EP0963299B1 - Writing implement, in particular a pen - Google Patents

Abstract

A writing instrument, notably a pen, comprising a body (1a, 1b) characterized in that this body or a fitted piece comprises at least one housing (6) having a transparent outer wall (7). The height of this housing (6) between its bottom and said transparent outer wall (7) is substantially constant, at least one movable decorative element (9) such as a diamond being movably mounted inside said housing (6), at least one of the dimensions of the movable element perpendicular to said height being substantially less than the corresponding dimension of the housing (6). This movable decorative element (9) is mounted in a support comprising two guide surfaces (10a, 10b) adjacent to the said bottom (6a) and to said transparent wall (7) respectively, these surfaces allowing random movement in translation and in rotation of said decorative element (9) about itself inside said housing (6).

Description

The present invention relates to an instrument writing, in particular a pen comprising a housing.

There are different ways to give the casing a pen, especially a luxury pen, an aspect original and pleasant, intended to distinguish it from a pen commonplace. This original aspect can be obtained by materials used, shapes, surface finish, decorative effects, or even added elements.

In decorative research for pens, EP-A1-0 469 388 has already proposed a writing instrument having at its end a mobile organ which moves when an organ actuation of the pen is actuated, and deviates as the petals of a flower, showing an element decorative fixed underlying.

There are many other proposals to give a decorative aspect particular to a pen, and we can cite for example the patent FR-A-1 309 159 or the patent US-A-4,658,523. However, it should be noted that the form cylindrical functional of this limit instrument freedom of creators, so that original solutions in this area are not numerous or lead to fanciful solutions, such as those proposed in the above-mentioned documents, solutions that don't respond to what we expects a luxury pen in particular, whose buyers may be susceptible to fantasy, provided that it flatters the image that this object can reflect their taste.

We have already proposed to add a decorative element mobile inside a housing provided at the end a pen in US patent 4,217,712, which corresponds to preamble to claim 1. It must be noted that to achieve this goal it was necessary to distort the ergonomic shape of the pen which is generally cylindrical with sometimes an annular zone concave grip. This document also specifies that it is by giving a conical shape to the body of the pen that it was possible to increase the area of its end and incorporate a decorative element into it housing closed by a transparent wall. Moreover, the decorative element is formed by a ball, the movement is completely free in the housing. It is obvious that such a writing instrument, whose body is a cone, is an unrelated fantasy object with luxury pens that must above all respond ergonomic requirements, which is obviously not the case of the conical shape.

US-A-2 237 883 describes a decorative device intended to be fixed on the end of a pencil, by example by means of a plug, this device comprising a generally cylindrical hollow transparent capsule containing an object floating freely in oil, this capsule revealing this object and a bubble in different configurations depending on the orientation pencil.

We have already proposed in patent FR 704 214 and in GB-2 004 096 to combine a watch and a pen in a single object by attaching a miniature watch to the end of the cap of a pen, or on the end enlarged with a pen. This combination of two objects different on a common medium basically aims for a utility purpose.

A watch with a housing located at inside his box in which an element decorative is likely to move in all meaning parallel to itself has been described in the Patent CH 609,517.

It appears from the above that we have already associated a mobile element in a housing provided with a tip of a pen and visible through a wall transparent of this housing, forming the large base of a conical body. We proposed to miniaturize a watch to allow it to fit on the end of a pen and we arranged a housing inside a box of shows in which decorative elements are likely to be move parallel to themselves.

According to the aforementioned US Patent 4,217,712, the general shape of the pen body to give it a cone-like appearance. The point serves as a writing point and the base is arranged to contain a movable decorative object.

In the aforementioned patent CH 609 517, relating to a watch, we reserved a space corresponding to the dial or around the dial to provide housing for decorative elements mobile. It is quite obvious that the teaching from this document CH 609 517 cannot in any case be transposed to a pen whose the dimensions, and in particular the diameter of the cylindrical body, are limited by ergonomic constraints, which is not the case for a watch, at least to the same extent, so it's not only not possible to change the cylindrical shape of the pen without detract from its aesthetics and functionality, but that the diameter of this generally cylindrical body can only vary within a very small proportion.

Given these dimensional constraints, we could certainly set a diamond at one end of the body of a pen in order to give an appearance of luxury, but without any particular effect.

The object of the present invention is to give a decorative appearance original from the flicker of a moving element, to an instrument of writing that fits well with the shape of the pen, while giving it a new look compared to classic pens.

To this end, this invention relates to a writing instrument, in particular a pen comprising a housing having a housing at the less to one of his ends, of which an outer wall is transparent, the height of this housing, between its bottom and said transparent outer wall, being substantially constant, at least one mobile decorative element including minus one of the dimensions perpendicular to said height is substantially smaller than the corresponding dimension of said housing, being mounted movable therein.

According to the invention, this writing instrument is characterized in that that the housing of the pen is generally cylindrical in shape whose diameter of each end including that presenting the housing does not exceed not the diameter of the housing body, and the decorative element includes a lateral surface, extending in the height direction of said housing, one end of this decorative element being shaped so as not to come into contact with the adjacent wall of said housing only in a area located in its center and form a first guide means, while the other end is shaped to come into contact with the adjacent wall of said housing by the edge of this lateral surface and form a second guide means. There is a slight clearance between the height of said housing and the axial distance separating these means of guide, so that the movement of this decorative element to the interior of said housing is limited to a random movement of translation and / or rotation around said central contact zone.

The advantage of the proposed solution is to adapt perfectly to pen and integrate with its shape. In particular, it allows to spare the housing in a separate room, screwed to the end of the cap, such a screwed piece existing in most price pens.

The use of a precious stone, for example a diamond, as a mobile decorative element accentuates the luxury of a pen quality, while giving it an original and unexpected appearance, due especially the sparkling of this precious stone when it moves randomly in translation and / or in rotation around itself.

• La Figure 1 est une vue en élévation de cette forme d'exécution.
• La Figure 2 est une vue partielle agrandie d'une extrémité de la Figure 1 avec une partie arrachée vue en coupe.
• La Figure 3 est une vue de dessus de la Figure 2, avec l'élément décoratif mobile centré.

The attached drawing illustrates, schematically and by way of example, an embodiment of the stylographer which is the subject of the present invention.

• Figure 1 is an elevational view of this embodiment.
• Figure 2 is an enlarged partial view of one end of Figure 1 with a cutaway view in section.
• Figure 3 is a top view of Figure 2, with the movable decorative element centered.

The pen illustrated in Figure 1 has a casing in two parts 1a, 1b corresponding respectively the cap and the body of the pen, which are screwed or fit into each other in the usual way.

A part 2, having a cylindrical section threaded 3 (Figure 2) and a part 4 forming the end of the cap la, is screwed onto it opposite its opening receiving the body of the pen 1b. Scope 2a between the threaded section 3 and the part 4 forming the end of the cap is used for fixing a Sa ring secured to a clip 5 intended for fixing the pen, at the edge of a jacket pocket in particular.

Part 4 has a housing 6, which is cylindrical in this example, centered on the axis of revolution of the casing 1a, 1b, of generally cylindrical shape the diameter of the ends of which does not exceed the diameter of the body which, in this example, is slightly domed. This housing 6 has an opening coinciding with its face end adjacent to the end of part 4. This opening is closed by a flat sapphire crystal 7 at one curved external face fixed to the edge of this opening by a seal 8 parallel to the bottom 6a of this housing 6.

As seen in Figure 2, the inner side ice 7 and bottom 6a are flat and parallel, of so that the height of the housing 6 is constant. This housing 6 contains a movable decorative element constituted, in this example, by a diamond 9 fixed in a support 10, for example made of gold or other precious metal. This support 10 is designed to hold the diamond in a determined position and to allow him to move parallel to itself inside the housing 6 and turn on itself. To this end, this support 10 has, in this example, the form of a cylinder hollowed out internally to receive the diamond 9. The bottom 10a of this cylinder, adjacent to the smooth bottom 6a of the housing 6 and constituting a first surface of guide, is convex to reduce friction and to favor the rotation of the diamond 9 on itself. Wall side of the support 10 surrounds the diamond 9 and exceeds slightly the level of the upper side of the diamond in order to avoid contact between this diamond 9 and the ice sapphire 7.

As seen in Figure 2, slight play is formed between the edge 10b of the support 10 and the glass 7, leaving support 10 free to move around translation and rotation on itself, without jitter. The edge 10b of this side wall adjacent to the sapphire crystal 7 constitutes a second guide surface. These two guide surfaces guarantee the movement of this support and therefore of the movable decorative element 9, according to a movement of random translation inside the housing 6, as illustrated by the arrows in Figure 3. This movement of random translation of the decorative element is accompanied by a rotation around its axis of revolution, which increases the flickering effect of the diamond. Alternatively, the glass 7 could have a flat, non-curved outer surface as illustrated by Figure 2.

A watch fitted with such decorative elements mobiles 9 and supports 10 is already described in the patent CH-609 517. These mobile decorative elements are mounted in a housing formed between the watch glass and a second underlying transparent wall, parallel to the ice cream. Thanks to the guide means, associated with the support and cooperating with these two parallel surfaces transparent, the mobile decorative element visible at through the watch glass can move in translation and rotation, randomly. This same principle has also been applied to artices of luxury jewelry, including pendants, rings, as well as luxury eyewear frames as than jewelry, also comprising decorative elements movable between two windows.

A pen, due to the cylindrical shape of its housing and by the fact that this casing normally does not contain housing or ice, does not allow, without other, the adaptation of such a type of mobile decorative element.

If the movable decorative element for a watch dates back to twenty years already, it is clear that no adaptation to the pen of this type of decorative element has been suggested so far, despite continued success encountered in the luxury watch industry.

We can imagine other forms of elements decorative mobile or support in which this or these elements are mounted as shown. Can we have for example a heart-shaped element or support, star, half-moon, ball, bearing one or more diamonds, just to name a few possible variations.

The inner surface of the ice 7 and the surface smooth from the bottom of the housing 6 are parallel in order to guarantee a movement of the decorative mobile according to a translational and rotational movement, this without wear.

Although a housing opening has been shown at one end of the pen envelope we could also imagine an annular housing whose window transparent would consist of a portion transparent from the side wall of the envelope the or 1b. In this case, one or more decorative elements mobile 9.10 could be placed in this housing annular centered on the longitudinal axis of the envelope, these decorative elements being free to rotate around the longitudinal axis of the casing 1a, 1b.

We could also, as a variant, fix the part 2 at the other end of the pen housing 1b, even put a piece 2 at each end.

The screw fixing of this part 2 at one end of housing 1a, 1b of the pen can be produced by through a socket (not shown) in one wear-resistant material, for example metal. This socket could itself be screwed into a housing sized for this purpose.

In a variant, the housing 6 intended to contain the diamond 9 and its support 10 could be spared directly in the housing 1a of the pen, in particular by turning.

We could still fix the part 2 using three screws, either in the cap 1a through three holes made through the bottom 6a of the housing 6, either in the bottom 6a from the inside of the cap 1a. Part 2 could still be glued on the cap 1a or in a housing provided therein.

Claims (9)

1. A writing instrument, notably a pen, comprising a body (1a,1b) having a housing (6) at least at one of its ends, the housing having a transparent outer wall (7), the height of this housing (6) between its bottom and said transparent outer wall (7) being substantially constant, at least one movable decorative element (9,10) being movably mounted inside said housing (6), at least one of the dimensions of the movable element perpendicular to said height being substantially less than the corresponding dimension of the housing, characterized in that said decorative element (9,10) comprises a lateral surface extending in the direction of the height of said housing (6), one end (10a) of this decorative element being shaped so that it contacts the adjacent wall of the housing (6) only in a zone situated in the centre thereof to form a first guide means, whereas the other end is shaped to come into contact with the adjacent wall of said housing (6) by the edge (10b) of its lateral surface to form a second guide means, a small play being left between the height of said housing (6) and the axial distance between said height and the guide means, such that movement of this decorative element (9,10) inside said housing is limited to a random movement in translation and/or in rotation about said central contact zone.
2. A writing instrument according to claim 1, characterized in that said opening is centered on the longitudinal axis of said body (1a,1b).
3. A writing instrument according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that said transparent wall (7) forms one of the axial ends of said body (1a,1b).
4. A writing instrument according to claim 1, characterized in that said transparent wall is constituted by an axial part of said body (1a,1b).
5. A writing instrument according to any preceding claim, characterized in that said decorative element (9) is a precious stone mounted in a support (10).
6. A writing instrument according to claim 5, characterized in that said support (10) has a convex surface (10a) constituting a guide surface acting against the bottom of said housing (6).
7. A writing instrument according to any preceding claim, characterized in that said housing (6) is provided in a part (2) fitted on said body (1a,1b).
8. A writing instrument according to claim 7, characterized in that said fitted part (2) comprises a threaded cylindrical securing part (3), threadably engaged in a corresponding thread inside a closure cap (1a) of the writing instrument, the base of the cylindrical part (3) having a shoulder (2a), an annular part (5a) of a securing clip (5) of the pen being gripped between this shoulder (2a) and the end of the pen.
9. A fitted part adapted to be secured to the body of a writing instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it comprises a housing (6) having a transparent outer wall (7), the height of this housing (6) between its bottom and said transparent outer wall (7) being substantially constant, at least one movable decorative element (9,10) being movably mounted inside said housing (6), at least one of the dimensions of the movable element perpendicular to said height being substantially less than the corresponding dimension of the housing, the movable decorative element (9) comprising two guide surfaces (10a,10b) adjacent to the said bottom (6a) and to said transparent wall (7) respectively, these surfaces allowing random movement in translation and in rotation of said decorative element (9) about itself inside said housing (6).

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