Patent Publication Number: US-9428002-B2

Title: Defensive writing instrument

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/136,490, filed on Jun. 10, 2008, and entitled “Defensive Writing Instrument.” 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to personal safety devices. More specifically, the invention provides a writing instrument having features that may be useful in a variety of emergency situations. 
     BACKGROUND INFORMATION 
     It is possible for an individual to face numerous types of unexpected emergencies or other potentially difficult situations during the course of any given day. These situations potentially include the need to defend against criminal attack, a need to break automobile glass to rescue an accident victim or to free oneself from a vehicle that has been involved in an accident, or a need to see while moving or working in the dark. Despite the foreseeability of the potential for these situations to occur, people are often unprepared to deal with them. Defensive or rescue equipment can be heavy or bulky, or may be subject to legal restrictions. 
     Writing instruments such as pens are commonly carried. These writing instruments often have little bulk, and may legally be carried virtually anywhere, ensuring that a means for dealing with an emergency is present when needed. Efforts have therefore been made to provide pens with some defensive capability. Presently available pens include the “Extreme Duty Pen” and “Modular Kubaton” (KUBOTAN is a registered trademark owned by Takayuki Kubota) sold by Rick Hinderer Knives, as well as pens offered by Benchmade and by Allen Elishewitz. All of these presently available pens lack the ability to combine a glass break with a means for securing the pen&#39;s cap or other cover over the glass break. Furthermore, some presently available pens include a point opposite the writing tip that is sufficiently sharp to present a potential to break the skin upon execution of a strike, minimizing the usefulness of these pens for nonlethal control techniques. Lastly, these pens failed to provide the ability to modify the appearance or functionality of this end of the pen while retaining an optimal striking surface. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for a writing instrument having a striking tip opposite the writing point, and having a means for securing a cap or other cover over the striking tip. 
     SUMMARY 
     A writing instrument includes a tubular body having a writing tip at one end, and a glass break at the other end. Means for securing a cap to either end of the body, selectively covering either the writing tip or glass break, are provided. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front isometric view of an embodiment of a writing instrument. 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of a glass break for the writing instrument of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a partially cutaway side exploded view of the writing instrument of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a partially cutaway front view of a glass break cover for the writing instrument of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a partially cutaway front view of an alternative glass break cover for the writing instrument of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is a cutaway side view of a cap for the writing instrument of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     Like reference characters denote like elements throughout the drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to the drawings, an example of a writing instrument having defensive and/or safety features is illustrated. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the illustrated example of the writing instrument  10  is a pen, but other writing instruments, for example, pencils or markers, may be used. The writing instrument  10  includes a body  12  having a generally tubular structure with a first end  14  and second end  16 . The first end  14  has a writing tip  18  (described in greater detail below) secured thereto. The second end  16  has a glass break  20  secured thereto, illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . As used herein, the term “glass break” refers to a striking tip made from a rigid, substantially completely solid, impact resistant material and having a blunt, rounded surface  22  that is structured to concentrate the force of an impact over a small surface area without creating a substantial risk of penetrating skin. 
     The first end  14  and second end  16  include a means for securing a cap  24  to the body  12 , so that the cap  24  may cover either the writing tip  18  or glass break  20 . In the illustrated example, screw threads  26 ,  28  are provided on the first end  14  and second end  16 , respectively. The illustrated example of a cap  24  ( FIGS. 1, 6 ) includes screw threads  30  structured to intermesh with both the screw threads  26  and screw threads  28 . 
     The illustrated example of the body  12  includes a plurality of circumferential ridges  32  and/or channels  34 . These ridges  32  and/or channels  34  resist any slipping movement of the hand on the writing instrument  10  during use, and may also increase the effectiveness of pain compliance holds, as explained in more detail below. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , an example of the writing tip  18  and associated structures is illustrated. The illustrated example of the writing tip  18  includes an insert securing member  36  that is structured to be secured to the first end  14  of the body  12 , and a writing medium insert  38  In the illustrated example of a pen, the insert securing member  36  has a generally tubular, generally frustoconical configuration. As used herein, generally frustoconical may include configurations that are convex and/or bullet shaped. A channel  40  having a narrow portion  42  and wide portion  44  passes through the insert securing member  36 . The wide portion  44  includes a means for securing the insert securing member  36  to the first end  14  of the body  12 , which in the illustrated example include the screw threads  46  structured to intermesh with the screw threads  48  defined on the first end  14  of the body  12 . The narrow portion  42  is structured to permit the tip  50  of the writing medium  38  to pass therethrough. 
     The writing medium insert  38  may be any insert that is appropriate to the type of writing instrument selected. In the illustrated example of a pen, the writing medium insert  38  may be any presently available ink cartridge, for example, a ballpoint pen and ink cartridge, a rollerball ink cartridge, or fountain pen ink cartridge (with an appropriate securing member  36 ). A preferred ink cartridge is the cartridge used by the SPACE PEN sold by the Fisher Pen Company located in Boulder City, Nev. In the case of other writing instruments, the writing medium insert  38  may be a graphite stick for use in a pencil, an ink cartridge for a marker, etc. A spring  52  may optionally be provided within a second end  16  of the body  12  to bias the writing medium insert  38  towards the first end  14  of the body  12 . 
     Referring back to  FIGS. 1 and 6 , the cap  24  may include a flashlight  54  ( FIG. 6 ) or a laser pointer  56  ( FIG. 1 ). The flashlight  54  includes a power supply  58  that may be in the form of a replaceable or a rechargeable battery, a switch  60  which in the illustrated example is a pushbutton switch, and a light source  62  which in the illustrated example is a light emitting diode. The switch  60  may be of a type that provides for either momentary activation when pressed, or constant activation until actuated a second time to deactivate the light. Push button, sliding, or other conventional switches may be used. Alternatively, the laser pointer  56  includes a switch  64  and laser emitter  66 . Laser pointers are known to those skilled in the art, and therefore not described in further detail. A pocket clip  68  is provided to secure the writing instrument  10  within a user&#39;s pocket. Although the illustrated pocket clip  68  is provided on the cap  24 , the pocket clip  68  may alternatively be provided on the body  12 . 
     The writing instrument  10  may include a cover that is structured to be secured over the glass break  20 . One possible cover  70  is illustrated in  FIG. 4 . The cover  70  is a generally bullet shaped cover having an internally threaded opening  72  structured to intermesh with the screw threads  28 . The external configuration of the cover  70  is intended to continue the lines and general appearance of the writing instrument  10  so that it appears to be one piece with the writing instrument  10 . The cover  70  therefore provides the writing instrument  10  with a more benign appearance, which may be desirable in some business environments. Another alternative cover is the key ring cover  74  illustrated in  FIG. 5 . The key ring cover  74  has a generally bullet shaped external configuration, corresponding to the lines and general appearance of the writing instrument  10 , in a manner similar to the cover  70 . The key ring cover  74  is also provided with an internally threaded hole  76  that is structured to fit the screw threads  28  on the second end  16  of the body  12 . The tip of the key ring cover  74  is provided with a keyring  78 , which in the illustrated example is secured to the key ring cover  74  by a swivel  80 , maximizing the freedom of movement of the keyring  78  with respect to the cover  74 . 
     In use, the writing instrument  10  may be carried in any manner that is convenient to the user. Some users may wish to clip the writing instrument  10  to a shirt or jacket pocket, while others may wish to utilize a cover  74  to attach their keys to the writing instrument  10 , carrying the writing instrument  10  in a pocket or inside their waistband. Regardless of the selected mode of carry, the writing instrument  10  is immediately available in the event of an emergency. For example, in the event of criminal attack, the writing instrument  10  may be quickly withdrawn from a pocket, grasped with both ends protruding from the user&#39;s fist, and immediately used to block attacks by striking the attackers arm with the glass break  20 , the cap  24 , or the cover  70 ,  74 . The user may then follow up by striking the attacker with these same surfaces, and/or attempt to control the attacker by applying pain compliance holds wherein the body  12  is pressed against the attacker&#39;s wrist. The ridges  32  and/or channels  34  serve to resist sliding of the writing instrument  10  within the user&#39;s hand during blocking and striking, and to increase the effectiveness of pain compliance holds by reducing the surface area over which the force of the holds are applied. 
     If the emergency occurs while the user is using the writing instrument  10  to write, the writing instrument and may be used as a defensive tool with substantially equal effectiveness. Because the cap  24  is firmly secured over the second end  16  of the body  12 , and because the writing tip  18  is firmly secured to the first end  14  of the body  12 , the cap  24  may be stored in this convenient location during use of the writing instrument  10  for writing without compromising the rigidity or general usefulness of the writing instrument  10  as a defensive tool. 
     If the nature of the emergency is an automobile accident, the writing instrument  10  may be quickly accessed, and the glass break  20  may be used to quickly break a vehicle window, enabling the user to quickly free himself or another accident victim from the vehicle. 
     If the user enters a darkened area, the user may utilize the flashlight  54  to facilitate vision, thereby avoiding any obstacles that may be present. If a criminal attack occurs in this darkened area, the writing instrument is already positioned within the user&#39;s hand, with the cap  24  protruding from the thumb end of the fist, and the glass break  20  protruding from the opposite end of the fist, already in the appropriate position for a hammer fist strike and for the above-described defensive usage. Similarly, a user who has selected a writing instrument  10  with a laser pointer  56  already has a defensive tool in hand if an attack occurs during use of the laser pointer. This capability can be particularly useful, for example, to a teacher who is responsible for the safety of his students, or to a businessman who is making a presentation during negotiations in a hostile situation, or under other less than amicable circumstances. 
     A variety of modifications to the above-described embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure. Thus, the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof. The particular embodiments disclosed are meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of the invention. The appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification, should be referenced to indicate the scope of the invention.