Textured ball seat

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11794509-B2
Application number	US-201916973984-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2019
Priority date	Jul 3, 2018
Publication date	Oct 24, 2023
Grant date	Oct 24, 2023

Abstract

A metallic ball pen tip for a writing instrument comprising a feeding passage extending in an axial direction, the feeding passage reaching in a recess configured to receive a ball, the recess being defined by a cylindrical wall and a ball seat, wherein the ball seat comprises a plurality of feeding grooves and wherein the ball seat is textured, the texture comprising a plurality of blind holes having a depth equal to or smaller than 50 μm, preferably equal to or smaller than 10 μm, more preferably equal to or smaller than 5 μm, more preferably equal to or smaller than 1 μm, the blind holes having a total surface equal to or greater than 20% of the ball seat, preferably 60% and equal to or smaller than 90% of the ball seat, preferably 85%. A method of manufacturing a metallic ball pen tip.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A metallic ball pen tip for a writing instrument, the metallic ball pen tip comprising a feeding passage extending in an axial direction, the feeding passage reaching in a recess configured to receive a ball, the recess being defined by a cylindrical wall and a ball seat, wherein the ball seat comprises a plurality of feeding grooves and wherein the ball seat is textured, the texture comprising a plurality of blind holes having a depth equal to or smaller than 50 μm, the blind holes having a total surface equal to or greater than 20% of the ball seat, and equal to or smaller than 90% of the ball seat;
wherein the blind holes have an elongated section having a width equal to or greater than 10 μm and equal to or smaller than 150 μm and a length equal to or greater than 70 μm.

2. The metallic ball pen tip according to claim 1 , wherein the blind holes have a closed contour section.

3. The metallic ball pen tip according to claim 1 , wherein the blind holes open into the feeding passage.

4. The metallic ball pen tip according to claim 1 , wherein the blind holes are spaced apart from one another from a distance equal to or greater than half the diameter or half the width of the blind hole and equal to or smaller than the diameter or the width of the blind hole.

5. A writing instrument, comprising a metallic ball pen tip according to claim 1 .

6. A writing instrument according to claim 5 , comprising a ball received in the recess.

7. A writing instrument according to claim 5 , wherein the ball seat is made of metallic alloy and the ball is made of tungsten carbide alloy.

8. A method of manufacturing a metallic ball pen tip for a writing instrument, the metallic ball pen tip comprising a feeding passage extending in an axial direction, the feeding passage reaching in a recess configured to receive a ball, the recess being defined by a cylindrical wall and a ball seat, wherein the ball seat comprises a plurality of feeding grooves and wherein the ball seat is textured, the texture comprising a plurality of blind holes having a depth equal to or smaller than 50 μm, the blind holes having a total surface equal to or greater than 20% of the ball seat and equal to or smaller than 90% of the ball seat, the method comprising a step of making the blind holes using a laser technology;
wherein the blind holes have an elongated section having a width equal to or greater than 10 μm and equal to or smaller than 150 μm and a length equal to or greater than 70 μm.

9. A writing instrument according to claim 7 , wherein the ball seat is made of brass.

10. The metallic ball pen tip according to claim 1 , comprising a plurality of blind holes having a depth equal to or smaller than 10 μm.

11. The metallic ball pen tip according to claim 1 , comprising a plurality of blind holes having a depth equal to or smaller than 5 μm.

12. The metallic ball pen tip according to claim 1 , comprising a plurality of blind holes having a depth equal to or smaller than 1 μm.

13. The metallic ball pen tip according to claim 1 , comprising blind holes having a total surface equal to or greater than 60% of the ball seat.

14. The metallic ball pen tip according to claim 1 , wherein the blind holes have a length between 135 μm and 350 μm.

15. The metallic ball pen tip according to claim 1 , wherein the blind holes have a length between 135 μm and 320 μm.

16. A method of manufacturing a metallic ball pen tip according to claim 15 , wherein a femtosecond laser is used to make the blind holes.

Assignees

• SOCIéTé BIC

Inventors

• Bouchet Julien

Classifications

• B43K1/084 Primary

  Ball beds · CPC title

• B23K26/0006

  taking account of the properties of the material involved (B23K26/32, B23K26/40 take precedence) · CPC title

• B23K26/386

  of blind holes · CPC title