Patent ID: 6554518
Filing Date: 2003-04-29
Classification: B43K

Abstract:
A writing instrument with a retraction device comprising:a hollow barrel with an upper end, a lower end, an inside surface and an outside surface; a grip with an upper end and a lower end attached to the lower end of the hollow barrel, the grip having a rigid sleeve mounted in the lower end of the grip; a writing implement with an upper end, a lower end, an upper portion and a lower portion with a smaller diameter than the upper portion mounted in the hollow barrel and the grip, the writing implement having a writing tip formed on the lower end of the writing implement and selectively extending through the rigid sleeve in the grip; an elastic member mounted around the lower portion of the writing implement between the upper portion of the writing implement and the rigid sleeve and compressed by the rigid sleeve; and a retraction device comprising: a tubular body with an upper end and a lower end having a through hole longitudinally defined through the tubular body such that the tubular body has an inner surface and an outer surface, an annular rib formed on the inner surface, and multiple longitudinal keys formed on the inner surface of the through hole near the lower end of the tubular body; a pawl shaft with an upper end, a lower end and an outer surface having the upper end movably mounted in the through hole in the tubular body, a hole with a shoulder centrally defined in the pawl shaft and communicating with the through hole in the tubular body, multiple keyways longitudinally defined in the outer surface of the upper end of the pawl shaft to slidably hold the keys to prevent the pawl shaft from rotating, and pawl teeth formed on the upper end of the pawl shaft where two pawl teeth are between adjacent keyways; a ratchet with an upper end, a lower end and an outer surface movably mounted in the through hole, the ratchet having a shaft extending from the lower end and received in the hole in the pawl shaft, a ratchet spring compressively mounted in the hole between the shaft and the shoulder in the hole, multiple keyways longitudinally defined in the outer surface of the ratchet to selectively receive the keys of the tubular body, and ratchet teeth are formed on the lower end of the ratchet at the junction with the shaft, wherein there are two of the ratchet teeth formed between adjacent keyways of the ratchet, the ratchet teeth of the ratchet selectively correspond and engage the pawl teeth on the pawl shaft; a lower cap attached to the lower end of the pawl shaft to abut the upper end of the writing implement; a barrel cap pressed into the hollow barrel and attached to the tubular body to hold the retraction device in place in the hollow barrel; and a main spring compressively mounted in the through hole in the tubular body between the barrel cap and the ratchet.