Ball point pen
OwnerSteve M. Antoninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This application relates to a ball point pen and more particularly to a mechanism for turning or rotating the ink cartridge each time the plunger is depressed to project the ball point from the pen into the writing position.
Claims4
In an apparatus for projecting and retracting an elongated article in a housing having a project-retract mechanism including a non-rotatable stem for projecting said article, a rotatable intermediate member engaging said stem and said article, and spring biasing means bearing against said article and said housing for retracting said article, the improvement comprising a coil spring in compression disposed between and bearing against said article and said intermediate member, said spring having its longitudinal axis coincident with that of said article and said stem, whereby said coil spring causes said article to rotate incrementally through a portion of a circle each time said stem is depressed.
A ball point pen comprising:
- an upper housing;
- a lower housing removably engaging said upper housing to form a case having a longitudinal opening therethrough;
- an ink-bearing cartridge centered in said case having a ball-carrying writing point at its lower end and an enlarged portion at its upper end, said cartridge being adapted to be projected and retracted through the opening in said lower housing;
- spring biasing means in said lower housing adapted to urge said cartridge into a retracted position within said case;
- a project-retract mechanism having a plunger adapted to protrude through the opening at the upper end of said upper housing and to move longitudinally in said upper housing;
- a rotatable intermediate member adapted to engage the lower face of said plunger and the upper end of said cartridge, and to rotate incrementally through a portion of a circle upon actuation by said plunger;
- a coil spring in compression disposed between and engaging said enlarged portion of said cartridge and said rotatable intermediate member, whereby rotation of said intermediate member causes rotation of said coil spring and concomitant rotation of said cartridge in said housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.