Coating implements with material supply – With means to attach or conform to body of user
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-08
2001-03-27
Walczak, David J. (Department: 3751)
Coating implements with material supply
With means to attach or conform to body of user
C401S195000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06206595
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a writing utensil, and more particularly to a writing utensil having a writing stem whose surface includes a section made of a soft elastic material and another section made of a hard material.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional writing utensil, its writing stem includes a fingertip support section which comes into contact with a fingertip of the user who grips the writing stem. The fingertip support section is made of a soft elastic material to achieve a non-slip effect.
Such a soft elastic material constitutes a barrel section separate from another section made of a hard material in the writing stem. The writing utensil is manufactured by fitting the barrel section in an annular groove made of a hard material, or by integrally molding the writing stem, which consists of a section made of a soft elastic material and another section made of a hard material, through a dichromatic molding technique, as described in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 2537274.
When using the writing utensil, the user usually grips the writing stem with three fingers. That is, the thumb, the forefinger, and the middle finger grip the writing stem. However, in addition to those fingers, the interdigital portion between the thumb and the forefinger sustains the writing stem. If the interdigital portion contacts a hard section in the writing stem, the user may feel finger fatigue from continuous writing. Also, if the interdigital portion slips off the writing stem, the user's grip may become unstable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing and other problems, disadvantages, and drawbacks of the conventional writing utensil, the invention has been devised, and it is an object of the invention, to provide a writing utensil which makes the user's grip feel more stable when gripping a writing stem of the writing utensil and which makes the user feel less fatigue after a long period of writing.
To attain the above and other objects, the present invention provides a writing utensil having a writing stem whose surface includes a section made of a soft elastic material and another section made of a hard material. The writing utensil includes at least an interdigital support section made of a soft elastic material which comes into contact with the interdigital portion between the user's thumb and forefinger gripping the writing stem.
Since the interdigital portion between the thumb and the forefinger comes into contact with the soft elastic material, the user's grip feels more stable when gripping the writing stem. That is, since the interdigital portion between the thumb and the forefinger is supported with the soft elastic material, the writing stem feels soft to the user's hand, and the elastic material achieves a non-slip effect, so that the user can grip the writing stem in a very stable position with no shaky movement of the writing stem's rear end. An increased variety of designs can be applicable to the writing utensil according to the present invention.
Optionally, the writing utensil can further include a fingertip support section made of a soft elastic material which contacts a user's fingertip gripping the writing stem. Since the fingertip comes into contact with the soft elastic material, that elastic material achieves a non-slip effect and the user perceives increased stability when gripping the writing stem. Also optionally, the interdigital support section and the fingertip support section can be connected to each other by a soft elastic material. During the manufacturing process, the interdigital support section and the fingertip support section can be formed of a soft elastic material at a same time.
A smooth surface of the soft elastic material can achieve a sufficient non-slip effect. However, it should be also appreciated that the interdigital support section may have a jagged (e.g., serrated, irregular, nonuniform, etc.) surface. Alternatively, the surface of the interdigital support section may be recessed in a smooth curve. The interdigital support section can achieve an improved non-slip effect through such a jagged surface and the section can come into contact with the user's interdigital portion more fittingly through such a recessed surface.
The interdigital support section can be located at any position where the section may come into contact with the user's interdigital portion between the thumb and the forefinger. However, the writing utensil may have a clip which extends in a longitudinal direction parallel to the writing stem, and the interdigital support section may be located substantially in a position opposed to the clip on the circumference of the writing stem. If such a clip is provided, the user would usually grip the writing stem such that the clip is unobtrusive to the user. Therefore, if the interdigital support section is located substantially in a position opposed to the clip, the user's interdigital portion contacts the soft elastic material more surely.
Also, the present invention is applicable to a writing utensil which has a control section for feeding writing media located at the rear end of the writing stem. However, such a control section for feeding writing media may be located in the middle of the writing stem, and the interdigital support section may be located substantially in a position opposed to the control section on the circumference of the writing stem. If such a control section is provided, the user usually grips the writing stem such that the control section does not impede the user, but instead makes the utensil easier to operate. Therefore, if the interdigital support section is located substantially in a position opposed to the control section, then the user's interdigital portion can come into contact with the soft elastic material more surely and reliably.
Moreover, those sections made of the soft elastic material can be separate from those made of a hard material and can be bonded to each other by fitting or attaching. However, the soft elastic material and the hard material may constitute the surface of the writing stem through dichromatic molding.
The present disclosure relates to subject matter contained in Japanese Patent Application No. 10-243861, filed Aug. 28, 1998, which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
REFERENCES:
patent: 141287 (1873-07-01), Orndorff
patent: 798749 (1905-09-01), Rose
patent: 3113558 (1963-12-01), Marraffino
patent: 5354140 (1994-10-01), Diakoulas
patent: 6027151 (2000-02-01), McNab et al.
patent: 6056462 (2000-05-01), Fukai et al.
patent: 1375484 (1988-02-01), None
patent: WO88/04995 (1988-07-01), None
Kotobuki & Co. Ltd.
McGinn & Gibb PLLC
Walczak David J.
LandOfFree
Writing utensil does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Writing utensil, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Writing utensil will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2483649