BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is an elevational, partial cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the invention, showing the general components of a pencil including a roll-preventing eraser and a connector;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the connector of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the connector of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the connector and eraser of FIGS. 1-3;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the eraser of FIGS. 1 and 4;
FIG. 6 shows a known, conventional pencil of the prior art;
FIG. 7 is an elevational view of an inclined surface, showing the pencil of FIG. 1 at rest and the conventional pencil of FIG. 6 rotating down the inclined surface;
FIGS. 8A-8D show alternate embodiments of erasers in accordance with the principles of this invention; and
FIG. 9 shows an alternative embodiment of a writing instrument in accordance with the principles of this invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
With reference to the figures and, more particularly to FIG. 1, a writing instrument in the form of a wooden lead or graphite pencil 10 includes a hollow interior 12 and an elongated wooden body 14. A cylindrical elongated graphite or lead-marking body 16 extends through the hollow interior 12 of the pencil 10. Other options for the elongated body may include, for example, without limitation, a thermoplastic material suitable for removal and subsequent exposure of the lead-marking body 16. Similarly, while this embodiment shows a graphite pencil 10, it is contemplated that the elongated lead marking body 16 could also be made of other materials, such as those known to leave color marks on paper. Likewise, while the pencil 10 of this exemplary embodiment shows an elongated lead-marking body 16 having a cylindrical cross-section, other cross-sectional shapes can be substituted.
The pencil 10 has a first end 18 exposing a lead tip 20 of the lead marking body 16, which allows the user to write or draw on an object such as paper or other substrate by running the lead tip 20 against a surface of such object. The pencil 10 has a second end 22 that is adapted to receive a ferrule or connector 24, which is in turn adapted to at least partially receive an eraser 26 therein. The connector 24 in this exemplary embodiment is formed from a sheet of metal but it could alternatively be made of any other material suitable to carry out a coupling function between the eraser 26 and the elongated wooden body 14.
With reference to FIGS. 1-4, the connector 24 has a generally cylindrical first portion 27 configured to fit over a portion of the elongated wooden body 14 at the second end 22. In one aspect of this embodiment, the first portion 27 overlaps outer surface 28 of the elongated wooden body 14 by a distance 30 sufficient to firmly hold the connector 24 so as to prevent lateral and longitudinal movement of the connector 24 relative to the elongated wooden body 14. The first portion 27 of the connector 24 of this embodiment can be connected to the elongate wooden body 14 of the pencil 10 by any suitable means such as, and without limitation, crimping, prongs, adhesive bonding, mechanical bonding, mechanical fastening, pressure fitting or any combination thereof. The connector 24 may be made of any suitably chosen materials to allow coupling to the body 14 and eraser 26. For example, and without limitation, the connector 24, as noted above, may be made of a metal. Moreover, the connector 24 may be releasably coupled to the body 14 of the pencil 10.
With particular reference to FIGS. 2-3, the connector 24 includes a second portion 32 coupled to or integrally formed with the first portion 27 and including an opening 34 that defines a cavity 35 of the connector 24. In one aspect of this embodiment, the second portion 32 has a generally rectangular cross-section when seen from below (FIG. 3). The second portion 32 is configured to receive and hold the eraser 26 therein. More particularly, the second portion 32 receives and couples a proximal portion 29 (FIG. 4) of the eraser 26 that may, for example, be shaped to substantially match the cross-sectional shape of the cavity 35. In this exemplary embodiment, the proximal portion 29 of the eraser 26 has a generally rectangular cross-sectional shape, thereby matching the exemplary rectangular cross-sectional shape of the second portion 32 of the connector 24. The second portion 32 of the connector 24 overlaps the eraser 26 by a distance 38 suitably chosen to engage and prevent the eraser 26 from sliding or generally moving relative to the connector 24.
With reference to FIGS. 4-5, the second portion 32 of the connector 24 is coupled to one or more sides 40a, 40b, 40c, 4d of the eraser 26 by any suitable means involving, for example, and without limitation, adhesive bonding, prongs, mechanical bonding, pressure fitting or any combination thereof. While this embodiment shows coupling of the connector 24 to one or more of the sides 40a-40d of the eraser 26, persons of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that other surfaces or even an interior portion of the eraser 26 may be chosen to engage and secure the eraser 26 the connector 24. Moreover, the eraser 26 may be releasably coupled to the connector 24, for example, to permit replacement thereof.
In one aspect of this embodiment, and with further reference to FIGS. 6-7, one or more of four sides 42a, 42b, 42c, 42d of the second portion 32 of the connector 24 is generally planar and larger than a width or diameter 44 of the elongated wooden body 14 of the pencil 10. Accordingly, stability of the pencil 10 resting on any surface 46 is enhanced, thereby allowing the pencil 10 to remain on the surface 46 even if the surface 46 is inclined, as the exemplary surface shown in FIG. 7. When the pencil 10 rests, for example, on a flat surface jointly defined by one of the sides 42c, 42d of the connector 24 and a corresponding, coplanar flat side 40c, 40d of the eraser 26, the pencil 10 will not be overcome by a tendency of the elongated wooden body 14 to rotate about a longitudinal axis 48 thereof (FIG. 1) in a direction, indicated by arrow 50, corresponding to a direction of incline of the inclined surface 46 when the body 14 is in contact with inclined surface 46.
In another aspect of this embodiment, the inclusion of at least one side 40a-40d of the eraser 26 being generally planar and longer than the width or diameter 44 of the elongated wooden body 14, results in a relatively large eraser 26 (i.e., an eraser larger than those of conventional pencils). This relatively large size of the eraser 26 prolongs the life of the erasing feature of the pencil 10, and thereby the useful life of the pencil 10. More particularly, the relative large size allows a greater number of erasing events and total number/amount of markings that can be removed therewith. Moreover, the relatively large eraser 26 deters an often-unconscious tendency of users to place erasers of known pencils, such as the prior art pencil 54, in their mouths. This determent is facilitated by the unnatural fit of a relatively large object in a human mouth. In an advantageous aspect, the result of this determent also prevents destruction of the eraser 26 and the pencil 10, further prolonging the useful life of the pencil 10.
With reference to FIGS. 7, 8A-8D, and as noted above, the eraser 26 has a rectangular cross-section. One skilled in the art, however, may choose to make this cross section in one of many different shapes such as, and without limitation, triangular, pentagonal, square or any other shape containing at least one flat surface or side. Similarly, an artisan may choose to make this cross-sectional shape such that there is only one rectilinear segment, such as one approximating, for example, a “D” shape. Examples of alternative embodiments can be appreciated in FIGS. 8A-8D, which depict examples of alternative erasers 56-59. The inclusion of at least one flat side, such as the exemplary surfaces 60-63, allows a pencil having an eraser 56-59 to rest on such side 60-63 without the tendency of the pencil to roll down an inclined plane, such as the inclined surface 46.
The eraser 26 in this embodiment is made out of rubber, however one skilled in the art may choose to substitute other suitable material capable of removing marks made by a writing instrument, such as a pencil, onto which it is connected. Although the pencil 10 of this embodiment is depicted and described as a wooden lead pencil 10, persons of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that, alternatively, the eraser 26 may be combined with other types of writing instruments.
With reference to FIG. 9, an alternative embodiment of a writing instrument in the form of a mechanical pencil 58 may include features similar to those described with regard to the exemplary pencil 10 of FIGS. 1-4. In this regard, therefore, the mechanical pencil 58 includes a connector 80 and an eraser 82 respectively similar, in most respects, to the connector 24 and eraser 26 of pencil 10, the respective descriptions of which may be referred to for an understanding of this embodiment as well. Likewise, although not shown, the principles described with regard to the exemplary pencil 10 are contemplated as similarly applicable to erasable ink pens or any other writing instrument including an eraser at one end thereof and still provide the benefits noted above for the exemplary pencil 10 of FIGS. 1-4.
From the above disclosure of the general principles of this invention and the preceding detailed description of at least one embodiment, those skilled in the art will readily comprehend the various modifications to which this invention is susceptible. Therefore, we desire to be limited only by the scope of the following claims and equivalents thereof.
Patent Application
20080019759
