Patent ID: 7350996

Claim:
A writing utensil with a distal end and a proximal end and extending generally along a longitudinal axis, comprising: a casing having a slot extending generally along the longitudinal axis adjacent the proximal end; a valve coupled to the casing adjacent the distal end and including a valve door; a writing tip movable between a stored position in which the tip is stored in a generally air tight manner within the valve and a writing position in which the tip extends out of the valve; an actuator disposed in and slidable along the slot and operatively coupled to the writing tip such that movement of the actuator in the slot moves the writing tip between the stored position and the writing position; and a reservoir holder slidably disposed within the casing and a string operatively coupling the valve door and the reservoir holder, wherein when the reservoir holder is moved towards the proximal end, the writing utensil is in the stored position and the string pulls the valve door closed.