WO2019211454A1

WO2019211454A1 - A refillable whiteboard pen, an apparatus for refilling it, and a method of refilling it in the apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2019211454A1
Application number: PCT/EP2019/061416
Authority: WO
Inventors: Firas Kiwan
Original assignee: Firas Kiwan
Priority date: 2018-05-03
Filing date: 2019-05-03
Publication date: 2019-11-07

Abstract

A refillable whiteboard pen, an apparatus for refilling it, and a method of refilling it in the apparatus are adapted to one another. The apparatus (2) comprises a device (3) for positioning and clamping the pen (1) with its writing- point (12) extending upwards. A pump (253) delivers ink through a needle (23) and the ink (221) falls down onto the writing-point (12). The pen (1) has a ferromagnetic ring (15) assisting in the correct positioning of the pen (11) in the apparatus, and an internal moisture sensor (16) connectable to a microprocessor (251) included in the apparatus (2) to provide information on the ink amount needed for the refilling. The pump (253) operates intermittently for delivering the ink in a plurality of periods of about one third of a minute.

Description

A REFILLABLE WHITEBOARD PEN, AN APPARATUS FOR REFILLING IT, AND A METHOD OF REFILLING IT IN THE APPARATUS

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a desktop apparatus for refilling a whiteboard pen, said whiteboard pen having a tubular ink cartridge, a writing-point of porous or capillary material extending out of an end of the tubular ink cartridge, and inside the cartridge an absorbent material for absorbing the ink and delivering it to the writing-point, said apparatus comprising:

a) a receiver for receiving and holding said end of the tubular cartridge with the writing-point extending upwards;

b) an ink reservoir;

c) a tubular needle carried by the receiver and having an end with an outlet; and

d) a tubular member connecting the reservoir to the needle for permitting flow of the ink from the ink reservoir to the needle and out through the needle outlet end.

It also relates to a refillable whiteboard pen having a tubular ink cartridge, a writing-point of porous or capillary material extending out of an end of the tubular ink cartridge, and inside the cartridge an absorbent material for absorbing the ink and delivering it to the writing-point, said whiteboard pen having a tapering portion between said tubular ink cartridge and the writing- point.

In another aspect of the invention, it also relates to a method of refilling a whiteboard pen in a refilling apparatus, said whiteboard pen having a tubular ink cartridge, a writing-point of porous or capillary material extending out of an end of the tubular ink cartridge, and inside the cartridge an absorbent material for absorbing the ink and delivering it to the writing-point, said apparatus having a receiver for receiving and holding said end of the tubular cartridge with the writing-point extending upwards, an ink reservoir, a tubular needle carried by the receiver and having an outlet end, and a tubular member connecting the reservoir to the needle for permitting flow of the ink from the ink reservoir to the needle and out through the needle outlet end.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Whiteboards have a glossy, usually white smooth surface for nonpermanent markings and allow rapid marking and erasing of markings on their surface. The popularity of whiteboards increased rapidly in the mid-1990s and they have become a fixture in many offices, meeting rooms, school classrooms, and other work environments. The whiteboard pen is a non-permanent marker and uses an erasable ink that adheres to the writing surface without binding to or being absorbed by it.

The amount of ink carried by the whiteboard pen is limited and therefore, as ink is applied to the surface, the supply of ink in the whiteboard pen is periodically exhausted. When insufficient ink remains in the whiteboard pen, the ink supply must be replenished, or the whiteboard pen must be thrown away. By their nature, inks are generally pigmented and free flowing. Accordingly, the refilling of whiteboard pens is typically a messy process. For convenience, therefore, disposable whiteboard pens are most popular. However, it will be appreciated that frequently disposing of whiteboard pens is wasteful and costly. To solve this problem, refillable whiteboard pens and apparatus for refilling them have been developed. One example of a refill system is disclosed in US 2013/0078025 A1 (Turgeman et al.). The whiteboard pen has at one end a writing point and at the other end a check valve mechanism permitting the whiteboard pen to be refilled with ink from an ink container. Such a valve mechanism makes the whiteboard pens more expensive and may also by time start leaking. A similar principle for refilling whiteboard pens is known from JPH09202091 , i.e. the pen being provided with a valve device that normally seals the interior and which is penetrated by a nozzle for introducing new ink.

Other examples of a refill systems are disclosed in JP 2005081718 and CN 206501603 U. Here, the whiteboard pen has no valve for permitting the refilling ink to enter the interior of the pen. Instead, ink from an internally pressurized tank is passed via a tubular needle, which is inserted into the writing-point of the whiteboard pen. After placing the whiteboard pen for refilling in the refilling apparatus, the needle is lowered and inserted into the writing- point, and the flow of ink from the tank through into the interior of the whiteboard pen is commenced. A common problem is that the needle may be jammed by fibers from the writing-point. Further, repeated insertion of the needle into the writing-point may lead to a gradual damaging of the writing-point.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide on one hand an apparatus of the kind referred to in the first paragraph above, which apparatus can refill a whiteboard pen without requiring some valve mechanism in the whiteboard pen and without risking damaging the writing-point.

The object of the present invention is also to provide on the other hand a refillable whiteboard pen of the kind referred to in the second paragraph above, which whiteboard pen is adapted to be refilled in the apparatus.

Further, the object of the present invention is also to provide a method of refilling a whiteboard pen in a refilling apparatus, which method is of the kind referred to in the third paragraph above.

With reference to the apparatus, this object is achieved in that the outlet end of the needle is positioned right above but spaced from the writing-point of the whiteboard pen, when the whiteboard pen is inserted in the receiver, so that ink from the needle outlet will fall down onto the writing-point. As the needle never even touches the writing-point, there is no risk of damage to the writing-point, and the whiteboard pen can be refilled without requiring a valve mechanism included in the pen.

Preferably, the apparatus further comprises a control device for controlling the operation of the apparatus, said control device including a microprocessor and an ink pump having a motor controlled by the microprocessor for controlling the flow of ink through the tubular member. By having a pump instead of pressurized air from a fan for controlling the flow of ink during the refilling, a much quicker response to ink flow shut down orders is obtained, and the risk of overspill is minimized. The pump suitably is located in said tubular member, i.e. a first portion of the tubular member is located upstream and a second one downstream of the pump.

Further, for holding the whiteboard pen in position during the refilling, the receiver suitably comprises a positioning and clamping device, which includes at least two members that are movable toward and away from each other to permit the insertion of the whiteboard pen in the receiver and to place the whiteboard pen in position for filling. To achieve a correct and clean refilling, it is important that the whiteboard pen is positioned exactly right in the receiver. It is preferred that the movable members are spring biased toward each other. The spring force makes the movable members on one hand clamp the whiteboard pen in the desired position and on the other hand return to their starting position upon removal of the refilled whiteboard pen from the apparatus.

Whiteboard pens usually have a tapering portion of the between said tubular ink cartridge and the writing-point, and suitably each movable member has a surface shaped to engage the tapering portion to facilitate the exact positioning of the whiteboard pen in the receiver.

Preferably, the apparatus further comprises a position sensor for sensing when the whiteboard pen has arrived to its filling position, and the position sensor is connected to the microprocessor. The microprocessor is programmed not to permit the starting of a refilling procedure until the whiteboard pen has arrived to its filling position. The position sensor suitably is a micro switch mounted to be activated by an outer position of one of the movable members.

In a special design of a whiteboard pen, a ring member of ferromagnetic material is provided around a top portion of the tubular ink cartridge. Then, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the positioning and clamping device further comprises a stationary first ring member mounted under the movable members, which first ring member is adapted to cooperate

magnetically with the ring member of said tubular ink cartridge. The pulling magnetic cooperation between the two ring members assists in placing the whiteboard pen exactly in the desired refilling position. Similarly, in a special design of a whiteboard pen, a moisture sensor is provided in the whiteboard pen in order to provide information on the ink amount needed for the refilling. The sensor is connected to two associated external rings on the tapering portion of the whiteboard pen, one ring for the incoming side of the and the other for the outgoing side of the moisture sensor. Then, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, said movable members are connected to the microprocessor in order to forward signals from the moisture sensors over said rings in order to provide information on the ink amount needed for the refilling.

Preferably, the positioning and clamping device includes a top dome, in which the needle is mounted. This dome together with the movable members, when they are in an innermost position, forms a closed space for preventing the ink at the needle outlet from drying.

In an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus has at least two places for refilling a corresponding number of whiteboard pens simultaneously from a single ink reservoir.

In another advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus has a plurality of places for refilling a corresponding number of whiteboard pens simultaneously from a plurality of reservoirs of ink of different colors. Then, it is suitable that the microprocessor identifies the ink color of the whiteboard pen to be refilled and blocks refilling with a wrong ink color. Refilling is impossible unless the whiteboard pen is placed in the right place in respect of ink color.

With reference to the whiteboard pen, the object of the invention is achieved in that the whiteboard pen comprises a ring member of ferromagnetic material around a portion of said tubular ink cartridge adjacent the tapering portion. Such a whiteboard pen is especially adapted for refilling in the refilling apparatus of the present invention, where the positioning and clamping device further comprises a stationary first ring member mounted under the movable members, which first ring member is adapted to cooperate magnetically with the ring member of said tubular ink cartridge. The pulling magnetic cooperation between the two ring members assists in placing the whiteboard pen exactly in the desired refilling position. Preferably, the whiteboard pen further comprises a moisture sensor in the absorbent material inside the cartridge in order to provide information on the ink amount needed for the refilling. Thereby, the risk of overfilling and spillage of ink is minimized.

Suitably, the sensor is electrically connected to two associated external rings via an input conductor and an output conductor for transmitting a signal from the sensor to a microprocessor. It is preferred that the rings are located on the exterior of the tapering portion of the whiteboard pen, from where the signals from the moisture sensor may be transferred to the movable members of the pen receiver of the apparatus and passed on to the microprocessor.

With reference to the refilling method, the object of the invention is achieved in that the method comprises delivering ink from the needle to the writing point intermittently to let one portion of the ink be absorbed into the absorbent material inside the cartridge before supplying another portion to the writing point. Hereby it is easy to avoid ink spillage during the refilling.

Preferably, the ink is delivered in a plurality of periods of about one third of a minute. This can easily be accomplished by a pump controlled by a

microprocessor by giving on and off commands to a motor for driving the pump, and it will be easy to program the microprocessor to give sufficient time for the ink to be absorbed into the absorbent material in the whiteboard pen, so that ink spillage is avoided.

It is also preferred that the amount of ink present in the whiteboard pen be assessed by means of a moisture sensor provided inside the whiteboard pen.

In addition, the method preferably further comprises letting the ink fall from the needle onto the writing-point. Thus, as the needle never even touches the writing-point, there is no risk of damage to the writing-point, and the whiteboard pen can be refilled without requiring a valve mechanism included in the pen.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following, the invention will be described in more detail with reference to preferred embodiments and the appended drawings. Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of an apparatus of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view of a preferred embodiment of a whiteboard pen having a ring of ferromagnetic material a short distance from its writing-point.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a whiteboard pen receiver included in the apparatus of Fig. 1 for receiving and holding an end of the whiteboard pen of Fig. 2 with the writing-point extending upwards.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the receiver before the insertion of the whiteboard pen.

Fig. 5 is a side view of another preferred supplementary or alternative embodiment of a whiteboard pen having moisture sensors longitudinally spaced from each other in the whiteboard pen in order to provide information on the ink amount needed for the refilling.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 3 showing the receiver included in the apparatus of Fig. 1 holding an end of the whiteboard pen of Fig. 5 with the writing-point extending upwards .

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 but showing the receiver before the insertion of the whiteboard pen. MODE(S) FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Fig. 2 shows a preferred embodiment of a refillable whiteboard pen 1 of the present invention. The whiteboard pen 1 has a tubular ink cartridge 11 , a writing-point 12 of porous or capillary material extending out of an end of the tubular ink cartridge 11 , and inside the cartridge 1 there is an absorbent material 13 for absorbing the ink and delivering it to the writing-point 12. A tapering portion 14 is provided between the tubular ink cartridge 11 and the writing-point 12. The whiteboard pen 1 may preferably have a ring member 15 of ferromagnetic material around a portion of said tubular ink cartridge 11 adjacent the tapering portion 14. Further, the whiteboard pen 1 may preferably have a processor device 19 with display 190. The function of the ferromagnetic ring member 15 and the processor device 19 with display 190 will be described below. Fig. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of a desktop apparatus 2 of the present invention of the present invention for refilling the whiteboard pen 1 of Fig. 2. The apparatus comprises a housing 20, having a vertically extending main space 20A and side space 20B arranged besides the vertical main space 20A and at the top of the housing 20. At the bottom of the side space 20B there is a receiver 21 for receiving and holding said end of the tubular cartridge 11 with the writing-point 12 extending upwards; a tubular needle 23 carried by the receiver 21 and having an end with an outlet 231. An ink reservoir 22 is arranged, preferably in the form of a cartridge 220, within the vertically extending main space 20A, i.e. a cartridge 220 that fits into an ink reservoir receiver 221 at the lower end of the vertical main space 20A.

A tubular member 24 (e.g. a hose) connects the reservoir 22 to the needle 23 for permitting flow of ink from the ink reservoir 22 to the needle 23 and out through the needle outlet end 231. The outlet-end 231 of the needle 23 is positioned at some distance right above but spaced from the writing-point 12 of the whiteboard pen 1 , when the whiteboard pen 1 is inserted in the receiver 21 , so that ink 221 from the needle outlet 231 will fall down onto the writing-point 12.

In the preferred embodiment shown in Fig. 1 , the apparatus 2 further comprises a control arrangement 25 for controlling the operation of the apparatus 2. The control arrangement 25 includes a control unit 251 with a processor and preferably also a display 252. Preferably, the display may be supplemented by or exchanged by a display 40 of a movable device 4, e.g. a smart phone with an app 41 for the control of the apparatus 2 connected, e.g. via Bluetooth, to the control unit 251.

An ink pump 253 having an electric motor (supplied via battery and/or electric mains) is controlled by the control unit 251 for controlling the supply of ink, i.e. the flow of ink through the tubular member 24. By having a liquid pump (e.g. instead of pressurized air from a fan) for controlling the flow of ink during the refilling, a much quicker response and better control of ink flow, e.g. regarding flow stop/shut down is obtained, and the risk of overspill is minimized. The pump 253 may be a sink able pump (not shown) arranged at the down flow end 240 of the tubular member 24. A preferred capacity of the pump 253 is in the range of 0,05 - 0,5 cl/s, preferably 0,1 -0,3 cl/s. Suitably the pump 253 is located in the side space 20B between the inlet 240 and the outlet 241 ends of the tubular member 24, i.e. thereby dividing the tubular member 24 into a first portion 24A of the tubular member 24 located downstream and a second member 24B located upstream of the pump 253. The second member 24B may preferably be divided into two parts 242, 243 connected by a coupling 244

(preferably a quick snap-in coupling) arranged at the top of the ink reservoir 22. One part 243 then is supplied with the ink reservoir 22 and the other part 243 is fixed to the inlet of the pump 253. Alternatively, or both, a coupling 253A may be arranged at the inlet of the pump 253.

For holding the whiteboard pen 1 in position during the refilling, the receiver 21 suitably comprises a positioning and clamping device 3, which includes at least two members 31 , 32 that are movable toward and away from each other to permit the insertion of the whiteboard pen 1 in the receiver 21 and to place and retain the whiteboard pen 1 in position for filling. To achieve a correct and clean refilling, it is beneficial that the whiteboard pen 1 is positioned exactly right in the receiver 21 , which preferably is assisted by further having an annulus 37 arranged coaxially with the needle 23 below clamping device 3, which annulus 37 (possibly adjustable) has an inner diameter adapted to the outer diameter of the whiteboard pen 1 to position the whiteboard pen 1 coaxially in relation to the needle 23.

It is preferred that the movable members 31 and 32 are biased toward each other by springs 331 and 332, respectively. The spring force makes the movable members 31 , 32 on one hand clamp the whiteboard pen 1 in the desired refilling position and on the other hand return to their starting position upon removal of the refilled whiteboard pen 1 from the apparatus 2.

As mentioned above, whiteboard pens 1 usually have a tapering portion 14 between the tubular ink cartridge 11 and the writing-point 12. As shown in Figs 3 and 4, each movable member 31 and 32 suitably has a surface 311 and 321 , respectively, shaped to engage the tapering portion 14 to facilitate the exact positioning of the whiteboard pen 1 in the receiver 3. Further, the apparatus 2 preferably comprises a position sensor 34 for sensing when the whiteboard pen 1 has arrived at its refilling position, and the position sensor 34 is connected to the control unit 251. The control unit 251 is programmed not to permit the starting of a refilling procedure until the whiteboard pen 1 has arrived at its filling position. The position sensor 34 suitably is a micro switch 34 mounted to be activated by an outer position of one of the movable members 31 , 32, see Figs. 3 and 4.

As mentioned in the description of Fig. 1 above, the whiteboard pen 1 may in one embodiment have a ring member 15 of ferromagnetic material provided around a top portion of the tubular ink cartridge 11. Then, according to this embodiment of the present invention best shown in Fig. 3, the positioning and clamping device 3 further comprises a stationary first ring member 35 mounted under the movable members 31 , 32, which first ring member 35 is adapted to cooperate magnetically with the ring member 15 of the tubular ink cartridge 11. The pulling magnetic cooperation between the two ring members 15 and 35 assists in placing the whiteboard pen 1 exactly in the desired refilling position. In the shown embodiment, the inner diameter of the first outer ring 35 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the ring 15 of the tubular ink cartridge, so that ring 15 can be received within ring 35 and a small radial gap is formed between the rings.

Further, as shown in Fig. 3 the apparatus is preferably arranged with additional devices 244, 245 to safeguard reliable replenishment. A check valve 244 may be arranged within the tubular member 24 relatively near the outlet end 241 of the tubular member 24, to hinder ink in the upper part of the tube 24 to drain back. The check valve 244 may be of a kind having a threshold retaining level, hindering ink from passing due to gravity of the ink in the tube, but allowing ink to pass when the pump 253 is used in a reversed mode that provides a pressure above said threshold. It may be preferred to use the pump 253 to initiate reverse pumping of the remaining ink in the tube 24 to return the ink to the ink bottle. This process may eliminate color coagulation within the tube 24. Moreover, a sensor/measuring device 245 may be provided adjacent the outlet end 241 supplying signals to the control unit to facilitate more accurate supply of ink. One possible function of this sensor 245 may be to know when the ink will reach this location near the tip of the pen. For instance, it may be used to send a signal to the control unit when ink reaches the sensor 245. The sensor 245 may then send a signal to the electronic control panel to initiate the timing to inject a desired amount of ink into the pen, wherein preferably the control unit has data informing of the near exact amount of ink being supplied per time unit, e.g. 0,15 cl/s. For example, then operation in about 40-60 minutes (e.g. 50 minutes), wherein the pump 253 operates less than 1 second (e.g. 0.35 seconds) and then stands still for about 15-40 seconds (e.g. 30 seconds), may supply drops in a well-functioning manner to allow appropriate ink absorption (in total e.g. about 5 cl) into the pen of a common kind. After fulfilled operation, e.g. 50 minutes, the electronic control panel may send a stop signal to the pump 253 and preferably initiate activation of a signal device, e.g. a lamp on the unit and/or the mobile unit's external display 40 showing that the filling process is completed.

In the preferred embodiment shown in Fig. 5, the whiteboard pen 1 has a moisture sensor 16 provided inside the tubular ink cartridge 11 in order to provide information on the ink amount needed for the refilling. The moisture sensor 16 may a first 161 and a second 160 member which at different levels may be interconnected to each other by means of a plurality of moisture activated contact devices 163 positioned at different levels within the

whiteboard pen 1 , to thereby enable providing information of the level of moisture in the whiteboard pen 1. The moisture sensor 16 is preferably connected to two associated external rings 17 and 18, e.g. on the tapering portion 14 of the whiteboard pen 1 , one ring 17 for the incoming side of the sensor 16 and the other one 18 for the outgoing side of the moisture sensor 16. Then, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the movable members 31 , 32 are connected by wires 312 and 322, respectively, to the control unit (251 not shown) in order to forward signals from the moisture sensors over said rings 17 and 18 to the control unit 251 in order to provide information on the ink amount needed for the refilling. Further, the moisture sensor 16 is preferably connected to the processor device 19 with display 190, which provides the advantage that the display 190 may inform of the fill amount 191 (e.g. in percent) in the whiteboard pen 1. Moreover, that feature provides the advantage that the app 41 of the movable device 4 may continuously be updated regarding the fill level of a, or a plurality of nearby, whiteboardpen/s 1, e.g. to timely alarm a user that it is time for refilling.

Even though the external ring member 15 of ferromagnetic material in Fig. 2 and the moisture sensor 16 in Fig. 5 for the sake of clarity are shown and described as separate embodiments, both of them preferably are provided together in the refillable whiteboard pen 1.

As shown in Figs. 3, 4, 6 and 7, the positioning and clamping device 3

preferably includes a top dome 36, in which the needle 23 is mounted. This dome 36 together with the movable members 31 and 32, which preferably sealingly cooperate by means of their contacting opposing edges 313, 323 when they are in an innermost position, forms a closed space that may prevent the ink at the needle outlet 231 from drying.

With reference to the refilling method, the method comprises delivering ink 221 from the needle 23 to the writing point 12 intermittently to let one portion of the ink 221 be absorbed into the absorbent material 13 inside the cartridge 11 before supplying another portion to the writing point 12. Flereby. it is easy to avoid ink spillage during the refilling drop wise, with about 1 drop every 15-30 second, e.g. every 20 second, which for many existing pens provides an optimal fill rate without spillage.

Preferably, the ink is delivered drop-wise, with about one drop every third of a minute. Flence, the ink is preferably delivered drop-wise with one drop, or alternatively a stream of a plurality of small drops within a short time (less than 2 seconds), every 15-30 seconds, which for many existing pens 1 provides an optimal fill rate without spillage. This can easily be accomplished by having the pump 253 controlled by the control unit 251 , e.g. by giving on and off

commands to the motor for first driving the pump 253 to deliver the optimal amount that will cause no spillage, and it will be easy to program the control unit 251 to provide for sufficient time for the ink to be absorbed into the absorbent material 12,13 in the whiteboard pen 1 , so that ink spillage is avoided, also if other methods/devices are used to provide for flow of ink. Thus, according to one example, the ink pump 253 delivers a small amount of ink and then stops working for about one third of a minute, so that the writing-point 12 and the absorbent material 13 can absorb the ink. Usually it will take about 20 minutes to refill a whiteboard pen 1 , by this procedure.

In addition, the method preferably further comprises letting the ink 221 fall from the needle 23 onto the writing-point 12. Thus, there is a gap and the needle 23 never even touches the writing-point 12, which brings about the advantage that there is no risk of damage to the writing-point 12, nor obstruction of the needle outlet 321. Further, the whiteboard pen can 1 be refilled without requiring any valve mechanism, neither in the apparatus 2 nor included in the pen 1 , nor any other extra means. Hence, any standard pen may be used for refilling.

In an advantageous embodiment of the present invention (not shown), the apparatus 2 has at least two places for refilling a corresponding number of whiteboard pens 1 simultaneously from a single ink reservoir.

In another advantageous embodiment of the present invention (likewise not shown), the apparatus 2 has a plurality of places for refilling a corresponding number of whiteboard pens 1 simultaneously from a plurality of reservoirs 22 of ink of different colors. Then, it is suitable that the control unit 251 identifies the ink color of the whiteboard pen 1 to be refilled and blocks refilling with a wrong ink color. Refilling is impossible unless the whiteboard pen 1 is placed in the right place in respect of ink color. Also, if other method/devices are used to provide for flow of ink.

It is evident for the skilled person that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but that various evident modifications are covered by the appended claims. For instance, it is evident that various types of pumps may be used to achieve the basic functionality of the invention and that the invention may even function without use of a pump if the ink tank is positioned above the supply end and a regulating valve device is used.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The present invention including a refillable whiteboard pen, an apparatus for refilling it, and a method of refilling it in the apparatus is applicable in many offices, meeting rooms, school classrooms, daycare centers and other work environments.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A desktop apparatus (2) for refilling a whiteboard pen (1), said whiteboard pen (1 ) having a tubular ink cartridge (11 ), a writing-point (12) of porous or capillary material extending out of an end of the tubular ink cartridge (11 ), and inside the cartridge (11) an absorbent material (13) for absorbing the ink and delivering it to the writing-point (12), said apparatus (2)

comprising:

a) a receiver (21 ) for receiving and holding said end of the tubular

cartridge (11 ) with the writing-point (12) extending upwards;

b) an ink reservoir (22);

c) a tubular needle (23) carried by the receiver (21) and having an end with an outlet (231); and

d) a tubular member (24) connecting the reservoir (22) to the needle (23) for permitting flow of the ink from the ink reservoir (22) to the needle (23) and out through the needle outlet (231);

wherein the outlet end (231) of the needle (23) is positioned right above but spaced from the writing-point (12) of the whiteboard pen (1 ), when the whiteboard pen (1 ) is inserted in the receiver (21 ), so that ink (221 ) from the needle outlet (231) will fall down onto the writing-point (12).

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a control

arrangement (25) for controlling the operation of the apparatus (2), said control device (25) including a control unit (251) and an ink pump (253) having a motor controlled by the control unit (251) for controlling the flow of ink through the tubular member (24), preferably including a sensor device (245) monitoring the flow of ink.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the pump (253) is located in between the external ends (240, 241) of said tubular member (24). 4 An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the receiver (21 ) comprises a positioning and clamping device (3) for holding the

whiteboard pen (1) in position during the refilling, said positioning a clamping device (3) including at least two members (31 , 32) that are movable toward and away from each other to permit the insertion of the whiteboard pen (1) in the receiver (21) and to place the whiteboard pen (1) in position for filling, wherein preferably the movable members (31 , 32) are spring biased (33) toward each other, and more preferred wherein each movable member (31 , 32) has a surface (311 , 321) with a shape arranged to engage a tapering portion (14) of the whiteboard pen (1) between said tubular ink cartridge (11 ) and the writing-point (12).

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a position sensor

(34) for sensing when the whiteboard pen (1) has arrived at its filling position, said position sensor (34) being connected to said control unit

(251), wherein preferably the position sensor is a micro switch (34) mounted to be activated by an outer position of one of the movable members (31 , 32). 6. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 4-5, wherein the positioning and clamping device (3) further comprises a stationary first ring member

(35) mounted under the movable members (31 , 32), said first ring member (35) being adapted to cooperate magnetically with a second ring member (15) around a top portion of said tubular ink cartridge (11), said magnetic cooperation assisting in positioning the whiteboard pen (1) in the refilling position, wherein preferably at least two of said movable members (31 , 32) are connected to the control unit (251) in order to forward signals received from a moisture sensor (16) provided in the whiteboard pen (1) in order to provide information on the ink amount needed for the refilling.

7. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the positioning and clamping device (3) includes a top dome (36), in which the needle (23) is mounted wherein preferably, said dome (36) together with movable members (31, 32), when they are in an innermost position, forming a closed space for preventing the ink at the needle outlet (231) from drying. 8. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 -7, further comprising at least two places for refilling a corresponding umber of whiteboard pens (1) simultaneously preferably from a single ink reservoir (22).

9. An apparatus as claims in any one of claims 1 -8, further comprising a

plurality of places for refilling a corresponding number of whiteboard pens

(1) simultaneously from a plurality of reservoirs of ink of different colors.

10. A refillable whiteboard pen (1) having a tubular ink cartridge (11), a

writing-point (12) of porous or capillary material extending out of an end of the tubular ink cartridge (11), and inside the cartridge an absorbent material (13) for absorbing the ink and delivering it to the writing-point (12), said whiteboard pen (1) having a tapering portion (14) between said tubular ink cartridge (11) and the writing point (12), said whiteboard pen (1) comprising a ring member (15) of ferromagnetic material around a portion of said tubular ink cartridge (11) adjacent the tapering portion (14).

1 1. A refillable whiteboard pen as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a

moisture sensor (16) in the absorbent material (13) inside the cartridge (11) in order to provide information on the ink amount e.g. need for the refilling, preferably further comprising two external rings (17, 18) electrically connected to an incoming side and an outgoing side , respectively, of sensor (16) for transmitting a signal from the sensor (16) to a control unit (251).

12. A method of refilling a whiteboard pen (1) in a refilling apparatus (2), said whiteboard pen (1) having a tubular ink cartridge (11), a writing-point (12) of porous or capillary material extending out of an end of the tubular ink cartridge (11), and inside the cartridge an absorbent material (13) for absorbing the ink and delivering it to the writing-point (12), said apparatus (2) having a receiver (3) for receiving and holding said end of the tubular cartridge (11) with the writing-point (12) extending upwards, an ink reservoir (22), a tubular needle (23) carried by the receiver (3) and having an outlet end (231), and a tubular member (24) connecting the reservoir (22) to the needle (23) for permitting flow of the ink from the ink reservoir (22) to the needle (23) and out through the needle outlet end (231), said method comprising delivering ink from the needle (23) to the writing point (12) intermittently to let one portion of the ink be absorbed into the absorbent material (13) inside the cartridge (11) before supplying another portion to the writing point (12).

13. A method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising delivering the ink

intermittently, wherein preferably the time duration t_f for supply of ink is substantially shorter than the time t_n of non-supply, wherein more preferred 0,1 s<t_f<3s and 10s< t_n<100s, even more preferred 0,3s<t_f<1 s and 15s< tn^SOs.

14. A method as claimed in claim 12 or 13, further comprising assessing the amount of ink present in the whiteboard pen (1) by means of a moisture sensor (16) provided inside the whiteboard pen (1).

15. A method as claimed in any one of claims 12-14, further comprising letting the ink (221) fall from the needle (23) onto the writing-point (12).