Seal for a pen refill system and a method for using the same

A seal that attaches to a pen cap, a sealable pen refill system and a method of using the same are provided. The seal fits over an end of the pen refill cap. The pen refill cap and the seal then fit over a tip of the pen refill compartment acting as a seal to elements such as air and moisture.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention generally relates to a cap for a pen refill. More 
specifically, the present invention relates to a seal for attachment to a 
cap of a pen refill that provides an air-tight compartment in which the 
tip of a pen refill extends. In addition, the present invention relates to 
a method for using the same. 
It is, of course, generally known to provide caps for pens, pen refills, or 
the like. A pen or pen refill typically contains a compartment having a 
quantity of ink therein having an opening at a tip at an end of the 
compartment through which ink may flow. Caps are often provided for both 
pen caps and pen refills for many reasons. Those reasons include 
preventing ink at the opening of the compartment from drying or being 
otherwise damaged and preventing incidental contact of the ink with items 
not intended to be contacted by the ink. 
However, typical pen caps or pen refill caps do not provide adequate 
protection against air or moisture. This is particularly problematic with 
regard to certain types of ink. Certain inks, by exposing the ink to air, 
are dried out and often depleted. Further, moisture in the atmosphere may 
damage the chemical composition of the ink thereby degrading the quality 
of the ink. On a consumer level, this can be particularly problematic. In 
some instances, a new pen or pen refill may be purchased by a consumer or 
other individual that is completely depleted of ink due to exposure of the 
tip to air that rapidly dries and depletes the ink. 
A need, therefore, exists for an improved seal and a pen or pen refill cap 
system containing the seal that protects the ink in the pen or pen refill 
from drying or being further damaged. Further, a need exists for a method 
of using the same to overcome the deficiencies of that which is presently 
available and/or implemented. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention provides a seal that may be attached to a pen or pen 
refill compartment or cap. The invention further provides a system 
including the seal and pen or pen refill and cap. Further, the invention 
includes a method for using the same. 
To this end, in an embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus is 
provided. The apparatus has a seal that has a body defined between a first 
end and a second end wherein the first end has a first opening therein and 
further wherein the second end has a second opening therein. A pen refill 
cap is attached within the first opening of the seal. 
In an embodiment, the first opening of the seal is circular. 
In an embodiment, the second opening of the seal is circular. 
In an embodiment, the first end of the seal sealingly engages the pen 
refill cap. 
In an embodiment, the seal is plastic. 
In an embodiment, the seal is rubber. 
In an embodiment, the second opening of the seal is smaller than the first 
opening. 
In another embodiment of the present invention, a pen refill system is 
provided. The system has a seal having a body defined between a first end 
and a second end wherein the first end has a first opening therein and the 
second end has a second opening therein. A pen refill cap is sealingly 
engaged to the seal wherein the pen refill cap fits within the first 
opening of the seal. A pen refill compartment has an interior containing 
ink therein removably attached and sealingly engaged to the seal wherein 
the pen refill compartment fits within the second opening of the seal. 
In an embodiment, the first and second openings of the seal are circular. 
In an embodiment, the pen refill compartment has a tip wherein the tip fits 
within the pen refill cap. 
In an embodiment, the pen refill compartment has a tip with a base. The 
base of the tip sealingly engages the second end of the seal when the seal 
is fit over the base of the tip. 
In an embodiment, the seal is plastic. 
In an embodiment, the seal is rubber. 
In an embodiment, the pen refill cap has a first end that fits within the 
first opening of the seal. 
In an embodiment, the second opening of the seal is smaller than the first 
opening of the seal. 
In an embodiment, the pen refill compartment has a first end. The seal 
sealingly attaches to the pen refill cap and the pen refill cap and O-ring 
together fit over and sealingly engage the first end of the pen 
compartment. 
In another embodiment of the present invention, a method of making and 
using a sealed pen refill system is provided. The method comprises the 
steps of: providing a pen refill cap, a seal having a body defined between 
a first end and a second end wherein the first end has a first opening 
therein and the second end has a second opening therein and a pen refill 
compartment having an interior containing ink therein; attaching the seal 
to the pen refill cap; and sealingly engaging the seal to the pen refill 
compartment. 
In an embodiment, a tip is provided on an end of the pen refill compartment 
wherein the pen refill cap fits over the tip of the pen refill 
compartment. 
In an embodiment, the pen refill cap is removed from the pen refill 
compartment. 
In an embodiment, the pen refill cap is removed and the pen refill 
compartment is used as a writing instrument. 
It is, therefore, an advantage of the present invention to provide a seal 
apparatus, a system and a method for a pen, a pen refill compartment or a 
cap. 
Another advantage of the present invention is to provide a seal apparatus, 
a system and a method that seals a pen tip on an end of a pen refill 
compartment within a pen refill cap. 
Yet another advantage of the present invention is to provide a seal 
apparatus, a system and a method to protect ink capable of flowing through 
a pen tip from moisture. 
A still further advantage of the present invention is to provide a seal 
apparatus, a system and a method to prevent air from drying out ink 
contained in a pen or a pen refill. 
Further, an advantage of the present invention is to provide a seal 
apparatus, a system and a method to prevent moisture from damaging ink 
contained in a pen or pen refill. 
Moreover, an advantage of the present invention is to provide a seal 
apparatus, a system and a method to prevent light from damaging or drying 
ink contained in a pen or pen refill tip. 
A still further advantage of the present invention is to provide a seal 
apparatus, a system and a method whereby the seal is attached to a pen, a 
refill or a pen refill cap. 
Additional features and advantages of the present invention are described 
in, and will be apparent from, the detailed description of the presently 
preferred embodiments and from the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
The present invention generally relates to a seal for a pen refill system. 
The seal provides protection of the ink from certain elements, such as air 
and water. The present invention further provides a method for sealing a 
pen refill by attaching a seal to a pen refill cap. 
Referring now to FIG. 1, a sealed pen refill system 1 is illustrated. The 
sealed pen refill system 1 allows a pen refill to last for extended 
periods of time without drying, damaging, depleting or otherwise 
destroying ink contained therein. The pen refill may be placed inside of a 
pen casing and used as a writing instrument. Alternatively, the pen refill 
itself may be used as a writing instrument. The sealed pen refill system 1 
may have a cap 10 and a pen refill compartment 12. The pen refill cap 10 
may be hollow to provide an interior compartment for the pen refill 
compartment 12 to fit therein. Disposed between the pen refill cap 10 and 
the pen refill 12 is a seal 14 that acts as a barrier to air and/or water 
entering the pen refill cap 10. 
FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the pen refill system 1 wherein 
each component is separated from the other. The seal 14 may have a first 
opening 16 in a first end 18 of the seal 14. A second opening 20 may be 
contained within a second end 22 disposed opposite the first end 18 of the 
seal 14. A side wall 24 is disposed and integrally formed between the 
first end 18 and the second end 22 of the seal 14. The diameter x of the 
first opening 16 is greater than the diameter y at the second opening 20. 
The opening 16 is large enough to surround the end of the cap 10 as 
illustrated in FIG. 3. 
The seal 14 may be constructed of any material that provides a seal when 
used in the pen refill system 1. Rubber is the preferred material to be 
used, but the invention is not to be construed as limited in any way with 
respect to the material used for the seal 14. Other materials, such as 
plastic, may be utilized in the invention and will be apparent to those 
skilled in the art. 
The pen refill cap 10 may fit within the first opening 16 of the seal 14. 
Preferably, the seal 14 attaches to the pen refill cap 10 and remains 
attached when the pen refill cap 10 is removed from the pen refill 
compartment 12. 
The pen refill compartment 12 has a tip 23 disposed on an end 36 of the pen 
refill compartment 12. The tip 23 is a point through which ink 25 
contained in the pen refill compartment 12 flows for use in writing with 
the pen refill compartment 12 after typically inserting the same into a 
body of a pen, for example. The tip 23 allows the ink 25 contained within 
the pen refill compartment 12 to flow therefrom, allowing the pen refill 
compartment 12 to be utilized as a writing instrument. The refill 
compartment 12 further has a shaft 30 and a base 32. The shaft 30 is 
disposed between the tip 23 and the base 32. The base 32 may be connected 
to a remainder 34 of the pen refill compartment 12. The tip 23 and the 
remainder 34 of the pen refill compartment 12 may be integrally formed as 
a single piece or may be separately formed and sealingly attached 
together. 
In use, after the pen refill cap 10 is attached to the seal 14 inside the 
first opening 16 of the seal 14, the pen refill cap 10 and the seal 14 are 
attached to the pen refill compartment 12. The second opening 20 of the 
seal 14 may attach to the pen refill compartment 12 by fitting over the 
base 32 of the tip 23. An end 38 of the remainder 34 of the pen refill 
compartment 12 provides a ledge 39 that acts as a stopper for the pen 
refill cap 10 and seal 14 as the pen refill cap 10 and the seal 14 fit 
over the tip 23 of the pen refill compartment 12. 
FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the pen refill system 1 and 
shows how the pen refill cap 10, the pen refill compartment 12 and the 
seal 14 engage one another thereby creating an air-tight seal. 
The pen refill cap 10 fits into the seal 14 through the first opening 16 of 
the first end 18. The pen refill cap 10 may be inserted into the first 
opening 16 of the first end 18 of the seal 14 up to the point A as 
illustrated in FIG. 3. The first opening 16 is just large enough to fit 
over an end of the pen refill cap 10. 
After the seal 14 is attached to the pen refill cap 10, the tip 23 of the 
pen refill compartment 12 may be inserted into an inside compartment 40 of 
the pen refill cap 10 through the second opening 20 of the second end 22 
of the seal 14. The second opening 20 may be just large enough to fit over 
the base 32. The pen refill compartment 12 may be inserted into the pen 
refill cap 10 until the ledge 39 is reached. Upon insertion of the tip 23 
of the pen refill compartment 12 into the pen refill cap 10 through the 
seal 14, the tip 23 is sealed to moisture and air. The seal 14 may create 
an air-tight barrier between the pen refill cap 10 and the pen refill 
compartment 12, thereby effectively sealing the tip 23 of the pen refill 
compartment 12 from air and/or moisture. 
It should be understood that various changes and modifications to the 
presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those 
skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications may be made without 
departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and without 
diminishing its attendant advantages. It is, therefore, intended that such 
changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims.