MULTIFUNCTIONAL PEN

Abstract: A multifunctional pen comprises an outer shell (1) having at least one partition (3) in its inner space, which separates the inner space into two chambers (a,b), at least one of which is to be filled with working fluid directly, thus increasing the volume of working fluid. At the external ends of both chambers writing, drawing or working tips (2,5) are provided. The working fluid filled in the second chamber b may be used to write and draw on the surface of materials, on which writing or drawing with a common ink or the like is not possible or may be used for correcting writing or drawing errors.

Description: The present invention relates to a multifunctional pen according to the first part of claim 1. The user of a common pen generally must correct errors made during the writing process by applying a correcting fluid taken from a correcting fluid dispenser. Sometimes the user may also have the difficulty of writing and drawing on different materials. With a common pen such problems cannot be solved. From US-A-4 557 618 a multifunctional pen is known , which has the features of the first part of claim 1 and can be used with its writing tip for writing and drawing on paper and with its working tip for correcting errors and/or for writing and drawing on materials different from normal paper. When not in use the working tip and the writing tip are protected by caps which make contact with the housing and not with the respective tips. The sealing effect provided by such caps is not always satisfying, so more, as a user may easily forget to cover the respective tip by the corresponding cap. Thus the writing fluid and the correcting fluid may prematurely dry out and consequently, the fluid outflow may not be controllable to a desired rate at the time, when the pen is to be used. The problem underlying the present invention is to provide a multifunctional pen according to the first part of claim 1, which provides controlled outflow of the writing and working fluids in use of the pen over its whole life-time. According to the invention this problem is solved by a multifunctional pen having the features of claim 1. The working fluid may be a physically covering-up fluid, a chemically colour-fading fluid or a rather strongly adhesive coloured fluid not only capable of correction but also capable of writing and drawing on such materials as metal, glass and ceramics. The type of the working tip is determined by the use of the pen. If the working fluid is a watersoluble or diluted oily fluid, the working tip can be made of a bundle of fibre with good permeability foamed plastics, foam rubber, ceramics, etc... If a suspension or emulsion is used as working fluid, the working tip can be made of metal, nylon, plastics or other material, which is non-permeable for the fluid. The working fluid flows out through a gap between the working tip and the outer shell, the position of the displacement of the working tip being controlled by a spring.. By this construction a controlled outflow of the fluid is guaranteed and at the same time an automatic seal against uncontrolled outflow or evaporation is achieved when the pen is not in use. With the pen of the invention the special characteristics of some working fluids may be utilized to accomplish the writing and drawing on the surface of specific materials. Other advantageous aspects of the present invention are mentioned in the subclaims. Further aspects of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal side view, partly in section, of a multifunctional pen of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal part-section of still another embodiment of a multifunctional pen of the present invention, Fig. 3 is a longitudinal part-section of another embodiment of the multifunctional pen of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1 a multifunctional pen has a housing 1 and a writing-drawing part comprising a writing or drawing apparatus 2. A partition 3 within the housing 1 subdivides the inner space of the housing 1 into first and second chambers a and b. The second chamber b is filled with a working fluid 4. At the exteral end of the second chamber b a working tip 5 is installed, the type of which being determined by the use of the pen. In the embodiment of Fig. 2 the working tip 18 is made of a material which is permeable for the working fluid. In operation the working fluid flows out through a gap between the working tip 18 and an outer shell 7, which is screwed onto one end of the housing 1. The displacement of the working tip 18 is controlled by a pressure spring 6, which urges the working tip 18 against a cap 19, which is integral with the outer shell 7, surrounds and partly covers the outside of working tip 18, and forms a valve seat for working tip 18. The working tip 18 of the embodiment shown in Fig. 3 is made of a material which is nonpermeable for the working fluid similar to the working tip 16 of Fig. 2. The working tip 18 in cooperation with cap 19 practically acts as a valve, i.e. the conical contour 20 of the working tip 18 mates with the cap 19 acting as a valve seat. When the working tip 18 is pressed inwardly, it is separated from the valve seat 19, so that the working fluid can flow out through the gap between the valve seat and the working tip. When no more fluid is required, the pressure effected by the user on the working tip is released and the pressure spring 6 forces the sealing parts 19 and 20 tightly together to close the valve and thus to prevent the working fluid from flowing out further from chamber b. The outside surface of the working tip 18 is wrapped with a layer 11 of a material having a certain degree of fluid-permeability. A permanent magnet ring 12 is slipped on the outside surface of the outer shell 1 at a position corresponding to the second chamber b. Within the second chamber b a magnet actuated plunger 13 is placed oppositely to the magnet ring 12 in a corresponding position. When applying the working fluid, the permanent magnet ring can be moved in direction towards the working tip 18 thus activating plunger 13 to move in the same direction and thereby exerting a pressure on the working fluid within chamber b in order to force the working fluid out of chamber b. If the working fluid is a suspension or emulsion, one or several through-holes 14 may be drilled in the magnet actuated plunger 13 to utilize its movement for mixing the working fluid homogeneously.

Claims: A multi-functional pen comprising a combination of a writing portion and a correcting portion in a housing (1), said writing portion including a writing tip (2) disposed at one end of the housing (1) and an ink chamber (a) said correcting portion including a correcting tip (18) disposed at the other end of the housing (1) and a correcting fluid chamber (b) , which is seperated from said ink chamber (a) by a partition (3), characterized in that said correcting fluid is a covering fluid in the form of a suspension or emulsion adapted to cover any type of ink and capable of adhering strongly to any kind of substrate materials, said correcting tip (18) is formed as a movable inner valve member of a valve (18, 19), the seat (19) of said valve member being provided at the inner side of said outer shell (1) to seal said correcting fluid in said correcting fluid chamber (b) and in that a spring (6) is interposed between said correcting tip (18) and said outer shell (7) to control the amount of fluid used and to assure the sealing of the fluid in said correcting fluid chamber (b) after use. A multifunctional pen according to claim 1, characterized in that, said correcting tip (18) is wrapped with an outer layer (11) of material of good permeability for said correcting fluid.

Inventors: CHA, HENG-JI, DR., HOU, YAN-NING, DR.
Applicants: CHA, HENG-JI, HOU, YAN-NING, ZHANG XIAO-HUI
Application year: 1988
Main classification: B43K27
IPC codes: B43K29, B43K27, B43L19, B43K8, B43K7, B43K5