Back to results
US 11,840,113 B2Granted
Marker opener
AssigneeCrayola LLC
InventorsRichard B Kuiken, Craig Skinner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present disclosure is directed to a marker opening device comprising at least one plug remover, at least one nib remover, and/or at least one cartridge remover. Also provided herein is a method of disassembling a marker using the marker opening device, the disassembly of the marker allowing for separation of the recyclable and non-recyclable components thereof.
Claims15
A method of disassembling a marker for recycling, the method comprising:
- providing a marker opening device comprising:
- a body having an upper surface, a lower surface, and an interior surface, the body including at least one plug remover comprising:
- a plug remover opening defined by the interior surface, the plug remover opening sized to receive a plug of a marker;
- and
- at least one well at an edge of the plug remover opening defining a well surface;
- wherein the plug remover is configured to receive the plug of the marker in the plug remover opening, such that when the marker is angled in the plug remover opening relative to the body of the marker opening device, a portion of an outer surface of the plug is in abutting engagement with at least a portion of the well surface;
- inserting the plug of the marker into the plug remover opening in the at least one plug remover;
- angling the marker relative to the body of the marker opening device;
- and
- moving the plug remover relative to the plug such that one of the upper well surface and the lower well surface contacts the plug to pry the plug off of the marker body.
7 more elements
A method of disassembling a marker for recycling, the method comprising:
- providing a marker opening device comprising a body having an upper surface, a lower surface, and an interior surface, the body comprising at least one plug remover and at least one nib remover;
- wherein the at least one plug remover comprises a plug remover opening defined by the interior surface, the plug remover opening sized to receive a plug of a marker,
- wherein the plug remover is configured to receive the plug of the marker in the plug remover opening such that when the marker is angled in the plug remover opening relative to the body of the marker opening device, a portion of the plug is in abutting engagement with the interior surface;
- wherein the at least one nib remover comprises a nib remover opening defined by the interior surface, the nib remover opening sized to receive a nib of the marker;
- and
- wherein at least one of an upper edge of the nib remover opening and a lower edge of the nib remover opening has at least one edge portion angled so that a width of the nib remover opening decreases across a length of the nib remover opening to define a narrow portion of the opening having a width that is less than a diameter of the nib of the marker;
- inserting the plug of the marker into the plug remover;
- angling the marker relative to the body of the marker opening device;
- moving the plug remover relative to the plug such that the interior surface contacts the plug to pry the plug off of the marker body;
- inserting the nib of the marker into the nib remover;
- sliding the nib along the length of the nib remover opening and toward the narrow portion of the opening until the nib is caught therein;
- and
- removing the nib from the marker by applying an upward or downward force on the body of the marker.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.