Patent Application
20110129285
The present invention to a retractable pen, especially to a retractable pen in which a refill extends from an outer tube to be a writing state and the length of the pen is also longer.
Generally a pen includes a retractable refill, a pen holder and a button. When the button is pressed down toward a pen head (writing end), the refill is extended from the pen holder is ready to write. When the button is pressed again to be released, the refill is retracted back to the pen holder. The pen with shorter length is easy to carry and put in the pocket or purses. Moreover, the length of some pens is adjustable so as to be used in combination with other things such as notebooks for easy carrying. Thus there is a design of retractable pen holder as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,174,461. However, the pen refill is unable to retract into the pen holder so that it would stain the clothes. Refer to U.S. Pat. No. 3,709,620, although the refill can retract into the pen holder, the disposition of the components is more complicated. Moreover, the member that retracts the refill is not worked along with the pen holder. Once the pen holder is extended, the refill is not extended simultaneously. Refer to U.S. Pat. No. 6,832,868, the structure of the control unit is complicated and more components are required. This is not suitable for mass production of small-size pens.
Therefore it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a retractable pens that includes an outer tube, an inner tube, a first sleeve, a second sleeve, an elastic member and a refill. An inner surface of a front end of the outer tube is arranged with a plurality of axial guiding rails. The inner tube is disposed in the outer tube and its rear end thereof extends from the rear end of the outer tube while a plurality of stoppers is arranged circularly on an inner surface of the inner tube, and a location block is arranged at an inner surface on a front end of the inner tube. The first sleeve is mounted into the outer tube and an outer surface of the front end of the first sleeve is arranged with a plurality of ratchet teeth circularly and an axial guiding slot is disposed between the two adjacent ratchet teeth so as to slide into the axial guiding rail of the outer tube. The outer surface of the first sleeve is disposed with an axial location slot so that the location block on the inner tube can slide between a front end and a rear end of the axial location slot. The second sleeve is partially sleeved in the first sleeve and its front end is arranged with a plurality of ratchet teeth circularly and an axial guiding slot is disposed between the two adjacent ratchet teeth so as to slide into the axial guiding rail of the outer tube. At least one fastener is disposed on a rear end of the second sleeve, projecting from the rear end of the first sleeve and corresponding to the stopper of the inner tube. Two ends of the elastic member arranged in the outer tube respectively are against the front end of the inner tube and the rear end of the axial guiding rail of the outer tube. The refill is mounted into the front end of the second sleeve. Thereby the retractable pen can switch between long and short forms.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a retractable pen in which a ring tube is arranged on the inner surface of the front end of the outer tube while the ring tube is disposed with a plurality of axial guiding rails arranged circularly corresponding to the axial guiding slots of the first sleeve as well as the second sleeve. Moreover, the elastic member is elastically supported between the front end of the inner tube and the rear end of the ring tube for being beneficial for designing and production of components performance.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a retractable pen that is pressed continuously multiple times by a single hand of users so as to make the length of the pen switch between long and short forms, thereby enhancing the convenience of operation.
Refer from
The inner tube 20 is inserted into the outer tube 10 through the rear end 12 thereof and is sliding in the outer tube 10. The rear end of the inner tube 20 projects from the rear end 12 of the outer tube 10 and a plurality of stoppers 21 is arranged circularly at a certain distance on an inner surface of the inner tube 20. As shown in
The first sleeve 30 is mounted from a front end of the outer tube 10 and is sleeved movably in the inner tube 20. An outer surface of the front end of the first sleeve 30 is arranged circularly with a plurality of ratchet teeth 31 at an equal distance and an axial guiding slot 32 is disposed between the two adjacent ratchet teeth 31. As shown in
The second sleeve 40 is partially sleeved in the first sleeve 30 and a plurality of ratchet teeth 41 is arranged circularly at an equal distance on an outer surface of the front end thereof while an axial guiding slot 42 is disposed between the two adjacent ratchet teeth 41, corresponding to the ratchet teeth 31 and the axial guiding slot 32 of the first sleeve 30. As shown in figure, there are, not limited to, four ratchet teeth 41 and four axial guiding slots 42. The axial guiding slot 42 slides in the axial guiding rail 15 of the outer tube 10. At least one fastener 43 is disposed on a rear end of the second sleeve 40 and is projecting from the rear end of the first sleeve 30 so as to correspond to the stopper 21 on the inner surface of the inner tube 20. Moreover, a receiving slot 44 for receiving the refill 60 is disposed on a front end of the second sleeve 40. A compression spring 70 is further arranged between the front end of the second sleeve 40 and the pen head 13 of the outer tube 10.
The elastic member 50 elastically supported between the shoulder part 23 of the inner tube 20 and the rear end of the axial guiding rail 15 of the outer tube 10 is a compression spring that moves between the front end of the inner tube 20 and the rear end of the guiding rail 15.
The refill 60 is mounted into the receiving slot 44 on the front end of the second sleeve 40. The refill 60 is not limited. It can be a pencil refill, a pen, a ball-pen refill, a personal digital assistance (PDA) refill, etc.
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In use, by pressing the inner tube 20, the corresponding ratchet teeth 31, 41 of the first sleeve and the second sleeve 30, 40 can rotate around and move toward each other so as to make the retractable pen 1 switch between two modes—the extended (writing) state and the compressed (retracted) state. Therefore, the retractable pen 1 is portable and easy to operate.
Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details, and representative devices shown and described herein. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
