EP0274991A1

EP0274991A1 - A kit of pens, pencils and similar writing instruments in a rigid casing equipped with retainer devices having two operation positions

Info

Publication number: EP0274991A1
Application number: EP87830118A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Marco D'ottavio
Original assignee: ITALFINA Srl
Current assignee: ITALFINA Srl
Priority date: 1986-12-24
Filing date: 1987-03-27
Publication date: 1988-07-20
Also published as: IT8648788A0

Abstract

This invention relates to a kit of pens, pencils and similar writing instruments housed in a rigid casing equipped with retained devices having two operation positions, wherein said casing (10) consists of two rigid half-shells defining a plurality of ports (14) to introduce pens (11) into its front side and includes a first transverse bridge member (16) having a plurality of rearwardly enlarged through holes; a second transverse bridge member (17) having a plurality of inner recesses; a plurality of stud tailed sleeves (19), the stud tails (20 of which are slidably but not withdrawably extended in the inner recesses of said second transverse bridge member; a compression coil spring (21) acting between said first transverse bridge member (16) and said sleeves (19); as well as a plurality of retainer devices (18) cooperating with the stud tails (20) of said sleeves (19) and operated by pressure forces exerted upon said sleeves so as to move from a retracted position to a withdrawal position and vice versa; the pens of said kit being frictionally engaged in said stud tailed sleeves (19).

Description

This invention relates to a kit of pens, pencils and similar writing instruments housed in a rigid casing equipped with retainer devices having two operation positions and more particularly and substantially it concerns a rigid casing wherein a plurality of seats are defined adapted to house a corresponding plurality of pens or similar writing instruments, which will be all referred to as pens in the following specification and in the claims. A device is provided in each of said pen housing seats which is adapted to be shifted to and stopped in two stable operation positions to which the retracted or rest and the release positions of said pens respectively correspond.
It is known that many different constructions are commercially available which enable to have many different writing instruments at hand, such as a ball-point pen, a pencil, a fiber-point pen and so on, or various pens of the same kind but having different colours. Some ball-point pens of well known kind in this field include a number of cartridges of different colours, generally two or four cartridges, and have a writing point which is selectively extendable to write with a desired colour.
The pens of this multiple cartridge kind have not been broadly successful due to the fact that they appear to be excessively cumbersome and inconvenient, not only in keeping them in a pocket but also in handling them.
A further well known construction provides a rectangular case, generally designed as a plastic or leather envelope and intended to house a plurality of side-by-side arranged pens. Some casings of this kind are also longitudinally divided so as to define a plurality of compartments.
A disadvantage of the casings of this latter kind is that the pens are free standing in their own compartments and, therefore, when the casing is overturned or jerkinly moved, they are ejected and often lost or penetrate into hardly accessible folds of the pockets or of the bags.
It is an object of this invention to eliminate the above disadvantage and to provide a casing wherein, in the first place, the pens are securely retained and therefore they can take a first or rest position wherein they are almost completely retracted, and a second release or protruding position, which aids their withdrawal from the casing.
The casing comprises two rigid half-shells, which can be snap coupled or welded together and define in their front side a plurality of pen introducing ports and a series of partition diaphragms which cooperate to partially define the pen housing seats. A first transverse bridge member having a plurality of rearwardly enlarged through holes and a second transverse bridge member having a plurality of inner recesses are provided in said casing. A plurality of stud tailed sleeves are arranged between said two bridge members with their respective stud tails being slidably but not-withdrawably extended in the internal recesses of the second bridge member and are inwardly urged by a coil spring. Retainer devices are arranged in the recesses of said second bridge member so as to cooperate with the stud tails of the sleeves to pass from a retracted position to a withdrawal position and vice versa by means of successive pressure actions exerted upon said sleeves by the pens, in a way which is strictly similar to the operation by which a retractable ball-point pen is operated. In this assembly, the pens are inserted through said front ports of the casing, extend through the holes provided in the first transverse bridge member and are frictionally engaged in said sleeves.
Further details and advantages as well as structural and operational features of the casing and of the pens according to this invention will be evident from the following disclosure by referring to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment is illustratively but not restrictively shown.
In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a perspective general view of the casing with five pens housed therein;
Figure 2 shows a plan view of a casing with three pens in various positions, with the upper half-shell removed;
Figure 3 shows a side elevation view in cross-section corresponding to a pen;
Figure 4 shows a front elevation view in cross-section along line IV-IV of Figure 3.

Referring now to the drawings, it can be seen that the casing 10 according to this invention contains five pens 11 which can be pens of various kinds, such as a ball-point pen, a fiber-point pen, and so on, or pens of a single kind, for instance all ball-point pens or all pencils, but of various colours, as well as pens of mixed kinds.
The casing consists of two rigid half- shells 12 and 13 which define in the front side of the casing nearly circular openings or ports 14 wherein pens 11 are inserted. A series of longitudinal partial partition diaphragms 15 are provided in said casing so as to define the first portions of the seats wherein pens 11 are housed. Nearly in the middle section of the casing, a transverse bridge member 16 is provided having a plurality of rearwardly enlarged through holes, the number of which is the same as the number of the pens and having an inner diameter corresponding to the diameter of the pens, so that the pens can be extended there through without noticeable clearance.
A similar transverse bridge member 17 is provided in the bottom section of casing 10 and receives a plurality of devices 18 which cooperate with a plurality of stud tailed sleeves 19 as it will be herein after explained. The stud tails 20 of said sleeves 19 are slidably but not-withdrawably received in recesses provided in transverse bridge member 17, by means of tooth-spline couplings (not shown) in order that sleeves 19 can effectively be moved according to arrow F in Figure 3 between two positions: an internal and an external position, with respect to bridge member 17. Coil springs 21 are arranged so as to act between a circumferential step formed by a restriction of the outer diameter of sleeves 19 and the shoulders formed in the holes of the intermediate transverse bridge 16 by the enlargement of their inner diameter; said springs urge the stud tailed sleeves 19 inwardly in the recesses provided in bridge member 17, that is to the left side in Figures 2 and 3.
As above referred to, a plurality (under the term "plurality" in this specification a number is to be understood equal to the number of the pens forming the kit) of retainer devices 18 are received in said bridge 17. The retainer devices 18 have a structure per se known; in fact said devices are of the same type as already used in conventional pens or pencils equipped with snap-retractable points; they cooperate, therefore, with said stud tails 20 in order to define two set or stop positions for sleeves 19, an internal and an external position, so that when an inward pressure is exerted upon each sleeve 19, it is inwardly moved and is retained in this internal position and when a further pressure is again inwardly exerted upon said sleeve 19 it is released and returned to its external position under the action of a small coil spring (not shown) included in each retainer device 18.
Coil spring 21 is arranted so as to slightly urge sleeve 19 outwardly and it can be mainly considered as a positioning and stabilizing spring designed to prevent useless back-lashes for sleeve 19.
Pens 11 are introduced into their respective housing seats through the inlet holes 14 of said casing and then they are extended through the holes provided in bridge 16 and finally their point portions are inserted into sleeves 19. The inner diameter of sleeves 19 is such as to enable a slight friction or force fit engagement between the point portion of a pen and the inner surface of the associated sleeve 19.
Also ribs can be provided in the sleeve or on the pen to this effect, so as to enable such a slight force fit engagement which can anyway be released by means of a simple tensile action exerted on the pen.
Since the pressure acting on the sleeves 19 to move them between the above mentioned positions is exerted by means of the associated pens 11, it can be seen in Figures 2 and 3 that the pens 11 are engaged with the sleeves 19 not only by the abovesaid friction fit but also by abutment between a small circumferential step of pens 11 and the edge of sleeves 19.
It will be evident from the above that pens 11, according to the positions, the movements and the engagements of said sleeves 19, can take a retracted or internal position wherein they are retained, in view of the fact that the sleeves 19 themselves are retained, and wherefrom it is difficult for them to be withdrawn by disengaging them from said sleeves 19 (for instance, pen 11A in Figure 2) and an external or withdrawal position, wherein sleeves 19 are displaced to the right and it is easy to withdraw the pens by disengaging them from sleeves 19 for instance, pens 11 and 11B in Figure 2).
From an operational view point, in conclusion, it can be seen that, when a first pressure action is exerted upon the pens, they are retracted and retained and, when a second pressure action is exerted upon them, they partially protrude outwardly and can be easily withdrawn.
As it is well known to those skilled in the art, such devices include as an essential component a small compression coil spring that is compressed by the pressure action exerted to move to the retracted position and remains in the compressed condition until it is released by a subsequent pressure action exerted thereon, thereby returning, in this invention, the sleeve and the related pen to the withdrawal position.
It is to be understood that any device adapted to perform these functions can be used in the assembly of this invention.
While the preferred embodiment of this invention has been heretofore explained, it should be understood that many changes and modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention.

Claims

1. A kit of pens, pencils and similar writing instruments housed in a rigid casing equipped with retainer devices having two operation positions, characterized in that said casing (10) consists of two rigid half-shells defining a plurality of ports (14) to introduce pens (11) in its front side and it includes a first transverse bridge member (16) having a plurality of rearwardly enlarged through holes; a second transverse bridge member (17) having a plurality of inner recesses; a plurality of stud tailed sleeves (19), the stud tails (20) of which are slidably but not withdrawably extended in the inner recesses of said second transverse bridge member; a compression coil spring (21) acting between said first transverse bridge member (16) and said sleeves (19); as well as a plurality of retainer devices (18) cooperating with the stud tails (20) of said sleeves (19) and operable by pressure forces exerted upon said sleeves (19) so as to move from a retracted position to a withdrawal position and vice versa; the pens (11) of said kit being frictionally engaged in said stud tailed sleeves (19).

2.A kit of pens housed in a rigid casing according to claim 1, characterized in that said casing has a plurality of partition diaphragms (15) designed so as to define seats for receiving said pens (11) therein.

3. A kit of pens housed in a rigid casing according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that said coil spring (21) is engaged between a step formed by a restriction of the outer diameter of said sleeves (19) and a shoulder formed by an enlargement of the inner diameter of the through holes provided in said first transverse bridge member (16).

4. A kit of pens housed in a rigid casing according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that said retainer devices (18) cooperating with the stud tails (20) of said sleeves (19) contain compression coil springs to urge said sleeves (19) to the withdrawal position.

5. A kit of pens housed in a rigid casing according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that said pens (11) are frictionally engaged in said sleeves (19) and have a circumferential step for abutment against the edges of said sleeves (19).

6. A kit of pens, pencils and similar writing instruments housed in a rigid casing equipped with retainer devices having two operation positions according to any preceding claims and substantially as heretofore described and shown.