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US 12,030,334 B2Granted
Writing instrument
AssigneeSociete BIC
InventorsJulien Lintermy, Carine Bethouart
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A free-ink writing instrument mat include a nib drying delay component to prevent drying out of the end of the nib of the writing instrument that is located in the writing ink tank thereof. The nib drying delay component is locally arranged around the end of the nib in a liquid tight manner and configured to locally retain ink therein so as to keep the nib end in contact with locally retained ink.
Claims20
A free-ink writing instrument comprising:
- a tank for storing a writing ink, the tank having a bottom surface and a peripheral wall extending from the bottom surface;
- a nib having a first end protruding within the tank for being in contact with writing ink and a second opposite end located outside the tank for dispensing writing ink outside the writing instrument, the first end comprising axial terminating portion that faces a bottom of the tank, wherein a surface of the axial terminating portion that is closest to the bottom of the tank is exposed wherein the writing instrument further comprises a nib drying delay component that is locally arranged around the first end of the nib in a liquid tight manner and configured to locally retain ink therein so as to keep the first nib end in contact with locally retained ink whatever the spatial position of the writing instrument,
- wherein the nib drying delay component comprises a surrounding wall that extends between the first nib end and the peripheral wall of the tank so as to form an ink trap in a first portion of the surrounding wall that is adjacent the first nib end, and
- the surrounding wall comprises a second portion that is located farther from the first nib end than the first portion of the surrounding wall, the first or second portion having an opening configured to allow ink stored in the tank to flow through the opening and enter into the ink trap when the writing instrument is moved toward an appropriate position,
- wherein a micro-valve is arranged in the opening so as to enable therethrough a flow of stored ink in a first direction into the ink trap when the writing instrument is moved toward an appropriate position and prevent ink from flowing out in a second opposite direction when the writing instrument is moved to a position where the first nib end is at the level of the tank above the tank.
2 more elements
A free ink writing instrument comprising:
- a tank for storing a writing ink;
- a nib having a first end protruding within the tank for being in contact with writing ink and a second opposite end located outside the tank for dispensing writing ink outside the writing instrument;
- a nib drying delay component surrounding the first end of the nib in a liquid tight manner that retains ink to keep the first nib end in constant contact with the retained ink,
- wherein the nib drying delay component comprises a surrounding wall that is substantially curved with a concavity oriented towards a rear of the tank, the wall extending between the first nib end and a peripheral wall of the tank so as to form an ink trap in a first portion of the surrounding wall that is adjacent the first nib end, and
- wherein a narrow portion of the surrounding wall is in contact with the first nib end and a wide portion of the surrounding wall is in contact with the peripheral wall of the tank.
2 more elements
A free-ink writing instrument comprising:
- a tank for storing a writing ink;
- a nib having a first end protruding within the tank for being in contact with writing ink and a second opposite end located outside the tank for dispensing writing ink outside the writing instrument, characterized in that the writing instrument further comprises a nib drying delay component that is locally arranged around the first end of the nib in a liquid tight manner and configured to locally retain ink therein so as to keep the first nib end in contact with locally retained ink whatever the spatial position of the writing instrument,
- wherein the nib drying delay component comprises a surrounding wall that extends between the first nib end and a peripheral wall of the tank so as to form an ink trap in a first portion of the surrounding wall that is adjacent the first nib end, and
- the surrounding wall has a substantially concave funnel shape, from a perspective exterior to the nib drying delay component, with a narrow portion in contact with the first nib end and a wide portion in contact with the peripheral wall of the tank, the concave surrounding wall flaring out towards the second nib end,
- wherein the concave surrounding wall includes an opening located in the wide portion, the opening being configured to allow ink to travel from the tank, beyond the nib drying delay component, to the locally retained ink.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.