A pocket writing instrument having a body retractable by means of a hinged flap

Abstract

 A pen with a retractable point has its point-bearing, mobile body in a housing (16) in the casing (12) and a flap (26) hinged to the body and extending through a window opening in the casing, to maneuver the body between an extended condition and a retracted condition. The flap cooperates with the edges of said opening to fix one and/or the other of said conditions.

Description

[0001] The present application relates to the field of writing instruments, particularly pens.

[0002] Ball point pens of a known type have a retractable writing point, in which the writing point can be shifted, by means of a pushbutton action, between an extended writing position and a closed retracted or rest position. Such pens comprise a relatively high number of component parts, in particular a pushbutton, a spring and accessory elements to permit stable positioning of the pushbutton and the writing point in the two positions. These pens furthermore involve relatively complex assembly. In addition there is little difference in the overall length of these pens when in the working condition or in the closed or rest position. Said pens are generally produced in two sizes, a pocket size, convenient for carrying in a pocket or handbag, about 9-11 cm in length, and a desk size, comfortable for writing, which is 14-16cm long.

[0003] The aim of this patent application is to create a pen which achieves a simplification in the component parts and relative assembly work and that can therefore be produced at a lower cost.

[0004] A further aim is to carry out a pen which is of pocket size when in the retracted position and of full-length size, more comfortable for writing, when in the extended condition.

[0005] These aims have been achieved with a pen having the characteristics listed in claim 1.

[0006] The new pen consists of a limited number of parts which can be assembled easily and therefore achieves a saving in production costs.

[0007] A further advantage is that it can easily be changed from the extended condition to the retracted condition and viceversa.

[0008] A further advantage is that, in the retracted condition, it has a reduced length, so that it really is pocket size, while in the extended condition it is substantially longer, thus permitting a comfortable writing position.

[0009] A still further advantage is that the pen has relatively wide surfaces where writing can be added, for example names or advertising slogans.

[0010] A preferred embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view of the writing instrument or pen in the retracted position;

Fig. 2 is a side view from the left in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section along 3-3 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a front view of the pen in the extended condition, with part of the casing removed to illustrate the underlying parts;

Fig. 5 is a section along 5-5 in Fig. 4.

[0011] With reference to the figures, a new writing instrument, generally a ball point pen, is designated as a whole by 10 and comprises a casing part 12 and a body part 14. The casing 12 has an inner recess or housing 16, of a suitable size to accommodate the body; the housing 16 communicates with the outside at one of its ends 16' and through a side window opening 18. The casing should preferably have a small bridge 20 extending from one end, on which is fixed a clip 22 extending parallel to the body, to support and fix the pen in a conventional manner, for example to the edge of a pocket.

[0012] The body 14 is contained in the housing 16 and can slide longitudinally in it. The body has a writing point 15 and a lateral projecting part 24 to which a flap 26 is hinged through a transversal pivot 25. The flap 26 is housed in the window 18. The opposite transversal walls 18' and 18" of the window 18 and the distal end of the flap 26' can be shaped in such a way as to engage with each other or at least rest against each other. The edge 26' must be easy to grasp.

[0013] As can be seen, the body 14 can be moved within the casing 12 by maneuvering the flap 26 between a retracted condition (figs. from 1 to 3) and an extended condition (figs. 4 and 5). In the retracted condition the whole body with the writing point is -contained within the casing and the flap rests with its face 26 against the body and with edge 26' against edge 18. To pass from the retracted to the extended condition the flap 26 is rotated as indicated by arrow F in fig. 3 and the flap is pushed on axially as indicated by arrow G in the same figure. In the extended condition the body extends partially outside the housing 16, the flap 26 has been rotated with face 26b against the body and edge 26' against edge 18'.

[0014] It should be noted that flap 26 has large spaces available for writing on faces 26a and 26b.

Claims

1. A retractable type writing instrument comprising a casing (12) and a body (14) bearing a writing point, which slides in a housing (16) in the casing, between a retracted condition inside the casing and an extended condition, characterized in that

said casing has a side window opening (18)

said body has a maneuvering flap (26) extending into said window.

2. An instrument according to claim 1, characterized in that said maneuvering flap (26) is hinged to the body (14) and can be turned into a position in which one of its faces is against the body and a position in which its other face is against the body.

3. An instrument according to claim 2, characterized in that the distal edge (26') of the flap and the opposite edges (18', 18") of the opening are shaped to cooperate to determine and make stable the retracted condition and the extended condition of the body.

4. A writing instrument according to what is described herein and illustrated in the attached drawings.

Drawing