Retractable tip writing instrument with a protective sleeve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9296250-B2
Application number	US-201314376262-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 16, 2013
Priority date	Feb 3, 2012
Publication date	Mar 29, 2016
Grant date	Mar 29, 2016

Abstract

A writing instrument including a hollow body extending between a rear end and a front end of the hollow body; a writing member mounted inside the hollow body and provided with a tip at a free end; a protective sleeve movable between a tip protection position and a retracted position for writing; at least one first stop formed on the hollow body; and at least one locking member able to engage said first stop.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A writing instrument comprising:
a hollow body extending between a rear end and a front end of the hollow body;
a writing member mounted inside the hollow body and provided with a tip at a free end;
a protective sleeve movable between a tip protection position and a retracted position for writing;
at least one first stop formed on the hollow body; and
at least one locking member able to engage said first stop,
characterized in that the writing instrument further comprises:
at least one second stop formed on the hollow body and axially offset towards the front end with respect to said first stop, the first stop and the second stop being part of a fixed cam;
a rotary cam which comprises said at least one locking member and is movable relative to the hollow body between a withdrawn position where said locking member engages with said first stop in order to lock the retracted position, and an extended position where said locking member engages with said second stop in order to lock the protection position;
an elastic return element for biasing the protective sleeve towards said protection position; and
a coupling between the protective sleeve and the rotary cam, so that the protective sleeve forms a tappet actuating a movement of the rotary cam to one or the other of said extended and withdrawn positions in alternation.

2. A writing instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the protective sleeve comprises a guide portion sliding along the hollow body on a longitudinal axis of the hollow body, and a protection portion extending said guide portion and having an opening to allow the passage of the tip, the protective sleeve comprising an annular shoulder which defines a rear face of the protection portion, the protective sleeve able to be pushed freely rearward until the annular shoulder presses against the front end of the hollow body.

3. A writing instrument according to claim 2 , wherein the protective sleeve comprises a set of teeth adapted to engage with the rotary cam, said coupling allowing a longitudinal rearward displacement of the rotary cam when the protective sleeve is pushed, causing:
in response to the protective sleeve being pushed from said protection position, a first rotation of the rotary cam such that said locking member engages with said first stop, obtaining and locking the retracted position; and
in response to the protective sleeve being pushed from said retracted position, a second rotation of the rotary cam such that said locking member engages with said second stop, obtaining and locking the protection position,
the first rotation and the second rotation occurring in the same direction about said longitudinal axis with substantially the same angle of rotation.

4. A writing instrument according to claim 2 , wherein the front end of the body has an opening, the body defining an inside volume, and the protective sleeve is mounted in the hollow body through said opening, the guide portion of the protective sleeve being inserted into the inside volume of the hollow body and extending longitudinally along the longitudinal axis.

5. A writing instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the body defines an inside volume, the elastic return element being a spring located entirely within the inside volume and comprising:
a rear end bearing in a fixed manner against a supporting face; and
a front end bearing directly or indirectly against the rotary cam.

6. A writing instrument according to claim 5 , wherein the supporting face is formed on a piston, the writing member being rearwardly movable in translation with the piston within the hollow body, an additional spring being arranged near the rear end of the hollow body, bearing on a rear face of the piston opposite the supporting face, in order to generate a repulsive force which biases the writing member towards the front and is adapted to absorb writing pressure when the protective sleeve is in the retracted position.

7. A writing instrument according to claim 6 , wherein the effect of the repulsive force of the additional spring causes the piston to bear against an internal stop of the hollow body for said protection position and for said retracted position of the protective sleeve, whereby the writing member has the same position relative to the hollow body in both the protection position and the retracted position.

8. A writing instrument according to claim 4 , wherein the rotary cam is positioned within said inside volume and extends annularly around said longitudinal axis, defining an inside space, the writing member being movable in translation along the longitudinal axis within said inside space.

9. A writing instrument according to claim 1 , wherein said first stop and said second stop are defined by at least one pair of adjacent notches extending longitudinally on an inner face of the hollow body and opening axially towards the rear in a same annular area of the hollow body, one of the notches of said pair being longer than the other.

10. A writing instrument according to claim 9 , wherein said at least one locking member comprises a specified number, at least equal to two, of locking teeth, said inner face of the hollow body having a number of first stops at least greater than or equal to the specified number and the number of second stops being identical to the number of first stops.

11. A writing instrument according to claim 10 , wherein the rotary cam is held alternately in either the extended position in which at least one of the locking teeth is engaged with one of the longer notches, or in the withdrawn position in which at least one of the locking teeth is engaged with one of the shorter notches.

12. A writing instrument according to claim 11 ,
wherein the rotary cam comprises a body having a generally cylindrical outer surface extending between a rear end, where said at least one locking member is arranged, and a front end,
wherein the protective sleeve has a rear end provided with a set of teeth for engagement with the rotary cam,
wherein the protective sleeve has an inner face on which is formed an annular retaining groove, and
wherein the rotary cam comprises an external annular bead projecting from said outer surface and engaging said annular retaining groove so that the rotary cam is attached to the protective sleeve with an axial play allowing it to be slidable between a position where the teeth are engaged with the rotary cam and a position where the teeth are disengaged.

13. A writing instrument according to claim 12 , wherein the front end of the hollow body has an axial opening, the protective sleeve comprising a guide portion inserted into the inner volume of the hollow body and having a male or female rotation-prevention member for engaging with a complementary guide member of the hollow body extending longitudinally to the front end.

Assignees

• Bic Soc
• SOCIéTé BIC

Inventors

• Rolion Franck
• Fagu Ludovic

Classifications

• B43K7/12

  with retractable ball points (mechanisms for retracting or locking ball points B43K24/00) · CPC title

• B43K24/084 Primary

  with saw-like or analogous cams · CPC title

• B43K5/17

  with closing means {(B43K5/165 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B43K8/24

  characterised by the means for retracting writing-points · CPC title

• B43K23/12

  for pens {(caps co-operating with retractable nibs B43K5/165)} · CPC title