GB2442158A - Changing the colour of a marker pen using a docking station - Google Patents

Abstract

A docking member or station 12 is disclosed which has an opening which receives and engages with an end portion of a marker pen. The tip of the pen nib 18 contacts a source of ink 30 through wick 32 and nib 34 enabling liquid or dye to flow from the source to the nib. The liquid may comprise a translucent liquid such as water and the dye may comprise an indicator such as a water-based ink containing coloured dyes, dispersed pigments or other colouring media. One or more docking members may be recessed in the surface of a flat-bottomed casing (fig 5) or be in spokes radiating from a central hub. The source includes wadding which absorbs the liquid or dye. The marker pen can produce in one or more lines a uniform and consistent colour change.

Description

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COLOURING APPARATUS

This invention relates to colouring apparatus. More especially, the invention relates to marker pens.

Typically marker pens comprise a tubular housing having a fibrous felt-like nib connected via a liquid absorbent wick to an internal chamber containing a fluid indicator such as a water-based Ink which contains a coloured dye (hereinafter referred to as a dye or coloured dye for ease of understanding). As the marker pen is used the fibrous nib Is replenished with Ink which travels through the wick from the chamber by capillary h1: action to the nib. Such pens are well known and are used inter alla to mark text and produce coloured effects on paper or similar materials. S...

*** Generally, a marker pen is dedicated to producing a single colour.

If two or more colours are required, the same number of individual pens are normally required. Marker pens having more than one nib have been proposed, the intention of these being to produce two or more side-by-side coloured lines with one stroke of a pen or a single line of a selected colour. Such a marker pen is disclosed in WO 94/0997, WO 01/15912, US-A-5203638, US-A-3887287, UK-A-2277253. Marker pens are also known In which a finer nib can overlie a larger nib to enable a single pen to produce lines of different widths. Such pens are disclosed in EP-A-630326, US-A-5813787 and US-A-5651627. The Applicant's earlier application, PCT/GB2004/000859 discloses a marker pen having a casing including a fluid absorbent nib containing a liquid or dye of a first colour, the interior of the casing being adapted to receive at least a portion of a reservoir pen having a fluid absorbent nib containing a liquid or dye of a second colour which, when the reservoir pen is inserted into the open end of the casing, makes contact with the marker nib to allow donation of the second colour to produce a colour change in a single line or succession of such lines using the same marker pen.

One object of the present invention is to provide alternative apparatus capable of enabling a marker pen consistently to produce in a line or succession of lines a uniform and consistent colour change from one colour to another colour.

According to a first aspect, there is provided apparatus for enabling a liquid or dye to be conveyed from a source to a nib of a marker pen, the * *, device comprising a docking member being closed at one end and having at the other end an opening which is shaped and dimensioned to receive and engage with an end portion of a marker pen including the pen nib and *..: to place the tip of the pen nib in contact with the source thereby enabling liquid or dye to flow from the source to the nib, wherein the source comprises a quantity of fluid absorbent liquid or dye containing wadding **.* *..: and is retained in the closed end of the docking member. ** * * I I * I.

The liquid may comprise a translucent liquid such as water and the dye may comprise an indicator such as a water-based ink containing coloured dyes, dispersed pigments or other colouring media.

Alternatively, the coloured dye may be oil-based.

The marker pen nibs may be produced from a fibrous material such as felt. Alternatively, one or each nib may be produced from a relatively inflexible material; a preferred material is that marketed under the trade mark POREX. This is a porous fluid retaining substance which holds its shape when applied to a surface in the manner of a marker to paper, card or like material. Other materials having similar physical properties may, however, be used.

In an alternative arrangement, one or more recessed openings may be set in the surface of a casing, each recessed opening being shaped and dimensioned to receive the nib end of a marker pen and including a quantity of liquid or dye. The casing may take the form of a block having a generally flat under-surface for location on, for example, a table surface.

Alternatively, the casing may take the form of a series of spokes radiating from a central hub, each spoke being open-ended to define a docking station for a marker pen. Other shaped casings may, of course, be adopted.

The invention will now be described by way of example only with *:*::* reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:-Figure 1 is a side view of a marker pen and docking member : constructed in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a side view of the marker pen and docking member of Figure 1 in one use; S. * * SS * ..

Figure 3 is a side view of the marker pen and docking member of Figure 1 in a second use; Figure 4 is a side view in section of a marker pen and docking member in accordance with another embodiment of the invention; and Figure 5 is a side view partly in section of a marker pen Including a docking station in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 illustrates a marker pen 10 and an open ended tubular docking member 12 in accordance with the invention. The marker pen 10 comprises an elongate generally tubular housing 14 having a collar 16 from which protrudes a fibrous felt-like nib 18 connected via a liquid absorbent wick (not shown) to an internal chamber (not shown) containing a fluid indicator such as a water-based ink which contains a coloured dye (hereinafter referred to as a dye or coloured dye for ease of understanding). A further collar 20 extends from the end of the marker pen remote from the nib 18. The entire pen structure 10 is generally cylindrical. Both collars 16, 20 are of the same diameter, which is less than the diameter of the pen housing 14. This difference in diameter causes upstanding annular abutment surfaces 15, 17 to be provided between the housing 14 and the collars 16, 20 respectively.

A removable cap 19 is provided to seal the absorbent nib 18 when *:*::* the pen Is not In use. I...

S.'. The docking member 12 comprises an open ended tubular member dimensioned to complement the dimensions of the marker pen 10.

Consequently, in the case of a generally cylindrical pen 10 as described above, the docking member 12 is also generally cylindrical. The Internal S.'.

diameter of the docking member 12 is slightly greater than the outer diameter of the collars 16, 20 to enable the docking member 12 to engage with and over either collar 16, 20 until the end of the docking member 12 makes contact with the respective abutment surface 15, 17.

In the case of the docking member 12 engagIng over the end collar 20, as shown in Figure 2, the docking member 12 acts as an extension to the pen housing 14.

In the case of the docking member 12 engaging over the other collar 16 adjacent to the nib 18, as shown in Figure 3, the docking member 12 acts as a cover to protect the nib 18.

Turning now to Figure 4, it will be seen that the docking member comprises a generally tubular housing 26 closed at one end by a removable plug 28 and open at its other end to receive the nib including end of the marker pen 10. A quantity of wadding 30 in which is absorbed a liquid or dye is positioned within the housing 26. The wadding 30 defines a source of liquid or dye and is transferred by capillary action using a wick 32 to an absorbent nib 34 positioned towards the open end of the tubular housing 26. The distance between the open end of the housing 26 and the nib 34 is such that, in use, the nib of a marker pen stationed within the recessed open end of the housing 26 makes point contact with the nib 34.

In the arrangement illustrated in Figure 5, the source of liquid or * *. dye to be transferred to the nib of a marker pen comprises a container 36 of any desired shape formed with a recessed opening 38 which defines a docking station to receive the nibbed end of a marker pen. A cap may be *...: provided to seal off the open end of the recess 38 when not in use.

Housed within the container 36 is a quantity of wadding 38 in which is absorbed a liquid or dye. As for the Figure 6 embodiment, this liquid or S...

: dye Is transferred by capillary action via a wick and absorbent nib to the *.: nib of a marker pen held with the opening 38. The container may include more than one recessed opening each housing a source of dye. Thus, a single container may include, say, four recessed docking stations for one or more marker pens, each recess containing a wad of fibrous material soaked with a dye of a colour different to that of the other recessed docking stations.

It will be appreciated that the foregoing is merely exemplary of marker pens in accordance with the invention and that various modifications can readily be made thereto without departing from the true scope of the invention described as set out in the appended claims.

Claims (1)

1. Apparatus for enabling a liquid or dye to be conveyed from a source to a nib of a marker pen, the device comprising a docking member being closed at one end and having at the other end an opening which is shaped and dimensioned to receive and engage with an end portion of a marker pen including the pen nib and to place the tip of the pen nib in contact with the source thereby enabling liquid or dye to flow from the source to the nib, wherein the source comprises a quantity of fluid absorbent liquid or dye containing wadding and is retained in the closed end of the docking member. * ** * * . * ** S...

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 whereIn the liquid comprises a translucent liquid.

*5S.*. * *

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the liquid comprises dye. S...

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the dye comprises a water-based ink containing coloured dyes, dispersed pigments or other colouring media.

5. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein one or more recessed openings are set in the surface of a casing, each recessed opening being shaped and dimensioned to receive the nib end of a marker pen and including a quantity of liquid or dye.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein the casing takes the form of a block having a generally flat under-surface.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein the casing takes the form of a series of spokes radiating from a central hub, each spoke being open-ended to define a docking station for a marker pen.

8. Colouring apparatus substantially as herein described and as described with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings. * S. S. S * 55 S... * S

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