This invention relates to the field of writing instruments and more particularly to a system for retaining markers to prevent loss of caps.
It is common for markers, or other writing implements, to come in a variety of colors. Initially, the markers are received packaged together to avoid loss of any individual marker.
But as soon as the members are removed from package, they are no longer associated with each other. The markers can then be lost individually, or just the caps misplaced.
What is needed is a way to keep a set of markers together, while also making it easier to select and return a specific marker.
The marker rotation and retention device maintains multiple markers together, making it easier for a user to keep the markers as a set. Optionally, the marker rotation and retention device includes rotation stops that hold the angular position of a specific marker with respect to its neighbors. This allows the user to easily withdraw and replace a specific marker by keeping the entrance to the cap exposed.
In the preferred embodiment, the rotation stops take the form of splined connections, with the marker cap and a central shaft meeting at a spline interface. The use of resilient and/or flexible materials allows the teeth of the splines to snap past each. This allows the user to rotate a cap to at a particular position with respect to the shaft, the teeth of the splines snapping past each other during rotation, and then locking into place to hold a particular angular position. The splined connection can also be referred to as connection using grooves, teeth, protrusions and channels, or mating ribs.
In alternative embodiments, the spline interface is replaced with balls that lock into detents creating the same angular holding position action.
The invention can be best understood by those having ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Throughout the following detailed description, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements in all figures.
Referring to
The marker retention system 100 includes multiple markers 110, each with a cap 112 and barrel 114.
The cap interface 140 includes a shaft 146 with stops 148.
Each cap 112 rotates about the shaft 146, prevented from sliding off by stops 148.
Referring to
A typical marker 110 includes a cap 112 that snaps onto the body/barrel 114.
Ink is held within the ink reservoir 118, passing through the tip or nib 116 to be deposited upon the surface, such as paper.
The base 126, which also snaps into the barrel 114, optionally includes a ventilation hole 124.
Referring to
The cap interface 140 of the marker retention system 100 includes the caps 112. The cap 112 rotates about the shaft 146 to allow for removal of the barrel 114, without misplacing the cap 112.
The stops 148 prevent the caps 112 from sliding off the shaft 146.
Referring to
In the preferred embodiment, a rotation stop is integrated into the interface between the caps 112 and the shaft 146. This allows the user to lift the barrel 114 of a marker 110, the rotation stop holding the cap 112 at an angle 130.
Referring to
The angular stop, rotation stop, or marker positioning system 152 includes a first disc 160 that rotates with respect to a second disc 162, rotating about a center hole 164.
Ball detents 170 are placed at different angular positions, the balls 172 interfacing with the detents 174 to maintain the angular position of the first disc 160 with the second disc 162.
Referring to
The marker retention system 100 includes a marker 110 with cap 112 and barrel 114. The cap 112 includes a marker positioning system 152 formed from the interaction of two sets of splines—shaft splines 180 and cap splines 182. By forming the shaft splines 180 and or the cap splines 182 from a resilient flexible material, for example flexible plastic, the shaft 146 can be rotated with respect to the cap 112, snapping into different positions as the splines deform and then interface. As a result, the user can choose a position of the cap 112 with the respect to the shaft 146 to withdraw the marker barrel 114.
The shaft 146 passes into the cap 112 at the cap hole 145.
When a marker retention system 100 includes multiple markers 110, rotation of a single marker no will not create sufficient torque to rotate the shaft 146 because it is held in place by multiple stationary markers 110. The result is that only a particular chosen marker 110 will rotate, with the other markers 110 remaining static with respect to the shaft 146.
A dividing wall 128 is preferably placed within the cap 112, preventing the nib 116 from drying out as result of air flow through the spline gap 184 of the marker positioning system 152. The dividing wall 128 separates the cap 112 into a lower section that surrounds the nib 116 and an upper section with the cap splines 182.
Referring to
In this embodiment, a cap interface 140 includes a shaft 146 with stops 148 that retain rings 142, which in turn affix to cap receptacles 144. Caps 112 fit into the cap receptacles 144, maintaining organization of the markers 110.
Equivalent elements can be substituted for the ones set forth above such that they perform in substantially the same manner in substantially the same way for achieving substantially the same result.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
4573818 | Kodera | Mar 1986 | A |
9751358 | Sferle | Sep 2017 | B2 |
10638822 | Fagu | May 2020 | B2 |
20170043611 | Van Der Zande | Feb 2017 | A1 |
20210291578 | Dhanapalan | Sep 2021 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
3262969 | Jan 2018 | EP |