Patent ID: 8632270

Claim:
A writing instrument, comprising: a body supporting a lamp and a writing element, wherein the lamp has a first lead and a second lead, wherein the first lead of the lamp is adapted to electrically connect to a battery, and wherein the writing element is adapted for writing on a surface; a cartridge slidably disposed in the body, wherein the cartridge has an upper end and a lower end, wherein the upper end of the cartridge has a lower locating slot, a higher locating slot, and an auxiliary higher locating slot defined therein, wherein an end surface of the cartridge slopes upward in a first direction from the lower locating slot to the higher locating slot, and wherein the end surface of the cartridge slopes upward in a second direction from the lower locating slot to the auxiliary higher locating slot; a rotating slide having a conductive bar that abuts the upper end of the cartridge, wherein the conductive bar is adapted to electrically connect to the battery; and an electrical connection adapted to electrically connect the second lead of the lamp to the battery through the conductive bar of the rotating slide when the conductive bar engages the higher locating slot, wherein, when the conductive bar engages the lower locating slot, the writing element is retracted inside the body, wherein rotation of the rotating slide in the first direction causes the conductive bar to slide on the sloped end surface of the cartridge until the conductive bar engages the higher locating slot, thereby pushing the cartridge downward in the body so that the writing element extends out of the body and the second lead of the lamp electrically connects to the conductive bar causing the lamp to illuminate, and wherein rotation of the rotating slide in the second direction causes the conductive bar to slide on the sloped end surface of the cartridge until the conductive bar engages the auxiliary higher locating slot, thereby pushing the cartridge downward in the body so that the writing element extends out of the body while the second lead of the lamp is not electrically connected to the conductive bar and the lamp is not illuminated.