the second aspect of the invention, preferably, the plug body may further comprise: a plurality of reinforcing ribs provided on the outer surface of the connecting portion, each of the reinforcing ribs extending in an axial direction of the plug body for connecting together the flange portion and the fitting tubular portion.
Due to this structure, the forcibly opening groove
5
,
5
′ formed between one end portion of the shaft barrel
4
and the flange portion
21
,
31
can be positioned between the respective reinforcing ribs
24
,
34
. At the same time, in the forcibly opening operation, the flange portion
21
,
31
can be prevented from being unstable with respect to the fitting tubular portion
23
,
33
, so that the plug body
2
,
3
can be removed in a stable manner.
[4] According to a fourth aspect of the invention, in the writing implement
1
according to the first aspect of the invention, the shaft barrel has a pen point at a front end thereof, the plug body is removably mounted on an opening formed at a rear end portion of the shaft barrel, and the flange portion is provided backwardly of the rear end portion of the shaft barrel, wherein the forcibly opening groove is formed between the one surface of the flange portion and the rear end portion of the shaft barrel,
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
The Pilot Ink Co., Ltd.
Walczak David J.
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