PEN HOLDER

Abstract: Pen holder for a plurality of pens held adjacently one to another and comprising means for retaining the socket (4) of a pen (1) in the holder after removing the pen for use. The pen may be removed from the holder for use only when being in its use position. The holder comprises locking means which allow only one pen at a time to be in its use position and locks the remaining pens in their respective resting positions until the pen presently in use is reinserted into its socket in the holder and returned with the socket to its resting position. The locking means may comprise a row of balls (6) of one number less than there are pens and corresponding sockets, to the row of which the socket moves when the pen is moved into its use position.

Description: Pen holder The object of the present invention is a pen holder for a plurality of inking or felt tipped pens or similar marking or drawing implements held adjacently one to another. Each pen has its own position and its own socket in the holder which is provided with means for retaining the socket in the holder when the correspond¬ ing pen has been removed from it for use, and wherein the holder is such that the pen can be removed only when being in a certain use position. The present invention provides in comparison to the prior art the advantage that the pens need not be collected, for example after children have used them, but are kept neatly in their holder with the possible exception of the pen last-used. Also .the pen next to be used is always in its own place in the holder and thus easily found for use. For professional use, the invention offers i.a. the advantage • that a pen providing a certain width of line or colour always will be correctly reinserted and the order of the pens cannot change. The invention is substantially characterized by locking means which allow only one and any one pen at a time to be in the use position, and which lock the other pens in their resting positions until the pen having been in use is reinserted into its socket in the holder and together with its socket returned to its resting position. As a locking means there may be provided a row of balls or the like positioned adjacent to the row of sockets, the diameter of the balls being substantially the same or slightly smaller than that of the sockets and the number of the balls being one less than the number of pens with their respective sockets, and that the row of O PI sockets and its adjacent row of balls are situated in a trough, the length of which somewhat exceeds the combined length of the diameters of the sockets, the width of which somewhat exceeds the combined length of the diameter of one ball and of one socket, and height of which somewhat exceeds the height of the socket, and which trough is only restrictedly open from above for removing and rein- serting the pens, whereby, when moving a pen to its use position, its corresponding socket .is moved into the row of balls, thus pushing the balls sideways out of its way and the socket, together with the balls, fill the row of balls. The invention is more fully disclosed in the following description and the appended drawing which discloses a mode of carrying out the invention. Fig. 1 discloses an end view of the holder and one pen in its resting position, from which position the pen cannot be removed, Fig. 2 an end view of the holder and one pen in its use position, from which position the pen may be removed, Fig. 3 a top view of the bottom trough of the holder with their sockets (with their pens inserted) as well as round locking balls, all the pens being in a position from which they cannot be removed. There is one ball less than there are sockets. Fig. 4 a top view of the same bottom trough in a position wherein one pen is in a position to be removed, the re¬ maining pens being locked in their resting positions. In Fig. 1 the pen 1 in the position shown is prevented from being removed by a projection 3. The pen is moved in the direction of the arrow A into the position shown in Fig. 2 around a pivot point 5, whereby the pen can be lifted out from its socket 4. The socket is prevented from being lifted out by projections 2 and 5. The re- maining pens are now locked in accordance with the situ¬ ation shown in the Fig. 4. It is thus possible to take out a new pen only after the pen presently in use has been reinserted and returned to the position shown in the Fig. 1, whereby the locking balls 6 and the sockets 4 with their inserted pens take the position shown in the Fig. 3. A simple mode of. the invention has been described above which can be modified within the scope of the invention. Thus the bottom of the trough 7 can be slightly inclined from its ends towards its center part as well as from its back part to xts center part whereby the balls 6 re¬ turn more easily from their use position shown in the Fig. 4, after reinsertion of the pen, into the position shown in the Fig. 3. The starting position shown in the Fig. 3 is advantageous for the reason that the sockets 4 are situated at a point between the balls and thus less force for moving the pen and its socket is needed to provide a spacing between the balls for the socket. The starting position illustrated in Fig. 3 can be easily achieved also by inserting a weak spring at the trough end walls each facing one end of the ball row. These springs then push the balls back into close contact when a socket is returned into its own row. A weak leaf spring has proved to be suitable for this purpose. Further within the invention is a mode according to which the trough is divided into several similar sections, which mode is especially applicable for large series of pens. Thus the actual row of balls to be moved is shorter than one undivided continuous row. OMPI For large series of pens the invention may be made as a disc shaped holder whereby the trough 7 forms a ring. According to this mode naturally the diameters of the balls and sockets have to be proportioned in relation with each other, as the balls will occupy a smaller ring than the sockets. It is advantageous also in this ring mode to use as the starting position that shown in Fig. 3 between balls and sockets. This can be achieved by shaping the bottom of the trough 7 in a radial direction so that the bottom inclines from both directions towards its center. In the disc mode the rows may also be divided up into individual segments in order to maintain a moder¬ ate row.length. In the shown mode of the invention the longitudinal move- ment outwards of the pens is prevented by the projection 3 which iorms an abutment for the upper ends of the pens when in resting position. Another mode of the projection 3 may be a comblike device into the slits of which the correspondingly notched or tapered ends of the pens are inserted. The mo*~'_ applicable material for manufacturing the pen holder is a plastics material, whereby, when choosing the plastic, both the durability of the balls and the sockets as wel "1 as their mutual easy movability must be taken into consideration-

Claims: Claims : 1. Pen holder for a plurality of inking of felt tipped pens or similar marking or drawing implements held ad¬ jacently one to another, wherein each pen (1) has its own place and its own socket (4) and provided with means (2, 5) for retaining the socket in the holder, the hold¬ er being such that the pen (1) can be removed for use only when being in its use position (Fig. 2 ) , c h a r¬ a c t e r i z e d by locking means (2, 3, 4, 5, 6) which allow only one and any one pen at a time to be in its use position (Fig. 2) and which lock the remaining pens in their resting positions (Fig. 1) until the pen .presently in use has been reinserted into its corresponding socket (4) in the holder and returned to its resting position (Fig. 1) . 2. Pen holder according to the Claim 1, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that as position locking means are pro¬ vided, adjacent the row of sockets (4), a row of bal.l s (6) or the like, the diameter of which is substantially equal to or somewhat smaller than the diameter of the sockets and the number of which is one less than the number of sockets, and that the row of sockets and the adjacent row of balls are situated in a trough ( . ) , the length of which somewhat, exceeds the length of--"the com- bined diameters of the sockets (4) , the width of which somewhat exceeds the length of the combined diameters of one socket (4) and one ball (6) and the height of which somewhat exceeds the height of the socket, and which trough is only restrictedly open (2, 5) from above for removing and reinserting the pens, whereby, when moving a pen to its use position, its socket moves into the row of balls pushing the balls out of its way side¬ ways and together with the balls (Fig. 4) fills the row of balls and allows only one pen at the time to be in -gUREΛ OMPI the use position, and that the holder further includes an abutment (3) or a similar device which prevents the longitudinal movement of the pens when in resting posi¬ tion. 3. Pen holder according to the Claim 2, c h a r a c¬ t e r i z e d in that the trough (7) is substantially straigh . 4. Pen holder according to the Claim 3, c h a r a c¬ t e r i z e d in that the bottom of the trough (7) is slightly inclined both from its sides and from its ends towards the center of the trough. 5. Pen holder according to the Claim 2, c h a r a c¬ t e r i z e d in that the trough (7) has the form of a ring. 6. Pen holder according to the Claim 5, c h a r a c¬ t e r i z e d in that the diameter of the balls (6) is made smaller in relation to the diameter of the sockets in such a manner that in the annular row of balls there remains a free space corresponding to the diameter of the socket (4) . 7. Pen holder according to the Claim _, c h a r a c¬ t e r i z e d in that the trough (7) is radially in¬ clined towards its center. 8. Pen holder according to any of the preceeding Claims 2 to 7, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that in order to replace the balls (6) into their starting position (Fig. 3) a weak spring, such as a leaf spring is mounted on both trough end walls each facing one end of the ball row. O P 9. Pen holder according to the Claim 2, c h a r a c¬ t e r i z e d in that the projection (3) has the shape of a comb and that the upper ends of the pens (1) are formed to fit into the slits of the said comb. -gUREΛϊr OMPI

Inventors: KULMALA VILJO TEUVO TAPANI
Applicants: KULMALA VILJO TEUVO TAPANI
Application year: 1982
Main classification: B43K31
IPC codes: B43K23, B43M17