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US 2014/0270899 A1Published application
Magnetically actuated cap locking assembly and writing instrument comprising same
OwnerLeighton Davies-Smith, David Martininventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A writing instrument includes a magnetically actuated locking assembly for releasably securing a first component, such as a cap, to a second component, such as a barrel. The magnetically actuated locking assembly includes a first magnet and at least one second magnet, the magnetic fields of which actuate and release a mechanical lock between the first component and the second component.
Claims21
A writing instrument including a magnetically actuated locking assembly for releasably securing a first component to a second component, the writing instrument comprising:
- a barrel body, the barrel body having a nose section;
- a barrel magnet disposed proximate the nose section;
- a cap releasably attached to the nose section, the cap having a cap opening at one end;
- a cap magnet disposed proximate the cap opening;
- and
- at least one pin magnet disposed on the barrel body, the pin magnet being radially slidable relative to a longitudinal axis of the barrel body,
- wherein the barrel magnet and the cap magnet are magnetically attracted to one another to produce both a longitudinal force that urges the cap in a longitudinal direction along the longitudinal axis towards the nose section, and a radial twisting force that urges the cap to twist towards a locked position, and
- wherein the pin magnets are attracted to the cap magnet when the cap magnet is oriented in the locked position, which causes the pin magnets to slide radially outward towards a locked configuration and the pin magnets are repelled from the cap magnet when the cap magnet is oriented in a released position, which causes the pin magnets to slide radially inward towards an unlocked retracted configuration.
5 more elements
A writing instrument comprising:
- a barrel body, the barrel body having a nose section;
- a barrel magnet disposed proximate the nose section;
- a cap releasably attached to the nose section, the cap having a cap opening at one end;
- a plurality of cap magnets disposed within the cap, proximate the opening, the plurality of cap magnets being pivotable in an inner radial direction relative to the cap;
- and
- a locking mechanism operatively attached to at least one cap magnet,
- wherein the barrel magnet and the plurality of cap magnets are magnetically attracted to one another to produce both a longitudinal force that urges the cap in a longitudinal direction along a longitudinal axis of the barrel body towards the nose section, and a radial twisting force that urges the cap to twist to a locked position, and
- wherein the cap magnets are attracted to the barrel magnet when the cap magnets are oriented in a locked position, which causes the cap magnets to pivot radially inward to a locked configuration and the cap magnets are repelled from the barrel magnet when the cap magnets are oriented in a released position, which causes the cap magnets to pivot radially outward to an unlocked retracted configuration.
5 more elements
A writing instrument comprising:
- a first component, the first component having a nose section;
- a first magnet disposed proximate the nose section;
- a second component releasably attached to the nose section, the second component having a cap opening at one end;
- a second magnet disposed proximate the opening;
- and
- a magnetically actuated locking mechanism operatively connected to one of the first component and the second component,
- wherein the first magnet and the second magnet are magnetically attracted to one another to produce both a longitudinal force that urges the cap in a longitudinal direction along a longitudinal axis towards the nose section, and a radial twisting force that urges the second component to twist to a locked position relative to the first component, and
- wherein the locking mechanism is magnetically engaged when the second magnet is oriented in the locked position, and the locking mechanism is magnetically disengaged when the second magnet is oriented in a released position.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.