EP0621140B1 - Refillable writing implement and refill-container - Google Patents

Abstract

A refillable writing implement (1) has a writing tank (2) for supplying writing liquid to the nib (4). It has an additional storage tank (3), from which the writing tank (2) can be refilled via a connection acting as a valve (6). The storage tank (3) can be refilled from the outside via a valve with an associated refill container. The refill container has an injection needle with a valve, and means for subjecting the writing liquid in its interior to pressure. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to a refillable liquid pen with a writing tank for supplying the writing tip with writing liquid, and to an associated refill container which is in a direct functional connection with the liquid pen. The writing tank of liquid pens is gradually emptied when writing and air flows into the inside of the tank in the same volume. If this writing tank is empty, it can be refilled with writing fluid or replaced with a full writing tank in the form of a cartridge. Is written with the writing tip, which is usually in the form of a pen, or then with a roller in the case of an ink roller, for example, or using a felt pen.

From CH-A-255 993 a refillable liquid recorder according to the preamble of claims 1 and 3 with a storage tank for supplying a writing tip with a writing liquid is known, in which the storage tank can be refilled from the outside via a valve with an associated refill container that can be connected to the valve is. The valve is located in a bore that leads from the outside into the storage tank and consists of a rubber valve plate inserted into the bore is provided with a central capillary opening which remains closed due to the self-resilience of the rubber material and is intended for receiving an injection needle of the refill container. The refill container consists of a bottle with a neck that carries the injection needle pointing upwards. For refilling, the liquid pen is inserted with its rear end onto the injection needle, which penetrates the valve plate. By pressurizing the refill container, the writing fluid is then pressed into the storage tank of the fluid recorder. In this case, the air displaced from the storage tank can only escape via the air duct at the writing tip of the liquid recorder. This configuration has the disadvantage that overfilling of the storage tank and, as a result, leakage of writing fluid at the writing tip can occur if the air volume pumped into the refill container to generate overpressure is greater than the holding capacity of the storage tank of the liquid recorder.

In a writing device known from DE-U-86 20 385 there is a writing tank between the storage tank and the writing tip which is separated from the storage tank by a wall and can be connected to the storage tank by actuating a refill valve which is closed in its basic position. The closure element of the refill valve is connected to a plunger which is led out of the storage tank at the end opposite the writing tip such that the closure element can first be moved into an open position and then again into a closed position by depressing the plunger end. In the closed position of the refill valve, the writing tip is fed exclusively from the writing tank. If the writing tank is empty, the ink can be transferred from the storage tank to the writing tank by opening the refill valve and the storage tank can then be refilled be closed, thereby keeping the tank volume associated with the writing tip small. This known writing instrument has the disadvantage that it cannot be refilled with ink and must therefore be thrown away when the ink in the writing tank and the storage tank is used up.

To simplify refilling, writing instruments with a cartridge as a writing tank are also known, in which the empty cartridge is replaced by a filled one. For this, however, the writing instrument must be taken apart. The used cartridge is discarded and must be disposed of later. It consists of a plastic and its disposal does not exactly contribute to environmental protection. After all, these cartridges are millions of pieces every year that end up in general household waste.

There are also writing instruments with cartridges that can be refilled from a refill bottle. This system is particularly widespread among ink pens. For this purpose, the transparent cartridge must be removed from the pen and held upwards with its relatively small opening of a few millimeters in diameter. Then the refill bottle must be held with the other hand and the cartridge can be filled via a pouring cannula of the refill bottle. Often a bubble forms in the cartridge, which simulates a higher fill level than this actually exists. To make sure, the cannula tries to destroy this bladder. All of these manipulations represent precision work and it is not uncommon for ink to be spilled and fingers to become dirty.

With conventional writing instruments with a writing tank, there is yet another problem area. This is because they do not have a very large write capacity. The refill, which is all too often necessary, is perceived as a disadvantage, because it always involves a write interruption. This interruption is sometimes necessary especially in the most uncomfortable moments, for example when students are dictating exams or during formal ceremonies while signing important documents.

However, an enlargement of the writing tank to increase the writing capacity is not possible without further ado, since other problems are dealt with. In the case of a large tank, a relatively large gas bubble is created in the writing tank with increasing emptying. This expands when heated and pressurizes the writing fluid so that more of it runs out than is necessary. The clerk then spills. If the temperature rises sharply, even writing fluid can leak without any action. The same can happen if you take the pen on an airplane in which the internal pressure drops relatively quickly compared to the atmospheric pressure previously prevailing in the writing tank. If the pen, which is hung in a vest pocket or carried in a women's handbag, runs out for this reason, this can result in very unpleasant soiling. Pressure and temperature fluctuations are therefore fundamentally problematic and these effects emerge all the more, the larger the writing tank is and the less it contains.

Another problem area is the hydrostatic pressure column, which is formed by a long tank. While only a very low hydrostatic pressure is effective when the tank is almost empty and the writing fluid flows in due to the capillary action of the ink conductor, this pressure increases several times for a writing tank which extends over the entire length of a pen. The pen can then no longer hold the liquid and the pen will spill. For this reason, a pen with a tank that would extend the entire length of the pen hardly works.

In view of the problems mentioned, the present invention was based on the object of creating a refillable liquid pen which is easier to refill and which makes the environmentally harmful writing cartridges superfluous. Furthermore, it was an object to create a liquid recorder which has a higher writing capacity, is less sensitive to temperature and pressure fluctuations or can be brought into a state in which it is unaffected by these fluctuations, so that no writing liquid leaks.

This object is achieved by a refillable pen with a storage tank for supplying the writing tip with writing fluid, which is characterized in that the storage tank can be refilled with an associated refill container from the outside via a valve. Furthermore, according to the invention, the storage tank can be present in the recorder in addition to a writing tank, the writing tank being refillable from the storage tank via a connection acting as a valve.

On the other hand, the object is achieved by a refill container, which is characterized in that it has an injection needle with a one-way valve, and means for pressurizing the writing fluid inside it.

An advantageous embodiment of this pen and the associated refill container is shown in the drawings. The invention is described in detail below with the aid of these drawings and its function is explained.

Figur 1

den nachfüllbaren Schreiber teilweise aufgeschnitten;

Figur 2

den zugehörigen Nachfüllbehälter;

Figur 3

den nachfüllbaren Schreiber und den Nachfüllbehälter vor dem Zusammenstecken zum Nachfüllen;

Figur 4

einen Längsschnitt durch die Injektionsnadel mit Nachfüll- und Entlüftungsbohrung;

Figur 5

einen Kollektiv-Nachfüllbehälter für schulische Zwecke, montiert an einer Wand.

It shows:

Figure 1

partially cut open the refillable pen;

Figure 2

the associated refill container;

Figure 3

the refillable pen and the refill container before plugging together for refilling;

Figure 4

a longitudinal section through the injection needle with refill and vent hole;

Figure 5

a collective refill container for school purposes, mounted on a wall.

In Figure 1 the whole recorder is shown partially cut away. It contains a writing tank 2 in its housing 1. The writing tip is formed here by a writing spring 4, which is fed from the writing tank 2 in a known manner via a so-called ink conductor. Instead of a spring, a felt or roller can also be used as a writing tip. The special feature of this recorder is that in addition to the writing tank 2 there is a separate storage tank 3 in the recorder, from which the writing tank 2 can be refilled via a connection acting as a valve 6. This storage tank can in turn be refilled from the outside via a valve 13 from an associated refill container. First, the writer is discussed in detail. In the example shown here, the writing tank 2 is significantly smaller than the storage tank 3. This is deliberately chosen because it ensures that the writing tank 2 is only slightly influenced by temperature and pressure fluctuations, since the writing process results in the Air-forming air bubble flowing after the writing tank is always relatively small and therefore does not cause any problems which could lead to blobs. So that the writer can still offer a large writing capacity, he has the storage tank 3 shown, from which the writing tank 2 can be refilled via a connection acting as a valve. This separate storage tank 3 has significantly more volume than the writing tank 2. Thus, the writing tank 2 can be refilled several times with it. In order to make this refilling easy, the connection acting as a valve 6 is realized in the example shown by a partition 5 which has a valve seat 8 in which a valve plate 7 is seated and is supported by a valve rod 9. When the valve 6 thus formed is closed, the writing tank 2 and the storage tank 3 are tightly separated from one another. If the valve 6 is opened, they are connected to one another and the liquid they contain can flow through the valve 6 in both directions, depending on the gradient. In an even simpler embodiment, in which the interior of the storage tank 3, as also shown in FIG. 1, tapers towards the rear end of the recorder, the valve plate itself could also form the partition, its edge then having a rubber seal in the form of a O-rings would be provided, which would seal against the inner wall of the tank. The valve 6 is operated in both cases so that the valve rod 9th something against the writing tip 4, as indicated by the arrow 14, is shifted. The valve plate 7 is thus lifted out of its valve seat 8 and opens the connection between the storage tank 3 and the writing tank 2. The valve rod 9 has an actuating button 10 at its rear end. A compression spring 11 is arranged around the end of the valve rod 9 a fixed version 15 to the clerk is inserted. With its top, this compression spring 11 acts on the bottom of the push button 10, which then serves as a refill push button 10. The valve rod 9 is sealed where it penetrates the socket 15. A fine cannula 16 for refilling the storage tank 3 runs within the edge region of the holder 15. A valve in the form of a rubber membrane 13, which has a central fine hole, is built into this cannula 16. This rubber membrane 13 is tightly closed in the relaxed state when there is no needle in the hole, so that the cannula 16 is interrupted in a sealing manner.

After filling the storage tank 3, which will be described later in detail, the writing tank 2 remains initially empty. In order to make the pen ready for writing, the refill push button 10 is now pressed, after which the valve 6 between the storage tank 3 and the writing tank 2 is opened and the writing liquid immediately flows from the storage tank 3 into the writing tank 2 and fills it. This filling of the writing tank 2 only takes a few seconds. Then the push button 10 is relieved again and the valve 6 between the writing tank 2 and the storage tank 3 closes. The recorder is now ready for use. With its use, the writing tank 2 is gradually emptied, with the identical volume of the flowing writing fluid being replaced by incoming air. However, because the writing tank 2 is relatively small, the gas bubble that forms is itself included major temperature and pressure fluctuations in the ambient air cause no problems. As soon as the writing tank 2 is empty, the refill pushbutton 10 is briefly pressed and the recorder is immediately ready for use again. If the pen is taken on a flight, as a precautionary measure, in a position of the pen, the writing tip can be pressed upward on the push button 10, as a result of which the writing liquid in the writing tank 2 instantly flows back into the storage tank. This ensures that nothing runs out of the nib 4 because the liquid is then completely and safely stored in the storage tank 3, which is sealed on all sides. In order to offer even greater security against a possible leakage of ink, the recorder could also be equipped with a manually operated relief valve in order to release any excess pressure which may have built up under extreme conditions in the soon empty storage tank. This valve could, for example, be actuated briefly by pressing the pushbutton 10, a relief bore in the pen housing being swept by a relief line, which in turn communicates with the storage tank 3. When this relief bore communicates with the relief line, the pressure can be released. A tampon can be installed in the relief line, which retains the ink somewhat from the air. To the side of the storage tank 3, the recorder has a viewing window through which the fill level in the storage tank 3 can be viewed. Because this pen has an overall much larger tank capacity than conventional fountain pens, it has a correspondingly larger writing capacity. With a conventional recorder size, this reaches three to five times the conventional writing capacity.

A special refill container 20, as shown in FIG. 2, is used to fill the storage tank 3. This Refill container 20 has an injection needle 21, which is advantageously enclosed by a protective sleeve 23 and the tip of which is enclosed by a retractable rubber seal. The refill container 20 also has means in order to be able to pressurize the liquid contained in it. In the example shown, the refill container 20 is made of plastic and forms a foldable bellows 22. By compressing the bellows 22, the pressure inside is increased. The inner wall of the sleeve 23 has one or more longitudinal grooves 25 or grooves 24 which fit into corresponding longitudinal grooves 26 or grooves 27 at the end of the pen. The sleeve 23 also prevents, for example, students from being tempted to use the refill container 20 as a spray gun by pulling the rubber seal back with a finger, exposing the needle 21 and then pumping at the same time, which could of course splash the ink . Thanks to the sleeve 23, the rubber seal, which closes the pouring mouth on the needle 21 when not in use, cannot be pushed back easily, as a result of which ink could flow out. The injection needle 21 and the sleeve 23 sit together on a screw-on cover 28, after which the refill container can in turn be refilled from a larger canister. Ultimately, it is either the refill containers themselves that are bought in the store, or the refill containers can be refilled from a larger canister in the store. The delivery of entire canisters to schools etc. is also conceivable.

FIG. 3 shows the structure of the injection needle 21 on the refill container 20 using a longitudinal section. The injection needle 21 has two separate bores in the inside of its tip, namely a bore 29 for guiding the liquid to be refilled, which runs centrally through the needle from behind and opens laterally into a longitudinal slot 44 in the front region. Through the pouring opening thus formed 44 the ink can flow out. Another hole starts from the tip of the needle 21 and opens in the same way into the slot 32, which is opposite the pouring opening 44. This bore with its mouth slot 32 acts as a vent hole 45 for guiding the air displaced in the refilled container. The entire injection needle 21 is inserted in a guide tube 34. This guide tube 34 forms on its front edge an inner shoulder 36, against which a sleeve 37 inserted from the back abuts and is held. A rubber seal 33 is seated in this sleeve 37, which in turn is acted upon by a nipple 38. This rubber seal 33 has a radial vent hole 43 on one side. The injection needle 21 now leads through the central bore in the rubber seal 33 and has a gradually enlarged outer diameter. On the lowest step 39 there is a compression spring 40, which abuts the shoulder 41 on the nipple 38. If the needle tip 21 is inserted into the refill cannula 16 on the pen 1, the rubber seal 33 rests on the cannula rim. If the container 20 is then pushed further towards the pen, the injection needle 21 is pushed further forward against the force of the compression spring 40 through the rubber seal 33 and pierces the rubber membrane 13 in the refill cannula 16 of the pen 1. The rubber seal becomes 33 pushed back over the injection needle 21 by sliding the sleeve 37 and the nipple 38 with the rubber seal 33 held therein within the guide tube 34 to the rear. As a result, the lateral pouring opening 44 of the bore 29 on the injection needle 21, which is sealed by the rubber seal 33 in the relaxed state of the spring, is exposed, and ink can flow out of the container 20. At the same time, the mouth slot 32 of the bore 45 for ventilation, which starts from the tip of the injection needle and leads radially out of the injection needle, has moved into the position opposite the ventilation bore 43 moved in the rubber seal 33. Therefore, the air displaced as a result of the refilled ink in the storage tank 3 of the pen can now escape through this bore 45 and its orifice slot 21.

FIG. 4 shows how the refilling takes place in relation to the necessary manipulations. The refill container 20 is pushed onto the end of the pen 1 by fitting the sleeve 23 with its grooves 24 or grooves 25 onto the one that also has grooves 26 or grooves 27 provided end of the recorder 1 is plugged on. When the refill container 20 and the pen 1 are pushed further together, the rubber seal 33, in which the needle 21 is seated, finds a stop with its shoulder 36 on the cannula 16. By further pressing the refill container 20 and pen 1 against the spring force acting in the guide tube 34, the injection needle 21 is pushed into the cannula 16 and pierces the rubber membrane 13 sitting therein. Because the injection needle 21 is thereby pushed out of the rubber seal 33, the connection between Refill container 20 and storage tank 3 created. At the same time, a connection is created between the storage tank 3 and the ventilation hole 43 in the rubber seal 33, so that the ventilation of the storage tank 3 takes place when filling and thus the refilling can function. For this purpose, the bellows 22 is now pressed from behind, whereby the writing liquid is pressed from the refill container 20 into the storage tank 3 of the pen. The filling can be observed at the viewing window 17 of the recorder 1, so that there is no overfilling. As soon as the filling is complete, the container with the injection needle 21 is withdrawn from the rear end of the pen 1 and the pen is ready for writing again. The rubber membrane 13 closes the cannula 16 again and the pouring opening 44 on the injection needle 21 disappears again tightly in the rubber seal 33.

This type of filling avoids the use of cartridges and takes account of the environmental protection concept. This is particularly important in schools. Furthermore, the manipulation for filling is made considerably easier, takes place more quickly and the fingers are no longer dirty.

As a variant of the individual refill container, this can also be designed for the school as a collective refill container 30 which, for example, has its fixed place somewhere in the school room, for example by being installed in a cupboard or mounted on a wall, as in FIG. 5 is shown. The refill container has a special assembly device for this assembly. The mounting position is such that the injection needle with sleeve 23 points downwards. In order for the liquid inside to be brought to an increased pressure in addition to the hydrostatic pressure acting to accelerate the filling of a pen, a pressure piston sealed from the outside can be pushed into the inside of the container, for example. To fill a pen, it only has to be inserted into the sleeve 23 from below and then pushed upwards until the filling is complete. Then pull it back down - done.

Claims (10)

1. A refillable fluid writing implement with a supply reservoir (3) for supplying a writing tip (4) with a writing fluid, with a hollow channel (16) extending into the supply reservoir from outside and being interrupted by a valve in the form of a rubber membrane (13) having a fine central hole which in the relaxed condition of the rubber membrane (13) is tightly closed and is intended to receive an injection needle (21) of a refill container (20) that is adapted to be connected up to the supply reservoir from outside for a refill, characterized in that the supply reservoir (3) is provided additionally to a writing reservoir (2) from which writing fluid is fed to the writing tip (4), that the writing reservoir (2) is refillable from the supply reservoir (2) by means of a connection operating as a valve (6), that the supply reservoir (3) is larger than the writing reservoir (2) from which it is separated by means of a separating wall (5) having a central opening (8), with the rim of the opening (8) being configured as a valve seat, and that a valve disk (7) mounted on a valve rod (9) extending in the direction of the end of the writing implement is seated in the opening (8), the valve rod carrying at its end a push-button (10) operable from the outside of the writing implement (1) and sealed off with respect to the inside of the supply reservoir (3), with the push-button (10) being returnable to its initial position.
2. The fluid writing implement as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the push-button (10) is loaded by a compression spring from the inside.
3. The fluid writing implement as claimed in any one of the claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the writing implement (1) has shaped end portions (26, 27) suitable for positive engagement with a push-on sleeve (23) of a refill container (20), within which sleeve the injection needle (21) extends.
4. The fluid writing implement according to the prior-art portion of claim 1, characterized in that the supply reservoir (3) is provided additionally to a writing reservoir (2) from which writing fluid is fed to the writing tip (4), that the writing reservoir (2) is refillable from the supply reservoir (2) through a connection operating as a valve (6), that the supply reservoir (3) is larger than the writing reservoir (2) from which it is separated by means of a separating wall (5) configured as a valve disk which is in sealing engagement with a portion of the wall converging conically towards the end of the writing implement, and that the valve disk is mounted on a valve rod extending in the direction of the end of the writing implement, the valve rod carrying at its end a push-button operable from the outside of the writing implement and sealed off with respect to the inside of the supply reservoir, with the push-button being loaded by a compression spring from the inside.
5. A combination of a refillable fluid writing implement (1) as claimed in any one of the claims 1 to 4 and a refill container (20), with means (22) for pressurizing the writing fluid in the interior of the refill container and an injection needle (21) having a central bore (29), with the outlet opening (44) of the bore (29) being tightly sealed by a rubber seal (33) in the position of non-use, characterized in that the injection needle (21) extends within and along a sleeve (23) encasing it, the sleeve (23) being adapted to be push-fitted onto an end of the fluid writing implement (1) in positive engagement therewith, and that the refill container (20) includes means effecting venting of the supply reservoir (3) during the filling in of writing fluid.
6. The combination as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the injection needle (21) is enclosed by a spring-loaded rubber seal (33) tightly closing the needle outlet opening (44), the outlet opening (44) being exposed by pushing back the rubber seal (33) against the force of the spring over the injection needle (21).
7. The combination as claimed in any one of the claims 5 or 6, characterized in that the injection needle (21) includes a vent bore (45) separated from the central bore (29), and that the mouth (32) of the vent bore (45) communicates with a radial vent bore (43) in the rubber seal (33).
8. The combination as claimed in any one of the claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the means (22) for pressurising the writing fluid are provided in that the container (20) forms a bellows (22) whose rear end is intended to function as a pressure-application surface and as a bearing surface of the container (20).
9. The combination as claimed in any one of the claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the means for pressurising the writing fluid are provided in that a plunger is adapted to be pushed into the interior of the container from the outside.
10. The combination as claimed in any one of the claims 5 to 9, characterized in that the container is configured as a collective refill container (30) for several users and includes a mounting device for mounting it on a wall.

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