Patent Publication Number: US-11027573-B2

Title: Pen

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a pen, and more particularly to a pen having a pen tube having a non-round tubular appearance. 
     Description of the Prior Art 
     A common ballpoint pen, mechanical pen or stylus has a round tubular pen body and a cap. A lead, a refill, an ink refill, a spring or electronic components are installed in the round tubular pen body, and one end of the pen body is provided with a thread. The cap can also be provided with a thread for joining with the thread of the pen body. Alternatively, a lead, a refill, an ink refill, a spring or electronic components can also be placed in the cap. When the cap and the pen body are joined, the pen appears cylindrical in shape. 
     However, certain pens are designed with a special form, e.g., a regular hexagon, and thus a pen body and cap thereof are also correspondingly designed as regular hexagons. Thus, the threads on the pen body and the cap designed in such special form require extremely precise calculation and hardware processing in order to allow the regular hexagonal cases of the pen body and the cap to exactly align with each other when the threads on the pen body and the cap are mutually rotated to the end. Therefore, for a pen designed with a special form or a non-round tubular pen, a conventional structure of threads on a pen and a cap can significantly increase design and production costs. 
     Therefore, there is a need for a pen having reduced production costs and a case that can be readily assembled into a special design form. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a pen having a pen tube having a non-round tubular appearance. 
     To achieve the above object, a pen of the present invention includes a pen tube, a connection structure, a cap and an elastic unit. The pen tube includes a pen case and a thread portion provided at the pen case. The connection structure includes a main body, a corresponding thread portion and an elastic unit fastener. The corresponding thread portion is provided at the main body and is joined with the thread portion. The elastic unit fastener is provided at the main body. The cap includes a cap case and an elastic unit corresponding fastener provided at the pen case. The two ends of the elastic unit are respectively fastened to the elastic unit fastener and the elastic unit corresponding fastener. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, the connection structure further includes at least one connection structure through hole provided at the main body, and the cap further includes at least one cap through hole provided at the cap case, wherein a position of the at least one cap through hole corresponds to that of the at least one connection structure through hole. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, the pen further includes a fastening pin, which passes through the at least one connection structure through hole and the at least one cap through hole. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, the at least one connection structure through hole is located between the corresponding thread portion and the elastic unit fastener. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, a size of the at least one connection structure through hole is larger than a size of the at least one cap through hole. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, the pen tube further includes a positioning portion, and the cap further includes a corresponding positioning portion, wherein a shape of the positioning portion corresponds to that of the corresponding positioning portion. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, the pen tube further includes a form design portion, and the cap further includes a corresponding form design portion. When the positioning portion is joined with the corresponding positioning portion, the form design portion is aligned with the corresponding form design portion. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, a shape of the form design portion is a plane. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, the pen further includes a battery located in the pen tube. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, the pen further includes a conductive elastic unit connected to the battery. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of a pen according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective diagram of a pen according to an embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 3  is a partial section diagram of a pen according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     In the following detailed description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed embodiments. It will be apparent, however, that one or more embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are schematically shown in order to simplify the drawing. 
     Refer to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 3  for a pen according to an embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 1  shows a schematic diagram of a pen according to an embodiment of the present invention;  FIG. 2  shows an exploded perspective diagram of a pen according to an embodiment of the present invention;  FIG. 3  shows a partial section diagram of a pen according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , in one embodiment of the present invention, a pen  1  provides effects of reduced production costs and ready assembly of a case by assembly workers into a special design form (e.g. the case is non-round tubular). The pen  1  is, for example, a stylus and is not limited thereto. The pen  1  can also be a pen device such as a laser pen, a ballpoint pen or a mechanical pen. The pen  1  includes a pen tube  10 , a connection structure  20 , a cap  30 , an elastic unit  40 , a fastening pin  50 , a conductive elastic unit  60  and a battery  70 . 
     In one embodiment of the present invention, the pen tube  10  is for matching with the cap  30  to accommodate the internal components of the pen  1 . The pen tube  10  includes a pen tube case  11 , a thread portion  12 , a positioning portion  13  and a form design portion  14 . The pen tube case  11  is a hollow tube, of which an inner wall is a tubular structure and an outer wall is a non-tubular structure. The pen tube case  11  is for accommodating the internal components of the pen  1 . The thread portion  12  is an inner thread and is provided at an inner side on one end of the pen tube case  11  facing the cap  30 . The positioning portion  13  is a recess and is provided on one end of the pen tube case  11  facing the cap  30 . The form design portion  14  is a plane and is provided on the pen tube case  11 . However, the shape of the form design portion  14  is not limited to being a plane and can be modified into other shapes according to appearance design requirements. 
     In one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 3 , the connection structure  20  is for joining the pen tube  10  with the cap  30  and for adjusting the joining angle between the pen tube  10  and the cap  30 . The connection structure  20  includes a main body  21 , a corresponding thread portion  22 , two connection structure through holes  23 , and an elastic unit fastener  24 . The main body  21  is a cylinder and can be place into the pen tube  10  and the cap  30  which are joined with each other. The corresponding thread portion  22  is a ring having an outer thread, is provided on one end of the main body  21  facing the pen tube  10 , and is for joining with the thread portion  12 . However, the forms of the thread portion  12  and the corresponding thread portion  22  are not limited to the above examples; the corresponding thread portion  22  can be modified to an inner thread and the thread portion  12  can be correspondingly modified to an outer thread. The two connection structure through holes  23  are provided at the main body  21 , are for accommodating the fastening pin  50 , and are both located between the corresponding thread portion  22  and the elastic unit fastener  24 . However, the quantity of the connection structure through holes  23  is not limited to two. In other embodiments, the quantity of the connection structure through holes  23  can also be modified to one. The elastic unit fastener  24  is an arc groove, is provided on one end of the main body  21  facing the cap  30 , and is for fastening the elastic unit  40 . In this embodiment, the elastic unit  40  is, for example but not limited to, a spring. 
     In one embodiment of the present invention, the cap  30  is for joining with one end of the pen tube  10  so as to match with the pen tube  10  to further accommodate the internal components of the pen  1 . The cap  30  includes a cap case  31 , two cap through holes  32 , an elastic unit corresponding fastener  33 , a corresponding positioning portion  34  and a corresponding form design portion  35 . The cap case  31  is a hollow tube, of which an inner wall is a tubular structure and an outer wall is a non-tubular structure. The cap case  31  is for accommodating the internal components of the pen  1 . The two cap through holes  32  are provided at the cap case  31 , and positions of the two cap through holes  32  respectively correspond to those of the two connection structure through holes  23 . However, the quantity of the cap through holes  32  is not limited to two and can also be modified to one. A size of the connection structure through holes  23  is larger than a size of the cap through holes  32 . The cap through holes  32  are for accommodating the fastening pin  50 . The elastic unit corresponding fastener  33  is connected to the cap case  31  and can be wound by one end of the elastic unit  40  so as to fasten the elastic unit  40 . In the embodiment, the elastic unit corresponding fastener  33  is a thumbtack-shaped structure; however, the shape and structure of the elastic unit corresponding fastener  33  are not limited to the above examples. The corresponding positioning portion  34  is a protrusion, and a shape of the groove of the positioning portion  13  corresponds to a shape of the protrusion of the corresponding positioning portion  34 . The corresponding positioning portion  34  is for joining with the positioning portion  13  to achieve a positioning effect. However, the forms of the positioning portion  13  and the corresponding positioning portion  34  are not limited to the above examples; the positioning portion  13  can be modified to be a protrusion, and the corresponding positioning portion  34  can be correspondingly modified to be a groove. The corresponding form design portion  35  is a plane and is provided on the cap case  31 . When the positioning portion  13  and the corresponding positioning portion  34  are joined, a plane of the form design portion  14  is aligned with the plane of the corresponding form design portion  35 . However, the shape of the corresponding form design portion  35  is not limited to being a plane and can also be modified to be other shapes according to appearance design requirements. 
     In one embodiment of the present invention, the two ends of the elastic unit  40  are respectively fastened to the arc groove of the elastic unit fastener  24  and the thumbtack-shaped structure of the elastic unit corresponding fastener  33 . The elastic unit  40  provides the connection structure  20  and the cap  30  with an elastic force so as to enable the connection structure  20  and the cap  30  to be close to each other. 
     In one embodiment of the present invention, the fastening pin  50  passes through the two connection structure through holes  23  and the two cap through holes  32 . The fastening pin  50  is for fixing the connection structure  20  at a position in the cap  30 . A width of the fastening pin  50  is substantially equal to the size of the cap through holes  32 , such that the fastening pin  50  does not move easily and is mutually fastened with the cap through holes  32  once having passed through the cap through holes  32 . Further, because the size of the connection structure through holes  23  is greater than that of the cap through holes  32 , the size of the connection structure through holes  23  is also larger than the width of the fastening pin  50 . Thus, after the fastening pin  50  passes through the connection structure through holes  23 , the connection structure  20  is still capable of slightly moving relative to the fastening pin  50 , and the cap  30  can also be linked by the fastening pin  50  to slightly move relative to the connection structure  20 . 
     In one embodiment of the present invention, the battery  70  is located in the pen tube  10  and provides power required for a touch function of the pen  1 . The conductive elastic unit  60  is a negative electrode spring and has one end thereof connected to the battery  70  and the other end thereof having a larger coil radius. The one end having the larger coil radius can be fastened at an inner side of the ring of the corresponding thread portion  22 . The conductive elastic unit  60  is for transmitting power of the battery  70  to components needing power in the pen  1 . 
     When assembly workers are to assemble the pen  1  of the present invention, as shown in  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 3 , one end of the conductive elastic unit  60  having a larger coil radius is fastened at the inner side of the ring of the corresponding thread portion  22 , and the battery  70  is placed in the pen case  11 . The assembly workers can then fasten one end of the elastic unit  40  to the thumbtack-shaped structure of the elastic unit corresponding fastener  33  and fasten the other end of the elastic unit  40  to the arc groove of the elastic unit fastener  24 . Next, the assembly workers can place a part of the main body  21  in the cap case  31  and respectively align the two connection structure through holes  23  with the two cap through holes  32 . The assembly workers can then pass the fastening pen  50  through the two connection structure through holes  23  and the two cap through holes  32 . Thus, the connection structure  20 , the cap  30 , the elastic unit  40  and the fastening pin  50  will become joined to one another, and the elastic pulling force of the elastic unit  40  will pull the connection structure  20  and the cap  30  close to each other so as to tightly join the two. 
     Finally, the assembly workers can rotate the corresponding thread portion  22  into the thread portion  12  to cause the cap  30  gradually to approach the pen tube  10  until the groove of the positioning portion  13  is joined with the protrusion of the corresponding positioning portion  34 . When the positioning portion  13  and the corresponding positioning portion  34  are joined, the plane of the form design portion  14  is aligned with the plane of the corresponding form design portion  35  such that the outer shapes of the pen tube  10  and the cap  30  are matched with each other. Further, because the size of the connection structure through holes  23  is greater than that of the fastening pin  50 , the fastening pin  50  can move slightly relative to the connection structure  20 . That is to say, when the corresponding thread portion  22  is rotated all the way to the end relative to the thread portion  12  but the plane of the form design portion  14  is not yet aligned with the plane of the corresponding form design portion  35  (i.e. the outer shapes of the pen tube  10  and the cap  30  are not yet matched with each other), the cap  30  can still slightly move by means of the moving space between the fastening pin  50  and the connection structure through holes  23  for fine tuning of the position of the corresponding positioning portion  34 , so as to enable the positioning portion  13  and the corresponding positioning portion  34  to match with each other and the plane of the form design portion  14  be aligned with the plane of the corresponding form design portion  35 . Thus, when the thread rotation angle between the corresponding thread portion  22  and the thread portion  12  is designed and manufactured, highly accurate calculations and hardware processing are not required. The structural error between the corresponding thread portion  22  and the thread portion  12  can still be compensated by a fine tuning effect provided by the moving space between the fastening pin  50  and the connection structure through holes  23 . 
     With the structural design of the pen  1  of the present invention, design production costs of the corresponding thread portion and the thread portion can be reduced, allowing assembly workers to readily assemble a case of a pen into a special design form. 
     Although the present disclosure has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain embodiments thereof, other embodiments are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the embodiments contained herein. 
     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present disclosure without departing from the scope or spirit of the present disclosure. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the present disclosure cover modifications and variations of the present disclosure provided they fall within the scope of the following claims.