Patent Application
20070041778
The present invention relates generally to writing instruments that can be tethered to an object, such as a person, clipboard, knapsack and the like, and more particularly to a writing instrument that can be tethered to an object in various modes to thereby increase the versatility of the writing instrument.
Writing instruments are generally known that have provision for a tether for tethering or connecting the writing instrument to an object. These writing instruments typically have an opening at the rear end thereof for receiving a tether, which may be fixed or slidable in the opening.
Such writing instruments have the drawback that they may be tethered in only one mode, i.e., through the opening provided at the rear end of the writing instrument. Another drawback is that when the cap is removed to enable use of the writing instrument, the cap is likely to be misplaced since though the main body of the writing instrument is tethered, the cap is not. If left uncapped for long periods, the performance of the writing instrument may deteriorate.
An object of the present invention is to provide a writing instrument that overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art writing instruments.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a writing instrument that can be tethered in different modes and which therefore has enhanced versatility.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a writing instrument in which either the cap or the main body of the writing instrument can be tethered when the writing instrument is not in use, and in which both the cap and the main body can be tethered when the writing instrument is in use.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a writing instrument that can be tethered in different modes and which has a simple design that enables it to be easily alternatively tethered in any one of the different modes.
The foregoing as well as other objects of the present invention are realized by a writing instrument comprising a main body having front and rear ends and a writing tip at the front end, and a cap detachably attachable to a front portion of the main body to cover the writing tip and detachably attachable to a rear portion of the main body. A first opening is provided in the rear portion of the main body, and a second opening is provided in the cap. The first and second openings are alignable with one another when the cap is detachably attached to the rear portion of the main body to enable a tether to be threaded through the aligned openings for tethering the writing instrument to an object. Alternatively, the tether may be threaded through only the first opening at the rear portion of the main body for tethering the main body to an object. The cap may have a third opening at or near an end thereof, and the tether may alternatively be threaded through the third opening for tethering the cap to an object.
By such an arrangement, the writing instrument may, in a first mode, be tethered from the cap so that the main body can be detached from the cap for use and re-attached to the cap after use. Alternatively, in a second mode, the writing instrument may be tethered from the rear end of the main body, with or without the cap in place. In a third mode, with the cap attached to the rear end of the main body, the writing instrument may be tethered from both the cap and the main body. This multi-mode tethering greatly increases the versatility of the writing instrument, enabling it to be attached to objects in different ways.
The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, the drawings show several presently preferred embodiments. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to these embodiments, or to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. In the drawings:
While the present invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, this specification and the accompanying drawings disclose only some forms as examples of the use of the invention. The invention is not intended to be limited to the examples so described, and the scope of the invention is set forth in the appended claims.
As used herein, the term “tether” means and includes a flexible length of material such as a cord, lanyard, chain, ribbon, wire, etc. attachable to a writing instrument to restrict or limit the range of movement of the writing instrument relative to an object. The tether may be in the form of a closed, endless loop which may, for example, be worn around the neck of a person or threaded through an opening in a clipboard, knapsack and the like. The tether may also be in the form of a length of a material that can be connected at one end to the writing instrument and connected at another end to an object, such as a desk, work surface and the like. The tether may be constructed of any suitable flexible material, may be decorative or plain, and may have any desired cross-sectional shape and size, the only limitation being that the tether fit through openings in the writing instrument to enable the writing instrument to be tethered to an object.
As used herein, the term “writing instrument” means and includes all types of writing instruments that have caps, such as pens, markers, highlighters and the like regardless of the particular type of writing medium.
As used herein with reference to tethering a writing instrument to an object, the term “object” is used in its broadest sense and means and includes any object to which a writing instrument could be attached, such as a person, clipboard, zipper, knapsack, work station, clothing, belt, buttonhole, etc.
Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to indicate like elements throughout, there is shown in
The writing instrument 10 has a main body 20 and a removable cap 30. The main body 20 has a tubular shape and opposite front and rear ends. A writing tip 21 is connected to the front end of the main body 20 for dispensing a writing medium contained within the main body 20. In the case of a ball point pen, the writing medium is ink supplied from an ink source housed within the main body 20. A rear end plug 23 is connected to and closes the rear end of the main body 20. To facilitate use of the writing instrument 10 and to reduce writer fatigue, the main body 20 is provided near its front end with a grip 25. In this embodiment, by way of example, the grip 25 has a set of three generally flat gripping surfaces 26 which are conveniently shaped and positioned to be gripped by the fingers of a person using the pen. The flat surfaces 26 are preferably dimpled or knurled to increase the comfortability of the grip and to reduce slippage.
The cap 30 also has a tubular shape and has an open end and a closed end. The cap 30 is configured to fit over both the front end (
The cap 30 is configured to be detachably attachable to both the front end and the rear end of the main body 20, preferably by means of a snap fit. For this purpose, the front end portion of the main body 20 is provided with a protrusion 27 extending circumferentially around the main body. A similar protrusion 28 extends circumferentially around the rear end portion of the main body 20. The cap 30 is provided on its inner or inside surface with one or more projections (not shown) that frictionally slide over and releasably engage with the protrusions 27 or 28 when the cap is inserted over the front end or the rear end of the main body 20 to detachably attach the cap 30 to the front and rear ends, respectively, of the main body 20.
The main body 20 and the cap 30 are preferably molded of plastic material, and the grip 26 is preferably formed of rubber molded onto the plastic main body 20. The writing instrument is not, of course, limited to being formed of plastic material and may be formed of metal or any other suitable material, or a combination of materials, as well known in the art of writing instruments. Similarly, the grip 26 may be formed of plastic or other suitable material known in the art.
To enable the writing instrument to be tethered in different modes, a set of openings are provided at prescribed locations in the main body and the cap. More specifically, a first opening 35 is formed at or near the rear end of the main body 20. In this embodiment, the first opening 35 is formed at the rear end of the plug 23. A second elongate opening 36, which is substantially larger than the first opening 35, is formed in the cap 30, generally at the mid-portion thereof where the cap has a tubular shape. A third opening 37 is formed at or near the closed end of the cap. In this embodiment, the third opening 37 is formed at the end tip of the plug 31. The openings 35, 36 and 37 are through-openings that extend completely through the main body and the cap. The openings 35 and 37 in the plugs 23 and 31 are in the nature of eyelets. The larger opening 36 formed at the tubular mid-portion of the cap 30 extends through opposed sidewall portions 30a, 30b of the cap as best seen in
The different tethering modes of the writing instrument will now be described with reference to
As shown in
In an alternative tethering mode shown by dashed lines in
One illustrative example of the tethering mode shown in
Other examples illustrating the versatility of the writing instrument 10 are shown in
In one preferred embodiment, the grip 26 and the end plug 31 at the tip of the cap 30 are formed of the same first color, and the remainder of the cap 30 and the end plug 23 of the main body 20 are formed of the same second color, the first and second colors being different from one another. This is illustrated in
The multi-mode tethering capabilities of the writing instrument 10 make it ideally suited for use by medical personnel, office workers, hospitality staff, coaches and referees, flight attendants, teachers and others who require ready-access to a writing instrument.
Obvious changes and modifications to the writing instrument will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, and the present invention is intended to cover all such changes and modifications that fall within the scope and spirit of the appended claims.
