Patent Application
20190100052
Embodiments generally relate to the design of writing instruments.
Fidgeting is the human habit of moving about restlessly, commonly as a result of nervousness, agitation, or boredom. Examples of fidgeting include playing with one's hair, clothing, a pen, or bouncing one's leg repeatedly. Numerous devices exist that can be described as devices for fidgeting: yo-yos, stress balls, fidget cubes, fidget spinners, etc. These devices may be used to perform a repetitive activity that users may find soothing and relaxing. While fidgeting devices remain popular, most of them may be too conspicuous or unacceptable for use in some social or professional environments.
Disclosed herein are embodiments for a writing instrument operable to spin around its lateral axis while held on opposite sites. An embodiment includes a barrel, a first bearing coupled to an interior side of the barrel and a second bearing coupled to an interior opposite side of the barrel. A first stub protrudes from a side of the barrel, the stub being in contact with the bearing so as to allow the stub to spin around a lateral axis of the barrel, the lateral axis comprising an axis perpendicular to a length of the barrel. A second stub protrudes from an opposite side of the barrel, the second stub being in contact with the second bearing so as to allow the second stub to spin around the lateral axis of the barrel.
The embodiments disclosed above are only examples, and the scope of this disclosure is not limited to them. Particular embodiments may include all, some, or none of the components, elements, features, functions, operations, or steps of the embodiments disclosed above. Embodiments according to the invention are in particular disclosed in the attached claims. The dependencies or references back in the attached claims are chosen for formal reasons only. However, any subject matter resulting from a deliberate reference back to any previous claims (in particular multiple dependencies) can be claimed as well, so that any combination of claims and the features thereof are disclosed and can be claimed regardless of the dependencies chosen in the attached claims. The subject-matter which can be claimed comprises not only the combinations of features as set out in the attached claims but also any other combination of features in the claims, wherein each feature mentioned in the claims can be combined with any other feature or combination of other features in the claims. Furthermore, any of the embodiments and features described or depicted herein can be claimed in a separate claim and/or in any combination with any embodiment or feature described or depicted herein or with any of the features of the attached claims.
The accompanying drawings are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification.
In the drawings, like reference numbers generally indicate identical or similar elements. Additionally, generally, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the drawing in which the reference number first appears.
In particular embodiments, a writing instrument may be operable to around its lateral axis while held on opposite sites.
Writing instrument 100 may be comprised of a barrel 110 and two stubs (120, 122) protruding from opposite sides of the barrel. Barrel 110 may be a generally cylindrically-shaped member of any material suitable for writing instruments such as, by way of example, plastic, wood, metal, etc. The writing instrument is operable to spin, when held at the stubs, around a lateral axis 320 perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 310 of the barrel 110, as illustrated in
In particular embodiments, stub 120 is coupled to the inner ring of bearings 220 and stub 122 is coupled to the inner ring of bearing 222. In the example of
In particular embodiments, writing instrument 100 may be a pen, as shown in the examples of
In particular embodiments, writing instrument 100 may include a mechanism for moving ink cartridge 230 so as to extend the ink tip 232 of the ink cartridge outside of barrel 110 through opening 212.
In particular embodiments, tubular member 240 may be held in an extended position by a locking mechanism.
While a particular mechanism for extending and retracting an ink cartridge of writing instrument 100 has been described, this disclosure contemplates any suitable locking mechanism for extending and retracting an ink cartridge. For example, standard pen clicker mechanisms using cam locks can be applied in a similar manner.
In particular embodiments, writing pen 100 may include a single bearing instead of two bearings as described above. As an example, two stubs 120 and 122 may be coupled to the inner ring of a single ball bearing. In particular embodiments, a writing instrument with a single bearing would further include an ink reservoir such as, for example, an ink reservoir for usage in a fountain pen. For example, the ink reservoir may comprise a hollowed portion to make space for the single bearing and stubs. In this manner, a single bearing can make contact with both stubs.
It is to be appreciated that the Detailed Description section, and not the Summary and Abstract sections (if any), is intended to be used to interpret the claims. The Summary and Abstract sections (if any) may set forth one or more but not all exemplary embodiments of the invention as contemplated by the inventor(s), and thus, are not intended to limit the invention or the appended claims in any way.
References herein to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “an example embodiment,” or similar phrases, indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it would be within the knowledge of persons skilled in the relevant art(s) to incorporate such feature, structure, or characteristic into other embodiments whether or not explicitly mentioned or described herein.
The breadth and scope of the invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.
