Output device for uniformly mixed liquid and method for making and using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12377677-B2
Application number	US-202318137011-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 20, 2023
Priority date	Apr 20, 2022
Publication date	Aug 5, 2025
Grant date	Aug 5, 2025

Abstract

A vented output device for uniformly mixed liquid comprising a barrel defining a reservoir for containing the uniformly mixed liquid, and at least one vent channel extending from a first vent opening in fluid flow communication with an exterior of the device and second vent opening in fluid flow communication with the reservoir. A binary ink storage assembly includes multiple glass ampoules arranged in pairs, which are placed inside the barrel in parallel. The invention provides a reliable, simple and low-cost output device for solving the problem of not allowing the liquid to be uniformly mixed and output when a chemiluminescent marker or pen is activated.

First claim

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. A vented output device for uniformly mixed liquid comprising:
a barrel having an open head end and a closed end, an interior of the barrel defining a reservoir for containing liquid;
a vent insert positioned with the open head end of the barrel, an interior of the vent insert in fluid flow communication with the reservoir and defining a chamber for containing liquid;
a nib positioned within a front open end of the vent insert and in fluid flow communication with the chamber, wherein a tip of the nib extends outward from the barrel;
at least one vent channel extending from a first vent opening in fluid flow communication with an exterior of the device and second vent opening in fluid flow communication with the chamber;
wherein the vent insert is hollow extending from the open front end to a rear end defined by a circular base, wherein the circular base is slightly smaller in diameter than the barrel such that gaps are formed between the walls of the barrel and the base.

2. The vented output device of claim 1 , wherein the base is set off a distance from a main body of the vent insert and wherein the main body and base are coupled to each other via legs.

3. The vented output device of claim 2 , wherein an outer surface of the main body is in tight abutting contact with an interior surface of barrel, and wherein the vent channel comprises an elongated closed channel extending from the first vent opening to the second vent opening between an outer surface of the main body and an interior surface of the barrel.

4. The vented output device of claim 3 , wherein the vent channel is defined by grooves inset within the outer surface of the main body and by the interior surface of barrel.

5. The vented output device of claim 4 , wherein the vent channel has a square shaped cross-section.

6. The vented output device of claim 3 , wherein the vent channel extends in a helical pattern around a portion of a circumference of the main body.

7. The vented output device of claim 2 , wherein the legs extend rearward from the main body at spaced intervals around a perimeter of the main body to define gaps interspaced between the legs.

8. The vented output device of claim 1 , wherein the vent channel comprises an elongated closed channel extending from the first vent opening to the second vent opening between an outer surface of the vent insert and an interior surface of the barrel.

9. The vented output device of claim 8 , wherein the vent channel is defined by grooves inset within the outer surface of the vent insert and by the interior surface of the barrel.

10. The vented output device of claim 1 , wherein the device additionally comprises an end plug with an end plug vent channel at the closed end of the barrel, the end plug vent channel extending from a first plug opening in fluid flow communication with the reservoir and a second plug opening in fluid flow communication with an exterior of the output device.

11. The vented output device of claim 10 , wherein the end plug comprises a tubular post that is sized and shaped to be snugly received within the interior of the barrel and a rear circular end cap on an exterior of the barrel, the tubular post having an open forward end in fluid flow communication with the reservoir.

12. The vented output device of claim 11 , wherein the end plug vent channel is an elongated closed channel extending from the first plug opening to the second plug opening between an outer surface of the tubular post and the interior surface of barrel.

13. The vented output device of claim 12 , wherein the second plug opening is defined by a slot in the end cap.

14. The vented output device of claim 12 , wherein the end plug vent channel is formed by grooves inset within an outer surface of the tubular post and by an interior surface of the barrel.

15. The output device of claim 1 , wherein the output device comprises two or more glass ampoules for storing the components of a binary reaction solution separately in the glass ampoules, the two or more glass ampoules positioned within the barrel in parallel, wherein the ratio between the cross-sectional area of an inner diameter of the barrel and the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the outer diameters of the two or more glass ampoules in the barrel is less than 3:1.

16. The output device of claim 15 , wherein the two or more glass ampoules are arranged in pairs, and the lengths and diameters of the multiple glass ampoules are equal to each other.

17. The output device of claim 15 , wherein the number of glass ampoules ranges from 2 to 8, and the barrel is a cylindrical structure having an inner diameter ranging from 3 to 15 mm.

18. The output device of claim 15 , wherein:
each of the glass ampoules correspond to the same volume of reaction solution;
the length of each glass ampoule is 60%-90% of the length of an inner surface of the barrel;
the ratio of the length to the diameter of each glass ampoule is more than 10:1; and
the diameter of each glass ampoule ranges from 1.8 mm-5.2 mm.

19. The output device of claim 15 , wherein the barrel is a cylindrical structure made of polyethylene.

20. The output device of claim 19 , wherein the nib is a bullet-head structure made of acrylic fiber material.

21. A vented output device for uniformly mixed liquid comprising:
a barrel having an open head end and a closed end, an interior of the barrel defining a reservoir for containing liquid;
a vent insert positioned with the open head end of the barrel, an interior of the vent insert in fluid flow communication with the reservoir and defining a chamber for containing liquid;
a nib positioned within a front open end of the vent insert and in fluid flow communication with the chamber, wherein a tip of the nib extends outward from the barrel;
at least one vent channel extending from a first vent opening in fluid flow communication with an exterior of the device and a second vent opening in fluid flow communication with the chamber;
wherein the vent insert is hollow extending from the open front end to a rear end defined by a circular base, wherein the circular base is slightly smaller in diameter than the barrel such that gaps are formed between the walls of the barrel and the base, and wherein an outer surface of a main body of the vent insert is in tight abutting contact with an interior surface of the barrel, and wherein the vent channel comprises an elongated closed channel extending from the first vent opening to the second vent opening between an outer surface of the main body and an interior surface of the barrel.

22. The vented output device of claim 21 , wherein the base is set off a distance from a main body of the vent insert and wherein the main body and base are coupled to each other via legs.

23. The vented output device of claim 22 , wherein the legs extend rearward from the main body at spaced intervals around a perimeter of the main body to define gaps interspaced between the legs.

Assignees

• Crayola Llc
• Beijing Wenhaiyang Ind Trading Co Ltd

Inventors

• Moll Joseph
• Nungester Gregory
• Alison Keith
• Moskal Michael
• Orem Christopher P
• Ho Ying K
• Xiaomeng Luo
• Li Ivan
• Mo Hui Max Sze
• Keung Ho Yiu
• Chaoyang Jin
• Haiteng Guo
• Wen Bai
• Henry Robert J

Classifications

• B43K5/02 Primary

  Ink reservoirs · CPC title

• B43K8/03

  Ink reservoirs; Ink cartridges · CPC title

• B43K7/02

  Ink reservoirs; Ink cartridges (B43K7/01 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B43K5/18 Primary

  Arrangements for feeding the ink to the nibs · CPC title