Patent Application
20090300955
The invention relates to a display device with a plurality of rotatable sleeve elements, each having a plurality of indicia thereon. In particular, an elongated device with a plurality of rotatable sleeve elements that allow the expression of different messages based on the combination and relative positioning of the plurality of indicia.
Small devices providing one or more indicia are common. For example, writing instruments, such as pens and pencils, flashlights, charms, beverage containers, etc. often have indicia for decoration or advertisement. Most of these indicia are fixed and cannot be modified or altered to express different messages. For writing instruments, the indicia are typically imprinted on the outer surface of the body.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0053414 published on Mar. 10, 2005, to Mark G. Collins discloses a writing instrument with a plurality of rotatable beads along the body. The beads are of various sizes and shapes and may include different indicia on the exterior surfaces thereof for expressing different messages. Each bead has a round through opening, which is sleeved over the cylindrical ink cartridge to form the barrel of the writing instrument. Each bead is freely rotatable and, disadvantageously, the beads do not remain at a relative position with each other. U.S. Pat. No. D434,798 issued on Dec. 3, 2000, to Andrew J. Platts et al. discloses a similar writing instrument.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0059089 published on Mar. 15, 2007, to Mitch Junkins et al. discloses a writing instrument with separable objects positioned along the shaft that are, disadvantageously, restricted from rotating relative to one another. Each object has an anti-rotation configuration to prevent rotation with respect to each other. The anti-rotation configuration comprises corresponding half-circle cross-sectional opening through which a non-circular shaft is inserted through to restrict rotation. Further, each object has corresponding beads and recesses on the surfaces that abut other objects that further restrict relative rotation between the objects.
Therefore, there is a need for a device that provides a plurality of rotatable sleeve elements that can be frictionally rotated with ease and can be locked at different predetermined positions to provide different messages from the combined and relative positioning of the plurality of indicia on the sleeve elements.
The present invention provides a device with a plurality of rotatable sleeve elements, with each sleeve element having a plurality of indicia on its outer surfaces, with the combination of the indicia displaying and expressing different messages based on the relative positioning of the indicia.
The device of the present invention has an elongated tubular body portion with a plurality of sleeve elements axially and slidably moveable around the tubular body portion. Each sleeve element has a plurality of indicia on its outer surface, and an axial through opening being co-axial with and dimensioned to allow frictional rotation about the tubular body portion with ease. The through opening has a uniform cross-sectional shape that is generally circular, with at least one notch extending beyond the perimeter of the circle shape. Each sleeve element has an opposing surface that abuts another mating surface. On the opposing surface of each sleeve element is at least one protrusion (or indentation) that corresponds in shape and size to at least one corresponding indentation (or protrusion) on a mating surface.
When a plurality of sleeve elements are placed on the tubular body portion abutting each other, the unique shape of the through opening of and the protrusion-indentation combination on each sleeve element allow the rotation of the sleeve element, but locks it at a predetermined position to provide a message from the combined indicia on the sleeve elements. This advantageously allows the relatively fixed, but alterable, display and expression of different messages based on the different positioning of the indicia.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description and is shown in the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification wherein:
With reference to the drawings, wherein the same reference number indicates the same element throughout, there is shown in
Writing instrument 10 has a lower body portion 14 and an upper body portion 16 extending from one end of the lower body portion 14. Extending from the other end of the lower body portion 14 is the writing end 18, i.e. tip of the pen or pencil. As shown in
Each sleeve element 12 has an opposing surface 38 and a mating surface 40. On the opposing surface 38 is at least one indentation 42 (or protrusion) that corresponds in shape and size to at least one corresponding protrusion 44 (or indentation) on a mating surface. When a plurality of sleeve elements 12 are tightly stacked abutting each other over the tubular body 20, the indentation 42 of one sleeve element 12b mates with the protrusion 44 of another sleeve element 12a to align and lock the free rotation of the sleeve elements 12a and 12b relative to each other on the tubular body 20 to display a particular message based on the combined indicia on the sleeve elements 12. After rotating the sleeve element 12a relative to another sleeve element 12b, the sleeve elements 12a and 12b may be snapped back into position and alignment with the indentation 42 of sleeve element 12b mating the corresponding protrusion 44 of sleeve element 12a. The surface of the lower body portion 14 that abuts a sleeve element 12 may also have a corresponding indentation 42 to lock the free rotation of the sleeve element 12 relative to the lower body portion 14.
The combined cross sectional shape of the through opening 32 and indentation 42-protrusion 44 combination advantageously allows the relatively fixed, but alterable, display and expression of different messages based on the different positioning of the indicia on the sleeve elements 12. The sleeve elements 12 may have different length, width and height (see 12a-12c of
While the present invention is described as used on a writing instrument, it may also be used on flashlights, charms, etc.
Although certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, other better modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modification and changes that fall within the spirit of the invention.
This application claims the benefit of pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 29/293,169, filed Nov. 8, 2007, entitled “Writing Instrument with Display Surfaces.”
