Patent Application
20240217261
The present invention relates to a writing instrument for writing with a pen tip, and a pen tip part for a writing instrument.
A writing instrument which utilizes a pen tip for writing on the surface of a paper sheet, etc. is known. Such a writing instrument is held by fingers of a user. For writing instruments, therefore, shapes and materials of their grip portions have been devised in various ways, and writing instruments with improved easy-to-grip properties, non-slip properties, fatigue reducing properties, and so on are known. For example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2009-178852 discloses a ballpoint pen of such a kind.
As a shape of the grip portion of a ballpoint pen, i.e., a writing instrument, various shapes are available, including, for example, a columnar shape, a truncated conical shape, a shape that looks as if one or more portions of a columnar shape or a truncated conical shape have been cut off, a shape with a partial recess or projection over the entire circumference, etc. Also, for resin materials which constitute the grip portion, various hardness degrees are set, where hard to soft materials or the like are applicable, and even air or gel-embedded materials have been known. Writing instruments employing a metal material as a material of the grip portion are also known.
Japanese Patent No. 4972934 discloses a fountain pen, i.e., a writing instrument, and a technique for allowing a unit of a writing portion to be rotatably arranged on the body of the fountain pen while making a rotation resistance variable and settable using an increase or a decrease of an attached elastic element, so that positioning between an emblem or a pattern on the body and the pen tip is performed.
Also, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2007-331364 discloses a bamboo pen in which a bamboo-made pen tip body is inserted into a pen shaft.
According to an aspect of the invention, a writing instrument includes: a pen tip which includes a writing portion and has a directional specification for writing of the writing portion; a cylindrical inner cylinder which fixes the pen tip; a cylindrical outer cylinder into which the inner cylinder can be inserted and which includes a finger guide portion on an outer peripheral surface; a fixture which fixes the outer cylinder to the inner cylinder; and a barrel which is fixed to the inner cylinder.
According to an aspect of the invention, a pen tip part includes: a pen tip which includes a writing portion and has a directional specification for writing of the writing portion; a cylindrical inner cylinder which fixes the pen tip; a cylindrical outer cylinder into which the inner cylinder can be inserted and which includes a finger guide portion on an outer peripheral surface; and a fixture which fixes the outer cylinder to the inner cylinder.
A description will be given of a writing instrument 1 and a pen tip part 2 used in the writing instrument 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, with reference to
According to the present embodiment, the writing instrument 1 has a directional specification for writing. The directional specification for writing here means that, in applying ink onto the surface of a paper sheet or the like using the writing instrument 1, predetermined writing is enabled if the writing instrument 1 is in a state where its circumferential position is a given position. Also, the predetermined writing here refers to, for example, a writing action that does not entail catching during the writing and does not cause blurring, scratches, or the like in written lines due to the position (direction) of the writing portion of the pen tip.
Examples of the writing instrument 1 having a directional specification for writing include a fountain pen, of which production is finished with polishing of the pen tip, a marker pen or the like, which has a directional tip shape, a brush pen, which changes its optimal writing direction and stiffness depending on the way of bundling hairs. Note that the writing instrument 1 is not limited to such writing instruments, but for the present embodiment, the writing instrument 1 will be described using an example of a fountain pen.
As shown in
The pen tip 11 has a directional specification for writing. As shown in
In instances where the writing instrument 1 is a fountain pen as assumed by the present embodiment, the pen body 21 is formed of a metal material resistant to acid, alkali, etc., such as gold alloy or stainless steel. The writing portion 22 is formed at the tip of the pen body 21 and adapted to be capable of applying ink onto a paper surface.
As a concrete example, the pen body 21 is provided with a pen point 23 at the tip, as shown in
In the pen tip 11, ink is supplied to the tip of the pen body 21 by capillary action through the slit 25 formed in the pen body 21, so that the pen point 23, i.e., the writing portion 22, can apply the ink supplied through the slit 25 onto the surface of a paper sheet, etc. The pen core 12 supplies ink to the pen tip 11.
In one example, the pen core 12 permits the ink to flow from the ink tank 17 to the pen tip 11 by capillary action. Also, the pen core 12 takes in an amount of air corresponding to the amount of ink that has flown to the pen tip 11, that is, the pen core 12 performs a so-called gas-liquid exchange action to proceed with the flow of ink from the ink tank 17 to the pen tip 11.
As shown in
The inner cylinder 13 is a so-called shaft cylinder or neck cylinder. As shown in
As shown in
In one example, the seat portion 31 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 13 at one end portion in the axial direction. The seat portion 31 is an annular protrusion formed on the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 13 at one end portion and it protrudes radially outwardly. The seat portion 31 has an end surface which abuts on the end portion of the outer cylinder 14.
The male screw portion 32 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 13 at the other end portion in the axial direction.
The projection portion 33 is a projection formed on a part of the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 13 that is between the seat portion 31 and the male screw portion 32. As shown in
As shown in
In one example, the fixing portion 34 is provided inside the inner cylinder 13 and is formed in a cylindrical shape having a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the inner cylinder 13. As shown in
The outer cylinder 14 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The outer cylinder 14 has a diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the inner cylinder 13 so that the inner cylinder 13 can be inserted. The outer cylinder 14 forms a grip portion of the writing instrument 1. As shown in
Also, as shown in
The guide portion 41 is a portion formed on the outer peripheral surface side of the outer cylinder 14 and constituted by a recess, a projection, or a predetermined shape to be contacted by the fingers of the user. The guide portion 41 serves to guide the fingers of the user for placement. As one example, the present embodiment employs the guide portion 41 constituted by, as shown in
As shown in
The multiple grooves 42 serve to restrict relative circumferential movement of the inner cylinder 13 and the outer cylinder 14 through the insertion arrangement of the multiple projection portions 33 and the circumferential engagement with the arranged projection portions 33.
As shown in
The fixture 15 fixes the outer cylinder 14 arranged on the outer peripheral surface side of the inner cylinder 13, to the inner cylinder 13. As a concrete example, the fixture 15 is formed in a cylindrical shape of which one end portion in the axial direction abuts on the other end portion of the outer cylinder 14. The length of the fixture 15 is smaller than the length of the male screw portion 32 of the inner cylinder 13 in the axial direction.
As shown in
The female screw portion 51 is formed in the inner peripheral surface of the fixture 15 and is engaged with the male screw portion 32 of the inner cylinder 13.
The convex portion 52 is an axially extending annular projection formed coaxially with the fixture 15. The convex portion 52 has an outer diameter equal to or slightly larger than the inner diameter of the other end portion of the outer cylinder 14. The outer peripheral surface of the convex portion 52 abuts on the inner peripheral surface of the other end portion of the outer cylinder 14 so as to support the other end portion of the outer cylinder 14 in the radial direction.
The barrel 16 is fixed to the inner cylinder 13. The barrel 16 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape, and is capable of arranging the ink tank 17 within it. The barrel 16 has a female screw portion 61 formed in its inner peripheral surface at one end where the barrel 16 opens. The female screw portion 61 is engaged with the male screw portion 32 of the inner cylinder 13.
The ink tank 17 stores ink. In one example, the ink tank 17 is a consumable ink cartridge or a converter constituted by an ink-refillable aspirator. The ink tank 17 is fixed to the fixing portion 34 of the inner cylinder 13 and feeds the pen core 12 arranged at the fixing portion 34 with ink.
In the writing instrument 1 (the pen tip part 2) configured as above, the axial-direction lengths of the multiple projection portions 33 and the multiple grooves 42 are, for example, set to such lengths that in the state where the fixture 15 has been moved to the rear end side of the male screw portion 32 of the inner cylinder 13, which is opposite to the pen tip 11 side, the projection portions 33 and the grooves 42 are separated from each other and the circumferential rotation of the outer cylinder 14 with respect to the inner cylinder 13 is permitted, as can be seen from
According to the writing instrument 1 (the pen tip part 2) configured as above, the inner cylinder 13 and the outer cylinder 14 are restricted from the relative circumferential movement during the engagement between the multiple projection portions 33 and the multiple grooves 42 as seen from
Therefore, the writing instrument 1 (the pen tip part 2), even with a configuration wherein the outer cylinder 14 is axially and circumferentially movable with respect to the inner cylinder 13, can prevent the outer cylinder 14 from moving during use. Also, at the time of the user holding the writing instrument 1 with fingers in order to perform writing, the fingers are guided by the guide portion 41 so that the user can use the writing instrument 1 in a constant holding manner.
While the pen tip 11 in the writing instrument 1 (the pen tip part 2) has a directional specification for writing, the outer cylinder 14 is adapted to be rotatable with respect to the inner cylinder 13, and therefore, the writing instrument 1 (the pen tip part 2) can adjust the circumferential position of the guide portion 41, which is for contact by the fingers of the user, with respect to the writing portion 22 of the pen tip 11. Accordingly, in the event that the contact surface of the writing portion 22 of the pen tip 11 for contact with a paper surface 100a is inclined with respect to the plane direction of the paper surface 100a at the time of writing on a paper sheet 100 as shown in the left part of
An adjustment method of the writing instrument 1 will be described in more detail. First, the inner cylinder 13 and the outer cylinder 14 are restricted from relative circumferential movement by the engagement between the multiple projection portions 33 and the multiple grooves 42 as shown in
The outer cylinder 14 is rotated in the circumferential direction with respect to the inner cylinder 13 as indicated in
It is additionally noted that the circumferential position of the outer cylinder 14 with respect to the writing portion 22 of the pen tip 11 can be adjusted to as many positions as the number of the grooves 42. For example, in the present embodiment which assumes the use of thirty-six grooves 42, the outer cylinder 14 can be fixed at any of thirty-six positions in the circumferential direction. That is, according to the present embodiment, the outer cylinder 14 can be rotated with respect to the writing portion 22 of the pen tip 11 at 10° intervals. Also, for this adjustment of the outer cylinder 14, the fixture 15 is not required to be completely detached from the male screw portion 32 of the inner cylinder 13, but it is sufficient for the fixture 15 to be only rotated in such a way that the fixture 15 is rotated to a position that causes axial disengagement between the multiple projection portions 33 and the multiple grooves 42 so as to move the outer cylinder 14 in the axial direction with respect to the inner cylinder 13, and after the outer cylinder 14 is rotated, the fixture 15 is rotated in the fastening direction. Once the engagement between the projection portions 33 and the grooves 42 is released, the rotation of the outer cylinder 14 is not restricted, and therefore, the outer cylinder 14 can be rotated without requiring application of a large force. For these reasons, the writing instrument 1 (the pen tip part 2) allows easy adjustment of the outer cylinder 14. Further, since the configuration of fixing the pen tip 11, the pen core 12, and the ink tank 17 to the inner cylinder 13 is adopted, the adjustment of the outer cylinder 14 requires the user to only pinch the inner cylinder 13, rotate the fixture 15, and then slide and rotate the outer cylinder 14. Therefore, in the adjustment of the outer cylinder 14, it is possible to prevent the ink from adhering to the fingers of the user.
Also, the writing instrument 1 and the pen tip part 2 are adapted so that the outer cylinder 14, the fixture 15, the barrel 16, and the ink tank 17 can be attached to and detached from the inner cylinder 13, and accordingly, only necessary parts can be subjected to, for example, cleaning in the process of maintenance, ink color replacement, and the like. Therefore, the writing instrument 1 and the pen tip part 2 can prevent a liquid entry into and a liquid remainder between the components due to the cleaning.
The writing instrument 1 and the pen tip part 2 configured as above allow for the adjustment of the circumferential position of the outer cylinder 14, i.e., the grip portion, with respect to the writing portion 22.
Note that the present invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiments. For example, while the above examples have assumed a configuration wherein the guide portion 41 is provided with two recesses 41a, 41a having the same shape at two circumferential positions of the outer circumferential surface of the outer cylinder 14, this is not a limitation. As an example, the two recesses 41a, 41a may be set such that one recess 41a is for the thumb and the other recess 41a is for the index finger, so that the thumb and the index finger can be contacted. The outer cylinder 14 with the guide portion 41 having one recess 41a set for the thumb and the other recess 41a set for the index finger is either for a right-handed user or for a left-handed user. Also, in adopting the outer cylinder 14 with the guide portion 41 having one recess 41a set for the thumb and the other recess 41a set for the index finger, it is possible to configure this single outer cylinder 14 to be switchable between the mode for a right-handed user and the mode for a left-handed user upon turning over of the orientations of the end portions in the axial direction, by forming the inner diameters of the respective end portions to be larger than the other portions and providing multiple grooves 42 in the respective ends.
In connection with the above examples, exemplary numbers of the multiple projection portions 33 and the multiple grooves 42 have been given, but the numbers of the multiple projection portions 33 and the multiple grooves 42 are discretionarily settable. For example, an increased number of the multiple grooves 42 can provide a smaller angle unit for the adjustment of the circumferential position of the outer cylinder 14 with respect to the writing portion 22 of the pen tip 11, and accordingly, more detailed adjustment is enabled.
Also, the above examples have assumed a configuration in which the multiple projection portions 33 are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 13 and the multiple grooves 42 are formed in the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 14, but this is not a limitation. As an example, a configuration in which the multiple projection portions 33 are formed on the end surface of the seat portion 31 of the inner cylinder 13 and the multiple grooves 42 are formed in the end surface of the outer cylinder 14 that faces the seat portion 31 may be adopted.
As another embodiment, for example, the writing instrument 1 and the pen tip part 2 may have a configuration as shown in
With the configuration in which such packings 18 are provided, the circumferential movement of the outer cylinder 14 can be restricted by the friction of each packing 18, and therefore, it is possible to, for example, omit the multiple projection portions 33 from the inner cylinder 13 and the multiple grooves 42 from the outer cylinder 14 as in the configuration shown in
The above examples have assumed a configuration in which the writing instrument 1 has the fixture 15 and the barrel 16, and these fixture 15 and barrel 16 are screw-engaged with the male screw portion 32 of the inner cylinder 13. However, this is not a limitation. A configuration in which the opening end portion of the barrel 16 functions as a fixture may also be adopted. That is, the fixture 15 may be omitted and the barrel 16 may be used as a fixture. Such a barrel 16 serving as a fixture may be configured, for example, such that the convex portion 52 is provided at its opening end portion so as to have the end portion abut onto the end portion of the outer cylinder 14 in the axial direction and to support the outer cylinder 14 in the radial direction.
While the above examples have assumed a configuration in which the convex portion 52 for supporting the outer cylinder 14 in the radial direction is provided on the fixture 15 or the barrel 16, this is not a limitation. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the radial-direction clearance between the inner cylinder 13 and the outer cylinder 14 is reduced, or in which a supporting protrusion or protrusions are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 14, so as to support the outer cylinder 14 by the inner cylinder 13 in the radial direction.
As also described above, in the writing instrument 1 (the pen tip part 2), the writing portion 22 of the pen tip 11 has a directional specification for writing, and it would serve the purpose if the position of the grip portion, i.e., the guide portion 41 of the outer cylinder 14 for guiding positions of the fingers, is adjustable with respect to the writing portion 22 of the pen tip 11. As such, the writing instrument 1 (the pen tip part 2) is not limited to a fountain pen, but is applicable to various writing instruments.
Even in instances where the writing portion 22 of the pen tip 11 does not have a directional specification for writing, the foregoing configurations for enabling the circumferential positional adjustment of the outer cylinder 14 with respect to the inner cylinder 13 can still be employed. Such a writing instrument is effective in, for example, instances where the inner cylinder 13 and the outer cylinder 14 are provided with a continuous design and position alignment for such a design is to be performed. For example, such a design may be a design with a decorative effect. As another example of such a design, it is possible to adopt indications, etc. of information representing ink colors in which an arrow, a dot, or the like is provided on the outer surface of the seat portion 31 of the inner cylinder 13 and indications of ink colors are put on the outer cylinder 14, so that the positions of the inner cylinder 13 and the outer cylinder 14 are aligned based on the position of the intended ink.
The present invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiments. For practical implementation, various modifications may be adopted without departing from the gist of the invention. Various embodiments may be discretionarily combined for implementation, and such combinations will produce combined effects. Moreover, the embodiments involve various aspects, and appropriate combinations of the disclosed features will permit various inventions to be derived. For example, if omission of several features from the entire configuration or structure disclosed for the embodiments can realize the intended object and provide the effects, the configuration or structure after such omission may be derived as an invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-149613 | Sep 2021 | JP | national |
This application is a Continuation application of PCT Application No. PCT/JP2022/033401, filed Sep. 6, 2022 and based upon and claiming the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-149613, filed Sep. 14, 2021, the entire contents of all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/JP2022/033401 | Sep 2022 | WO |
| Child | 18602723 | US |
