Writing instrument

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9682593-B2
Application number	US-201314427720-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 12, 2013
Priority date	Sep 18, 2012
Publication date	Jun 20, 2017
Grant date	Jun 20, 2017

Abstract

A writing instrument including: a body extending longitudinally along a central axis; a resilient element fixed to at least one portion of the body. The resilient element of the at least one portion of the body is in one piece and is made of at least partially amorphous metal alloy.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A writing instrument comprising:
a body extending longitudinally along a central axis;
a resilient element fixed to at least one portion of the body;
wherein the resilient element is made of totally amorphous metal alloy and is in one piece with the at least one portion of the body, and
wherein the resilient element is a washer-shaped spring comprising at least one element extending substantially radially towards the central axis inside the at least one portion of the body.

2. The writing instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the metal alloy includes at least one precious element from the list of gold, platinum, palladium, rhenium, ruthenium, rhodium, silver, iridium or osmium.

3. The writing instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the resilient element is free of cobalt, of beryllium, or of nickel.

4. The writing instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the body includes, at a front end, an opening through which a writing tip can extend.

5. The writing instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the body includes, at a front end, a conical nose fixed to the body and including an opening through which a writing tip can extend.

6. A method of making a writing instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the body is achieved by:
taking a material forming the body;
making the body by casting a material in a mold to form an assembly;
cooling the assembly to give the body an amorphous state; and
removing the body.

7. A method of making a writing instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the body is achieved by:
creating a preform with at least partially amorphous material;
heating dies between the vitreous transition temperature and the crystallisation temperature of the material;
placing the preform between the dies; and
exerting pressure on the preform with aid of the dies for a predetermined time to replicate a shape thereof on each of surfaces of the preform,
cooling the body to conserve the at least partially amorphous state.

8. The method of making a writing instrument according to claim 6 , wherein dies or the mold include surface states to directly replicate the surface states during the casting or hot forming operation.

9. The method of making a writing instrument according to claim 7 , wherein the dies or a mold include surface states to directly replicate the surface states during the casting or hot forming operation.

10. The writing instrument according to claim 1 , comprising a protective element for a writing tip, the protective element comprising a cap extending longitudinally along a central axis and configured to be fitted onto the body of the instrument, and a clip extending substantially parallel to the central axis from a first end fixed to the cap to a free end, wherein the clip and the cap are in one piece and are made of totally amorphous metal alloy.

11. The writing instrument according to claim 2 , comprising a protective element for a writing tip, the protective element comprising a cap extending longitudinally along a central axis and configured to be fitted onto the body of the instrument, and a clip extending substantially parallel to the central axis from a first end fixed to the cap to a free end, wherein the clip and the cap are in one piece and are made of totally amorphous metal alloy.

12. The writing instrument according to claim 1 , comprising a protective element for a writing tip, the protective element comprising a cap extending longitudinally along a central axis and configured to be fitted onto the body of the instrument, and a clip extending substantially parallel to the central axis from a first end fixed to the cap to a free end, wherein the clip and the cap are in one piece and are made of totally amorphous metal alloy.

13. The writing instrument according to claim 2 , comprising a protective element for a writing tip, the protective element comprising a cap extending longitudinally along a central axis and configured to be fitted onto the body of the instrument, and a clip extending substantially parallel to the central axis from a first end fixed to the cap to a free end, wherein the clip and the cap are in one piece and are made of totally amorphous metal alloy.

14. The writing instrument according to claim 10 , wherein the metal alloy includes at least one precious element in the list of gold, platinum, palladium, rhenium, ruthenium, rhodium, silver, iridium or osmium.

15. The writing instrument according to claim 11 , wherein the metal alloy includes at least one precious element in the list of gold, platinum, palladium, rhenium, ruthenium, rhodium, silver, iridium or osmium.

16. The writing instrument according to claim 12 , wherein the metal alloy includes at least one precious element in the list of gold, platinum, palladium, rhenium, ruthenium, rhodium, silver, iridium or osmium.

17. The writing instrument according to claim 13 , wherein the metal alloy includes at least one precious element in the list of gold, platinum, palladium, rhenium, ruthenium, rhodium, silver, iridium or osmium.

18. The writing instrument according to claim 10 , wherein the resilient element is free of cobalt, of beryllium, or of nickel.

19. A method of making a protective element for a writing tip of a writing instrument according to claim 10 , wherein the cap is achieved by:
taking a material forming the cap;
making the cap by casting the material in a mold to form an assembly;
cooling the assembly to give the cap an amorphous state; and
removing the cap.

20. The method of making a protective element for a writing tip of a writing instrument according to claim 10 , wherein the cap is achieved by:
creating a preform with the at least partially amorphous material;
heating the dies between the vitreous transition temperature and the crystallisation temperature of the material;
placing the preform between the dies; and
exerting pressure on the preform with aid of the dies for a predetermined time to replicate a shape thereof on each of surfaces of the preform,
cooling the cap to conserve the at least partially amorphous state.

21. The method of making a writing instrument according to claim 19 , wherein the dies or the mold comprise surface states to directly replicate the surface states during the casting or hot forming operation.

22. The method of making a writing instrument according to claim 20 , wherein the dies or the mold comprise surface states to directly replicate the surface states during the casting or hot forming operation.

23. A writing instrument comprising:
a body extending longitudinally along a central axis;
a resilient element fixed to at least one portion of the body;
wherein the resilient element is made of totally amorphous metal alloy and is in one piece with the at least one portion of the body, and
wherein the resilient element is a plurality of tilted tabs extending substantially radially towards the central axis inside the at least one portion of the body.

Assignees

• Swatch Group Res & Dev Ltd
• Swatch Group Res & Dev Ltd

Inventors

• Willemin Michel
• Karapatis Nakis
• Martin Jean-Claude

Classifications

• B43K24/023

  with a deformable barrel · CPC title

• B43K15/00

  Assembling, finishing, or repairing pens · CPC title

• B43K29/00

  Combinations of writing implements with other articles · CPC title

• B43K23/128

  with spring means · CPC title

• B43K8/003

  Pen barrels · CPC title