This patent application is the U.S. national phase entry under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of priority to International Application No. PCT/EP2021/073834, filed on Aug. 30, 2021, now published as WO 2022/043541 A1, which claims benefit from European patent application EP20305962.1, filed on Aug. 31, 2020, its content being incorporated herein by reference.
The present disclosure relates to a refillable free ink writing instrument, a kit comprising the refillable free ink writing instrument and a method for refilling a refillable free ink writing instrument.
A “free ink writing instrument” or “writing instrument having a free ink reservoir” is a writing instrument wherein the ink is free to circulate in the reservoir. In other words, the ink circulates immediately on one side or on the other side of the reservoir, for example due to gravity. In particular, it is understood that the ink may circulate when handling or moving the writing instrument. Downstream the reservoir, the ink may feed any type of device or writing tip, for example writing tip comprising fibrous bundle, capillarity duct, felt duct/tip, or the like.
Traditional writing instrument have a limited lifetime, for example because the ink has been used so that the reservoir is empty. Therefore, some writing instruments may be refillable. However, refilling may be not so easy and may be messy. Therefore, a need exists to provide a writing instrument having an extended lifetime, and which is user-friendly.
In embodiments, a refillable free ink writing instrument comprises a body having a rear end, a front end and an ink reservoir disposed between the rear end and the front end, a writing tip mounted on the front end and a plug mounted on the rear end, wherein the plug is configured to close an opening in fluid communication with the ink reservoir, the plug being configured to be removable from the rear end to refill the ink reservoir with water and concentrated ink refill.
The writing instrument may be a pen, a marker, a writing felt pen, a ball pen, a needle pen, a coloring felt pen, a permanent marker, a dry wipe marker, etc.
The writing tip may be made of felt (for example acrylic, nylon, polyester plus resin, etc.), foam, sintered material such plastic or the like, plastic plus metal tip for ball pen or needle tip pen, etc. The writing tip is fed directly or indirectly (i.e. via a duct) by the reservoir.
The opening may open directly into the reservoir or into an intermediate duct fluidly connecting the opening to the reservoir.
The concentrated ink refill may be liquid or solid (such as powder, grain(s), granule(s) or pellet(s), etc.).
When removing the plug, the reservoir may be directly refilled via the opening by providing water and concentrated ink refill. Thus, the free ink writing instrument (hereafter, and unless otherwise specified, “the writing instrument”) may be easily refilled, thereby extending its lifetime. In addition, refilling the writing instrument via the opening disposed on the rear end is easy. For example, concentrated ink may be provided on the one hand and water may be provided on the other hand, in any orders, which permits an easy convenient and clean refill.
In embodiments, the plug may be mounted onto the rear end via a screwed, bayonet or snap fitting system.
In embodiments, the plug may be provided with a locking system. Such a locking system may avoid unwanted removing of the plug. In other words, such a locking system may avoid unintentional actuation of the plug.
For example, the screwed, bayonet or snap fitting system may be provided with a backstop system allowing easy assembling but requiring relatively high force for disassembling. The relatively high force may be higher than the force needed for mounting. For example, the plug may be provided with a specific shape or indentation(s), such as a screw head or the like, in order to be only disassembled (or disassemble/assembled) with the help of a specific tool, such as a screwdriver or the like.
In embodiments, the rear end and/or the plug may be provided with a seal. Such a seal may avoid ink leakage from the ink reservoir. For example, the snap fitting system may comprise an annular rib, the annular rib forming the seal.
In embodiments, the plug may comprise a portion configured to be in fluid contact with the ink reservoir, the portion comprising the concentrated ink refill.
In embodiments, the portion may comprise a cavity configured to store concentrated ink refill.
In embodiments, the concentrated ink refill may comprise one or more solid grains or granules, the cavity may be closed by a grid.
For example, the grid may be permanent and not movable. The grid is configured to block the grain(s) or granule(s) into the cavity when not dissolved (i.e. configured to close the cavity with regard to the one or more solid grains or granules of concentrated ink), but allows a fluid to pass therethrough in order to dissolve the concentrated ink grain(s) or granule(s). For example, the cavity may be delimited by a cage.
If the user forgot to refill with water, the plug may be removed without any issues (concentrated ink remains inside the cavity) and water may be refilled.
In embodiments, the concentrated ink refill may comprise a powder and/or one or more solid grains or granules, and the cavity may be closed by a water-soluble membrane seal.
If the user forgot to refill with water, the plug may be removed without any issues (concentrated ink remains inside the cavity) and water may be refilled.
In embodiments, the concentrated ink refill may comprise a liquid, a powder and/or one or more solid grains or granules, the cavity may be closed by breakable membrane seal.
In embodiments, the body may comprise one or more sharp elements configured to cut the breakable membrane seal when mounting the plug onto the rear end so as to open the cavity.
“Breakable” should be understood as “breakable with less force than needed for breaking the rest of the plug”. The breakable membrane seal may be made of paper, plastic, metal or association of several materials (i.e. composite material). For example, the breakable membrane seal may be made of several layers of different materials. The breakable membrane seal may be configured to prevent air pollution and/or humidity to penetrate into the cavity. The breakable membrane seal may prevent user to touch the concentrated ink refill.
For example, the breakable membrane seal or the water-soluble membrane seal are configured to open the cavity when the plug is mounted onto the rear end. In other words, the cavity is closed by the breakable membrane seal or the water-soluble membrane seal when the plug has never been mounted on the rear end while the cavity is open (i.e. breakable membrane seal is at least in part broken or the water-soluble membrane seal is at least in part dissolved) when the plug has been mounted onto the rear end.
In embodiments, the concentrated ink refill may comprise a liquid, a powder and/or one or more solid grains or granules, the cavity may be closed by a movable cover.
In embodiments, the body may comprise one or more moving element configured to move the cover when mounting the plug onto the rear end so as to open the cavity.
For example, the movable cover may have at least a first configuration, for example when the plug is not mounted onto the rear end, wherein the cavity is fully closed, and a second configuration wherein the cavity is open at least in part when the plug is mounted onto the rear end. For example, the cover may be moved when mounting the plug onto the rear end. For example, the cover may be a sacrificial portion which is broken, cut, or removed when mounting the plug for the first time. In examples, the cover may have a slidable or rotatable portion opening/closing a hole when assembling/disassembling the plug to/from the rear end. For example, the cover may be a plate, for example a rotatable disc, having at least one through hole, or may be a piston.
For example, when the cover is a sacrificial portion, the moving element may be configured to broke/cut/pull out/remove/unclip/loose/tilt or the like the sacrificial portion. For example, when the cover is a rotatable disc, the moving element may be a protrusion configured to block the rotation of the rotatable disc with regard to the body when mounting the plug. For example, the when cover is a piston, the moving element may be an abutment configured to block the piston along an axis of the body with regard to the body when mounting the cover.
For example, the cavity may be delimited by one or more wall(s) having no hole, and may have a single opening. The single opening may be closed by the grid or the breakable membrane seal or the water-soluble membrane seal or the movable cover. In a variant, the single opening may be closed by the grid while at least another wall in fluid contact with the reservoir may comprise another grid. For example the cavity may be formed by the inner space of a cage.
In embodiments, the opening may be provided with a sealing membrane having one or more cuts, and the sealing membrane may be configured to prevent ink from flowing out of the ink reservoir and to allow introduction of water and of the concentrated ink refill into the ink reservoir.
For example, the one or more cuts allow elastic deformation of the sealing membrane when a predetermined pressure is applied thereto, thereby creating an open passage during a working state or open position. The membrane is thus configured to adopt two states, a working state or open position in which it allows introduction of water and of the concentrated ink refill into the reservoir and a rest state or rest position in which the membrane seals the opening. Such a membrane is known as such by the skilled person.
In embodiments, the plug comprises a pushing portion configured to push a solid concentrated ink refill through the membrane when mounting the plug onto the rear end.
For example, the pushing portion may be a protrusion or an abutment acting as a pusher pushing a refill through the cuts of the sealing membrane when mounting the plug onto the rear end.
In embodiments, the opening may be provided with a cartridge receiving portion having an opening portion and the plug may comprise a pushing portion configured to move toward the opening portion of the cartridge receiving portion when mounting the plug onto the rear end. This way, when a concentrated ink refill is needed, the pushing portion is configured to push a cartridge containing the ink refill toward the opening portion of the cartridge receiving portion when mounting the plug onto the rear end in order to break a portion of the cartridge and free the concentrated ink refill into the ink reservoir.
For example the cartridge may comprise a concentrated ink refill. The opening portion may be configured to open the cartridge when the cartridge is pushed against the opening portion.
In embodiments, a kit comprise a refillable free ink writing instrument comprising a body having a rear end, a front end and an ink reservoir disposed between the rear end and the front end, a writing tip mounted on the front end and a plug mounted on the rear end, wherein the plug is configured to close an opening in fluid communication with the ink reservoir, the plug being configured to be removable from the rear end to refill the ink reservoir with water and concentrated ink refill, and one or more concentrated ink refills, each of the one or more concentrated ink refills being packed in one of a hydrosoluble pouch, a porous pouch, a meshed pouch, a cage, or a capsule forming a cavity closed by a grid, a breakable membrane seal, a water-soluble membrane seal, or a movable cover.
In embodiments, each of the one or more concentrated ink refills may be packed in a capsule configured to be mounted onto a portion of the plug configured to be in fluid contact with the ink reservoir.
In embodiments, each of the one or more refills may be packed in a capsule having a shape of a funnel for refilling water into the reservoir.
For example, the capsule may have an annular shape defining an annular cavity configured to store concentrated ink, and a central hole having a shape of a funnel.
In embodiments, a kit comprises a refillable free ink writing instrument comprising a body having a rear end, a front end and an ink reservoir disposed between the rear end and the front end, a writing tip mounted on the front end and a plug (i.e. a first plug) mounted on the rear end, wherein the plug is configured to close an opening in fluid communication with the ink reservoir, the plug being configured to be removable from the rear end to refill the ink reservoir with water and concentrated ink refill, wherein the plug comprises a portion configured to be in fluid contact with the ink reservoir, the portion comprising a cavity configured to store concentrated ink refill, according to any one of the embodiment of the present disclosure, and one or more additional plugs similar to the (first) plug, wherein each of the one or more additional plugs is packed in an air-tight pouch.
In embodiments, a kit comprises a refillable free ink writing instrument comprising a body having a rear end, a front end and an ink reservoir disposed between the rear end and the front end, a writing tip mounted on the front end and a plug mounted on the rear end, wherein the plug is configured to close an opening in fluid communication with the ink reservoir, the plug being configured to be removable from the rear end to refill the ink reservoir with water and concentrated ink refill, wherein the opening is provided with a sealing membrane having one or more cuts, and the sealing membrane is configured to prevent ink from flowing out of the ink reservoir and to allow introduction of refill into the ink reservoir, according to any one of the embodiments of the present disclosure, and one or more concentrated ink refills, each of the one or more concentrated ink refills being packed in one of a hydrosoluble pouch, a porous pouch, a meshed pouch, a cage, or a capsule forming a cavity closed by a grid or a water-soluble membrane seal.
In embodiments, a kit comprises a refillable free ink writing instrument comprising a body having a rear end, a front end and an ink reservoir disposed between the rear end and the front end, a writing tip mounted on the front end and a plug mounted on the rear end, wherein the plug is configured to close an opening in fluid communication with the ink reservoir, the plug being configured to be removable from the rear end to refill the ink reservoir with water and concentrated ink refill, wherein the opening is provided with a cartridge receiving portion and the plug comprises a pushing portion configured to push the cartridge toward an opening portion of the cartridge receiving portion when mounting the plug onto the rear end in order to break a portion of the cartridge and free refill into the ink reservoir, according to any one of the embodiments of the present disclosure, and one or more refilling cartridge filled with concentrated ink refill.
In embodiments, a method for refilling a refillable free ink writing instrument comprises, providing a refillable free ink writing instrument according to any one of the embodiments of the present disclosure, removing the plug, refiling the reservoir with water, refiling the reservoir with concentrated ink, and mounting the plug or a new plug on the rear end.
The refill of water may be carried out before or after the refill of concentrated ink. If the refill of concentrated ink is comprised in a portion of the plug, the refill with concentrated ink is carried out simultaneously to the mounting a new plug (the plug or initial plug having no concentrated ink anymore). If the refill of concentrated ink is not comprised in a portion of the plug, the plug may be re-used (i.e. the initial plug may be kept and used again).
Such a refillable free ink writing instrument/kit comprising such a refillable free ink writing instrument/method for refilling such a refillable free ink writing instrument may present an extended lifetime and in a user-friendliness way, in particular easy and clean refill (i.e. may avoid risks of dirt or mess). This may avoid any safety risk by preventing any contact between skin and concentrated ink.
The disclosure can be better understood by reading the detailed description of various embodiments given as non-limiting examples. The description refers to the accompanying sheets of figures, in which:
Each refill 50 may be conditioned in an air-tight pouch 51. The air-tight pouches 51 may be all attached and pre-cut in order to be easily separated from each other. For example, the pouches 51 may be made of plastic, aluminium or the like and may comprise a membrane seal or any other means facilitating their opening. In this example, the set 20 comprise two refills 50. However, only one refill or more than two refills may be provided. Each refill 50 may comprise a specific dose of concentrated ink corresponding to the volume of the reservoir 13. In
The writing instrument 10 comprises a body 12 having a rear end 12A, a front end 12B and an ink reservoir 13 disposed between the rear end 12A and the front end 12B. A writing tip 14 is mounted on the front end 12B. A plug 16 is mounted on the rear end 12A. The plug 16 closes an opening 15 in fluid communication with the ink reservoir 13. The plug 16 is removable from the rear end 12A for refill. The plug 16 may comprise indentations 17, in the present example four indentations 17, in order to be open/closed with the help of a dedicated tool (not shown). More or less than four indentations may be provided. Any other shapes of indentation or the like may be possible. The plug 16 may be assembled with the rear end 12A via a screwed, bayonet or snap fitting system. In the followings examples and embodiments, a screwed system is shown, however any other system may be used.
A method according to a first embodiment for refilling the refillable free ink writing instrument 10 is shown in
Different examples of refill packaging are shown in
In
In
In
In
For refilling the first variant 10, 10-1, after having removed the pug 16, the solid concentrated ink in placed onto the membrane 18 and is pushed through the membrane 18 into the reservoir 13, for example by hand or with the help of the plug 16 and its pushing member 16A as shown in
For refilling the second variant 10, 10-2, after having removed the plug 16, the former capsule 54′ is removed first, a new capsule 54′ is provided an placed in the capsule receiving portion 22 (thereby refilling the reservoir 13 with concentrated ink) as shown in
For refilling the third variant 10, 10-3, after having removed the plug 16, the former (empty) cartridge 55 is removed first. Then the reservoir 13 is refilled with water. Then, a new cartridge 55 is provided an placed in the cartridge receiving portion 24 (thereby refilling the reservoir 13 with concentrated ink) and the plug 16 (i.e. the same plug as initially removed for refill) is then mounted onto the rear end 12A, thereby pushing the cartridge 55 toward the opening portion 24A (see arrow B in
In this example, when mounted onto the writing instrument 10, the cartridge 55 may protrude axially from the edge 12C of the body 12, for example of a predetermined distance D. This may allow an easy griping by the user when removing a used cartridge 55. The cartridge receiving portion 24 may comprise a first portion 24B configured to cooperate with a front end of the cartridge 55 and sealing ring 24C configured to cooperate with a body of the cartridge 55. This may provide an air and water tightness with the matching surfaces of the cartridge 55. No water or ink may leak between the cartridge 55 and the cartridge receiving portion 24. When refill, the empty cartridge 55 may be handled without ink contact on fingers.
In the second embodiment 10′, the concentrated ink refill 50 may comprise a liquid, a powder and/or one or more solid grains or granules (powder being shown in the
In
The movable cover 30 may be made of plastic or elastomeric material and may provide air tightness due to, for example a sealing ring 30A. In this example, moving element 32 is configured to push this sealing ring 30A in a way to tilt it when the plug 16′ mounted on the rear end 12A (see
The method for refill is the same as disclosed with reference to
In this example, the movable member 30′ may be a piston provided with a valve 31 closing a passage 30′a. In the rest position, the valve 31 close the passage 30′a. The valves 31 may be an umbrella membrane. This assembly may be airtight. The moving element 32′ may be configured to push the piston 30′ rearward when mounting the plug 16′. For example, the moving element may comprise an annular projection 32′ configured to axially cooperated with (or to push) a skirt 30″ of the piston 30′, in order to move rearward the piston 30′.
The method for refill is the same as disclosed with reference to
The movable cover 30″ may be rotatable disc having a single through hole 30″a. In a variant, the rotatable disc 30″ may have more than one through hole. The rotatable disc 30″ may be mounted rotatable on a fixed plate 33 closing the cavity 25. The fixed plate 33 may be fixed with regard to the rest of the plug 16′. The fixed plate 33 may have a single through hole 33a. In a variant, the fixed plate 33 may have more than one through hole. Depending on the relative position between the rotatable disc 30″ and the fixed plated 33, the through hole 30″a and the thought hole 33a may be axially aligned (see
The method for refill is the same as disclosed with reference to
In variants not shown, the cavity 25 may be configured to store any capsule a disclosed in the present disclosure with reference to
Although the present disclosure is described with reference to specific examples, it is clear that modifications and changes may be made to these examples without going beyond the general scope of the disclosure. In particular, individual characteristics of the various embodiments shown and/or mentioned may be combined in additional embodiments. Consequently, the description and the drawings should be considered in a sense that is illustrative rather than restrictive.
For example, any features disclosed with regard to the capsules of the first embodiment may apply to the plugs of the second embodiment while any features disclosed with regard to the plugs of the second embodiment may apply to the capsules of the first embodiment.
Additionally, all of the disclosed features of an apparatus may be transposed, alone or in combination, to a method and vice versa.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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20305962 | Aug 2020 | EP | regional |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2021/073834 | 8/30/2021 | WO |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2022/043541 | 3/3/2022 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
1164157 | Zollinger | Dec 1915 | A |
1947092 | Kingman | Feb 1934 | A |
11697302 | Roudaut | Jul 2023 | B2 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
104875525 | Sep 2015 | CN |
108045130 | May 2018 | CN |
2464705 | Apr 2010 | GB |
101463927 | Nov 2014 | KR |
Entry |
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International Search Report and Written Opinion issued in International Application No. PCT/RP2021/073834 on Jul. 10, 2021 (9 pages). |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20230311557 A1 | Oct 2023 | US |