Coating implements with material supply – Combined
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-06
2001-06-12
Walczak, David J. (Department: 3751)
Coating implements with material supply
Combined
C401S052000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06244772
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a writing instrument, notably a pen having a body.
There are various ways of imparting an original and pleasing appearance to a pen's body, notably of a luxury pen, to differentiate it from an ordinary pen. An original appearance can result from the materials used, the shape, surface treatments, decorative effects, or from added elements.
In decorative research relating to pens, EP-A1-0 469 388 has already proposed a writing instrument having at its end a mobile part that moves in response to actuation of an actuating member of the pen, moving apart like the petals of a flower to uncover a fixed decorative element lodged thereunder.
There have been many other proposals for giving a pen a special decorative effect. FR-A-1 309 159 or U.S. Pat. No. 4,658,523 can be cited. However, one has to conclude that the functional cylindrical shape of this instrument considerably limits creators' freedom such that in this area there are not many original new designs, or the proposals are extravagant. For example, those in the above-indicated document do not correspond to expectations as regards luxury watches, whose purchasers would only find acceptable such design variations as would reflect good taste.
It has already been proposed, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,217,712 which corresponds to the precharacterizing part of claim
1
, to include a movable decorative element inside a housing provided at the end of a pen. However, to achieve this objective, it was necessary to deviate from the ergonomical shape of the pen which is generally cylindrical, sometimes with an annular concave gripping zone. This document indeed specifies that by making the pen body with a conical shape to the pen body it is possible to increase the area of its end so as to incorporate a decorative element in a housing closed by a transparent wall. Moreover, the decorative element is formed by a ball which is entirely free to move in the housing. Clearly, such a writing instrument with a conical body is an object of fancy and has nothing to do with luxury pens which first and foremost must meet up to ergonomical requirements, which obviously is not so for the conical shape.
It has already been proposed in FR 704 214 and in GB-2 004 096 to combine a watch and a pen into a single item by securing a miniature watch at the end of a pen cap, or onto an enlarged end of a pen. This combination of two different objects on a common support is essentially for utilitarian purposes.
A watch having a housing inside its case, wherein a decorative element is movable parallel to itself has been described in CH 609 517.
From the above, it can be seen that a movable object has already been associated with a housing provided in an end of a pen, whereby it is visible through a transparent wall of the housing which forms the large base of a conical body. It has been proposed to miniaturize a watch so that it can be fitted on the end of a pen, and a housing has been provided inside a watch case in which decorative elements are movable parallel to themselves.
According on the one hand to the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,217,712, the shape of the pen has been modified to fit a mobile decorative element. On the other hand, a watch has been miniaturized to fit it on the end of a pen cap.
In the above-mentioned CH 609 517 which concerns a watch, a space was left corresponding to the dial or surrounding the dial, in which a housing was provided to receive decorative movable elements. Clearly, the teaching of CH 609 517 cannot be applied directly to a pen whose dimensions, in particular the diameter of a cylindrical body, are limited by ergonomic considerations. This is not so far a watch, at least to the same degree. Taking all this into account, it is neither possible to deviate from the cylindrical shape of a pen without adversely affecting its aesthetic appearance and its function, nor can the diameter of its cylindrical body be varied except within specified small limits.
Taking into account these dimensional constraints, it would be conceivable to set a diamond in an end of a pen's body to provide a luxurious appearance, but without providing any special effect.
An aim of the present invention is to produce an original decorative effect from the glittering of a movable element applied to a writing instrument which is embodied in the shape of a fountain pen, while producing a new aspect relative to conventional pens.
For this purpose, this invention concerns a writing instrument, notably a pen, comprising a body having a housing at least at one of its ends, the housing having a transparent outer wall, the height of this housing between its bottom and said transparent outer wall being substantially constant, at least one movable decorative element being movably mounted inside said housing, at least one of the dimensions of the movable element perpendicular to said height being substantially less than the corresponding dimension of the housing.
According to the invention, this writing instrument is characterized in that said decorative element comprises a lateral surface extending in the direction of the height of said housing, one end of this decorative element being shaped so that it contacts the adjacent wall of the housing only in a zone situated in the centre thereof to form a first guide means, whereas the other end is shaped to come into contact with the adjacent wall of said housing by the edge of its lateral surface to form a second guide means. A small play is left between the height of said housing and the axial distance between said height and the guide means, such that movement of this decorative element inside said housing is limited to a random movement in translation and/or in rotation about said central contact zone.
The proposed solution has the advantage that it can perfectly be adapted to a fountain pen and integrate into its shape. Specifically, it enables the housing to be provided in a separate part that is screwed to the end of a cap, most expensive pens already having such a screwed part.
The use of a precious stone, for instance a diamond, as movable decorative element enables the luxurious aspect of a quality pen to be enhanced while procuring an original and unexpected appearance resulting notably from the glittering of this precious stone as it moves at random in translation and/or rotates about itself.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3343292 (1967-09-01), Jorgensen
patent: 3639069 (1972-02-01), Gordon
patent: 5007756 (1991-04-01), Wey
patent: 5328172 (1994-07-01), Jagiella
Browning Clifford W.
Chopard International S.A.
Walczak David J.
Woodard Emhardt Naughton Moriarty & McNett
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