Self-sealing retractable writing instrument

A retractable writing instrument capable of moving a tip between a retracted position and a protracted position from a housing to seal the tip from ambient air, the writing instrument comprising:

• a clip having a pinch end and a support rim;
• and
• an enclosure member having a first end and a second end defining a vapor chamber, the support rim supporting the second end of the enclosure member, the first end having a lip and the second end having an inner configuration for enclosing the second end from ambient air, where in the retracted position the tip is within the vapor chamber and the lip with the assistance of the pinch end of the clip is substantially sealed from ambient air and the distance between the support rim of the clip and the inner configuration of the second end of the enclosure member is less than the distance between the support rim of the clip and the lip of the enclosure member, where in the protracted position the lip and the pinch end open to allow the tip to protrude from the enclosure member and the housing.

A retractable writing instrument having an enclosure member within a housing to seal a tip when the tip is within the housing, the enclosure member comprising:

• a first end and a second end with an inner wall defining a vapor chamber configured to enclose a tip from ambient air when the tip is in a refracted position, where the second end has an inner configuration and an outer configuration substantially along a plane, the inner configuration adapted to substantially seal the tip and the outer configuration adapted to engage with the housing, where the inner wall tapers from the second end to the first end to form a lip that opens to allow the tip to extend through the lip in a protracted position.

A system for moving a tip of a writing system between a retracted position and a protracted position, the system comprising:

• an enclosure member having a first end and a second end having an inner configuration, where the first end represents a front side, and the second end represents a rear side of the enclosure member;
• and
• a first cartridge having a leading section with an opening adapted to receive a tip, the leading section having a first leading section tapering downward towards the opening along a longitudinal axis of the first cartridge, a second leading section being substantially flat along the longitudinal axis to form a seal with the inner configuration of the second end of the enclosure member when the tip is in a retracted position such that a third leading section is on the rear side of the second end of the enclosure member, the third leading section tapering upward towards the opening so that friction between the third leading section and the inner configuration of the second end is minimized as the tip moves from the retracted position to the protracted position, and the third leading section has a recess area to form a gap between the second end and the third leading section as the third leading section moves through the hole in the second end.