EP0261114B1 - Recording instrument - Google Patents

Abstract

A recording instrument with a sleeve-shaped housing and an automatic closure device for the printing points a, which is improved by the fact that the actuation element has a mechanical switching system (3') whereby the spring (10) which holds the printing element (2) against the housing presses against the inner sleeve (104); whereby the mechanical switching system (3') engages with the outer sleeve (1,31); whereby the return force of the spring (10) which holds the printing element (2) against the inner sleeve (104) is smaller than that of a spring (9) which holds the inner sleeve (104) against the outer sleeve (1, 31); and whereby the operating element consists of two elements which can be displaced axially in relation to one another, of which the first (104, 105, 106) acts on the intermediate sleeve (104) and the second (107, 108) acts on the printing element, carries the mechanical switching system (3') and is operated by the first element (101, 105, 106).

Description

The invention relates to a writing instrument with a sleeve-shaped housing and a writing element arranged in this housing, which can be displaced between a ready-to-write position releasing the tip section of the writing element for writing and a storage position retracted into the housing, the housing section adjacent to the tip section of the writing element consisting of segments , which are radially spread apart in the readiness for writing position and abut one another in the storage position and form a closure part for the tip, the housing consisting of an outer sleeve and an inner sleeve arranged essentially within the outer sleeve and displaceable relative to the latter axially to a limited extent and the segments forming the closure part of the housing are mounted on the inner sleeve, are radially outward under tension and partially outside the outer n sleeve are located where they have a larger outer diameter than the clear width of the tip-side end of the outer sleeve, and wherein the inner sleeve is biased towards the storage position via a spring supported on the outer sleeve and by means of an actuating element against the pressure of the Spring is axially displaceable.

Such a writing instrument is known from DE-C 489 806.

A writing instrument is known from US-A-4,540,300 in which the tip section of the writing instrument is surrounded by a tubular elastic cylinder which is squeezed flat in the storage position of the writing instrument and thus closes the space around the writing tip.

This writing instrument has the disadvantage that this hose insulation takes up a relatively large amount of space and also tends to stick together when the writing instrument is brought into the ready-to-write position. This affects the tip of the lead and deteriorates the seal.

The invention is therefore based on the object of improving known writing instruments in such a way that, with simple manufacture, an optimal sealing of the space around the writing tip is achieved, which does not subside over time.

This object is achieved in that the segments have a recess on their inside in the area comprising the tip section, in each of which correspondingly shaped elastic sealing shells are fastened, which come into abutment in the storage position and together form a hermetically sealed chamber surrounding the tip section .

The abutting edge regions of the sealing shells advantageously protrude beyond the recess and consist of an elastically sealing material.

The invention is described in detail below with reference to the figures.

Figur 1 - 1 b

Längsschnitte durch die Ausführungsform des Schreibgerätes in der Ruhe-, Schalt- und Schreibphase,

Fig. 2

eine vergrößerte Draufsicht auf eine der beiden halbschaligen Zwischenhülsen 104 des Schreibgerätes aus Figur 1 - 1 b,

Fig. 3

eine vergrößerte Draufsicht auf eine Dichtschale 99 des Schreibgerätes ,

Fig. 4

einen vergrößerten Längsschnitt durch den Druckknopf 101 des Schreibgerätes ,

Fig. 5

einen vergrößerten Querschnitt durch die geschlossene Verschlußspitze des Schreibgerätes aus Fig. 1,

Fig. 6

einen weiteren vergrößerten Querschnitt durch die geschlossene Verschlußspitze des Schreibgerätes aus Fig. 1

Fig. 7

einen vergrößerten Querschnitt durch die geöffnete Verschlußspitze des Schreibgerätes

Fig. 8

einen vergrößerten Querschnitt durch den Druckknopf 101 des Schreibgerätes

Fig. 9

einen weiteren vergrößerten Querschnitt durch den Druckknopf des Schreibgerätes

Fig. 10

einen vergrößerten Querschnitt durch den hinteren Schaltbereich des Schreibgerätes aus Fig. 1

Das in Fig. 1 - 10 dargestellte Ausführungsbeispiel des Schreibgerätes besitzt ein vorzugsweise zweiteiliges hülsenförmiges Gehäuse 1 und 31, sowie eine darin angeordnete Zwischenhülse 104, die vorzugsweise aus zwei rückwärtig miteinander verschweißten Halbschalen besteht. Die Halbschalen sind an ihrer Vorderseite jeweils mit einem Aufbiegesteg 102, sowie einer daran befindlichen Druckschale 109 versehen.Die Druckschale 109 dient dabei vorzugsweise als Träger einer elastischen und fest mit ihr verbundenen Dichtschale 99. Desweiteren befindet sich in der Zwischenhülse 104 ein Schreibelement 2, welches vorderseitig mit einer schwachen Feder 10 vorgespannt ist. In den beiden Dichtschalen 99 der Zwischenhülse 104 wird während des Verschlußzustandes ( Fig. 1 ) die Schreibspitze 26 des Schreibelements 2 hermetisch verschlossen und zwar so fest, daß der Verdunstungsdruck aller bekannten Schreib- und Lösungsmittel absolut sicher abgedichtet wird. Der durch eine sehr starke Feder 9 herbeigeführte Verschlußdruck ist außerdem so groß, daß eventuell in den geschlossenen Dichtschalen auslaufende Schreibflüssigkeit unter keinen Umständen kapillar nach außen dringen kann.
Ferner befindet sich im rückwärtigen Teil des Schreibgerätes ein teilweise teilschaliges Druckknopfelement 101, dessen teilschalige Bereiche 105 und 106 ( Fig. 1, 4, 8, 9 und 10 ) sich bis zum hinteren Ende der Zwischenhülse 104 erstrecken und auf diese einwirken können ( Fig. 1 ). In dem Bereich, der rückwärtig nicht vom Druckknopfelement 101 ausgefüllt wird, befindet sich außerdem ein Schaltteil 108, mit einer am Gehäuse 31 angreifenden Schaltung 3', welches auf das Schreibelement 2 einwirken kann und welches von dem Druckknopfelement 101 mitgeführt werden kann.Show it:

Figure 1 - 1 b

Longitudinal sections through the embodiment of the writing instrument in the resting, switching and writing phase,

Fig. 2

2 shows an enlarged top view of one of the two half-shell intermediate sleeves 104 of the writing instrument from FIGS. 1 to 1 b,

Fig. 3

3 shows an enlarged top view of a sealing shell 99 of the writing instrument,

Fig. 4

an enlarged longitudinal section through the push button 101 of the writing instrument,

Fig. 5

2 shows an enlarged cross section through the closed closure tip of the writing instrument from FIG. 1,

Fig. 6

another enlarged cross section through the closed closure tip of the writing instrument of FIG. 1st

Fig. 7

an enlarged cross section through the open closure tip of the writing instrument

Fig. 8

an enlarged cross section through the push button 101 of the writing instrument

Fig. 9

another enlarged cross section through the push button of the writing instrument

Fig. 10

3 shows an enlarged cross section through the rear switching area of the writing instrument from FIG. 1

The exemplary embodiment of the writing instrument shown in FIGS. 1-10 has a preferably two-part sleeve-shaped housing 1 and 31, and an intermediate sleeve 104 arranged therein, which preferably consists of two half-shells welded together at the rear. The half-shells are each provided on their front side with a bending web 102 and a pressure shell 109 located thereon. The pressure shell 109 preferably serves as a support for an elastic sealing shell 99 firmly connected to it. Furthermore, a writing element 2 is located in the intermediate sleeve 104, which is biased at the front with a weak spring 10. In the two sealing shells 99 of the intermediate sleeve 104, the writing tip 26 of the writing element 2 is hermetically sealed during the closed state (FIG. 1) and in such a way that the evaporation pressure of all known writing and solvents is sealed absolutely securely. The closure pressure, which is brought about by a very strong spring 9, is also so great that any writing liquid which may leak out in the closed sealing shells can under no circumstances penetrate capillary outwards.
Furthermore, in the rear part of the writing instrument there is a partially partial-shell push button element 101, the partial-shell regions 105 and 106 (FIGS. 1, 4, 8, 9 and 10) of which extend to the rear end of the intermediate sleeve 104 and can act on it (FIG. 1 ). In the area that is not filled in at the rear by the push-button element 101, there is also a switching part 108, with a circuit 3 ′ engaging on the housing 31, which can act on the writing element 2 and which can be carried by the push-button element 101.

In other exemplary embodiments of the writing instrument, not shown, the closure 109, 102, 99 can be used to achieve a symmetrical shape during the writing state, also be made in three or more parts. Furthermore, several grooves and grooves can advantageously be provided on the pressure shells 109 for fastening the sealing shells 99, which enable the sealing materials or shells 99 to be clamped or snapped into place on the pressure shells 109 without using adhesive, vulcanizing or other methods.
Furthermore, in the manufacture of other advantageous embodiments of the writing instrument, it is possible to connect the sealing area to the actual closure parts, for example the closure shell 109 or the like, by means of a two-component injection molding, by printing or spraying on sealing material, by partially dipping the To achieve closure in sealing materials or by pressing or plugging a sealing shell element onto a correspondingly interlocking closure element.

The exemplary embodiment shown (FIGS. 1-10) has essentially the same functions as an exemplary embodiment from the earlier application P 33 41 759.8-27, which is shown there in FIGS. 3-6. However, it represents a maximum simplification both in terms of the extremely advantageous, but still very complicated control and switching mechanism shown there, and also in terms of the type of hermetic all-round seal.

The great technical advantage in the earlier exemplary embodiment was that, in contrast to all other exemplary embodiments of the same application, the strong compression spring acted on the closure and the weak compression spring on the circuit. The achievement of the readiness to write position was controlled there by the push button both directly on the intermediate sleeve and directly on the A writing element acts, the writing element remaining connected through longitudinal slots in the intermediate sleeve to a circuit engaging the outer sleeve. This switches over during the advance outside the intermediate sleeve, as a result of which the writing element remains in the advanced position, after which the closure retracts and releases the writing tip.
The complicated through-the-intermediate sleeve switching is solved in the present exemplary embodiment (FIGS. 1-10) by merely pressing the push button 101 (FIG. 1) in certain areas 106, 105 (FIGS. 1, 4, 8, 9) is executed in part and with these areas 106 and 105 acts on the intermediate sleeve 104 (Fig. 1 - 1b). At the same time, the pushbutton 101 acts in the area that remains free through the partial shells 106 and 105 on a special, longitudinally displaceable switching part 108 with a lateral circuit 3 '(preferably a heart curve circuit with a free-running ball) engaging on the outer housing 31 (FIG. 1 - 1b and Fig. 10), this switching part 108 in turn acting on the writing element 2.
When the push button 101 is actuated, both the intermediate sleeve 104 with the closure 109, 99, 102 are pushed forward against the pressure of the spring 9 by the push button area 105, and the writing element 2 is moved via the switching part 108.
This pressure actuation continues until the switching part 108 switches over with the lateral circuit 3 'at point 59, after which the pressure actuation subsides and the circuit 3' engages with the writing element 2 in the advanced position (FIG. 1a) and there from the Spring 10 is fixed.

As the actuation pressure continues to decrease, the intermediate sleeve 104 with the push buttons 101, 105, 106 and the front closure 109, 99, 102 is pushed further back, finally exposing the writing tip 26 and the writing element tip section 4 by means of corresponding fixing shoulders 112 of the pressure shells 109 is clamped without touching the sealing shells 99 while the spring 9 is relaxed and the spring 10 is tensioned (Fig. 1 b). In order to prevent the switching part 108 and thus possibly also the push button 101 from tipping sideways and falling out of the rear housing part 31 during the screwed-on state, the switching part 108 is additionally held in a recess 103 of the push button 101 via a rear extension 107. This ensures that even if the switching part 108 is maximally displaced against the push button 101 to the front, this is still held exactly in the axis-parallel position and is thus held by the switching ball at the switching point 59 at the latest, whereby the push button 101 is mounted once, at the same time , remains held forever in the rear housing part 31. The push button 101 and the circuit 108 which is precisely matched to it thus form a fixed functional unit after assembly.

When the writing instrument is closed, the functional sequences described run in reverse order.

The hermetic closure of the writing tip 26 could also be simplified and perfected at the same time in the present exemplary embodiment, in that all sealing functions on the outside and on the inside of only one with the respective pressure shell 109 (FIG. 1 and FIG. 2) firmly connected sealing shell 99 (in the present case, two in total).
The sealing shell 99 is received and fixed in a correspondingly shaped mounting bracket 110 of the pressure (half) shell 109 (FIGS. 2 and 3), the edge regions 100 of the elastic sealing shell 99 projecting a little beyond the edge of the sealing shell 109 (FIG. 7) to ensure the necessary closure pressure on the sealing joints during the closure (Fig. 1, 5 and 6). Since a half-shell bending element would have very little bending elasticity, the bending elements 102 of the closure 109 and 99 are also designed to be narrow, elastic webs.

Reference symbol list

1

sleeve-shaped housing

2nd

Writing element

3 '

side shift

4th

Tip section of the writing element

9

Compression spring

10th

further compression spring

26

Writing tip

31

rear housing part

59

Switching point of the circuit

99

elastic sealing shell

100

Pressure protrusion of the sealing shell

101

partly partial-shell push button

102

Aufbiegeeg

103

Recess

104

Intermediate sleeve

105

partial-shell push button area

106

partial-shell snap area

107

Continuation of the circuit

108

Switching part

109

Pressure shell

110

Holder for the sealing cup

111

Ring groove

Claims (2)

1. A writing instrument with a sleeve-shaped casing (1, 31) and a writing element (2) which is disposed in this casing and which is displaceable between a position ready for writing releasing the tip portion (4) of the writing element used for writing and a storage position retracted into the casing, wherein the casing portion adjacent the tip portion (4) of the writing element comprises segments (109) which are radially spread apart in the position ready for writing and adjoin one another in the storage position and which form a closure member for the tip, wherein the casing comprises an outer sleeve (1, 31) and an inner sleeve (104) disposed substantially inside the outer sleeve and axially displaceable to a limited extent relative thereto, and the segments (109) forming the closure member of the casing are mounted on the inner sleeve, are arranged radially outwards under pretension and are situated partly outside the outer casing where they have an outer diameter larger than the clear width of the end of the outer sleeve on the tip side, and wherein the inner sleeve is preloaded towards the storage position via a spring (10) bearing against the outer sleeve and can be displaced axially against the pressure of the spring (10) by means of an actuating member (101), characterised in that on their inside, in the region surrounding the tip portion (4), the segments have a recess (110) in which are secured respective correspondingly shaped elastic sealing cups (99) which abut against one another in the storage position and together form a hermetically sealed chamber surrounding the tip portion (4).
2. A writing instrument according to Claim 1, characterised in that the mutually adjoining edge zones (100) of the sealing cups (99) project over the recess (110) and consist of an elastically sealing material.

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