Releasable Protective Holder for a Writing Implement

The present invention relates to improvements in a releasable protective holder or closure for a tip of a writing or drafting implement including a polygonal part, a cylindrical part extending therefrom and a writing or drafting tube on the cylindrical part extending into the holder when the implement tip is held therein.

In my copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 346,622, filed Feb. 8, 1982, whose entire disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, I have disclosed such a protective holder comprising a first receiving portion of a polygonal cross section keyed to the polygonal part, the first receiving portion including an annular bottom wall engaging an end face of the polygonal implement tip part, and a second, tubular receiving portion extending from the annular bottom wall of the first receiving portion to a free end thereof, the tubular receiving portion yieldingly surrounding and clamping the cylindrical part of the implement tip. When the tubular point of the implement tip is to be cleaned, it is released from the holder and can then be removed.

This arrangement has been used successfully but the manufacture thereof has involved some problems because of the considerable differences in the gage of different wall portions of such an integrally made holder. These differences in the wall thickness along the length of the holder shaft have been found to be particularly disadvantageous where the surfaces thereof are to be dull or striped.

It is the primary object of this invention to imporove on the type of releasable holder hereinabove described by avoding substantial wall thickness differences.

The above and other objects are accomplished according to the invention with a holder whose tubular receiving portion defines a bore having at the free end thereof a diameter smaller than the diameter of the cylindrical part for releasably clamping the implement tip in the protective holder. This smaller diameter is obtained in accordance with the invention with a bore which conically tapers from the annular bottom wall towards the free end, or by providing at least two radially inwardly projecting bosses or cams defining the smaller diameter.

The above objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of certain now preferred embodiments of this invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein

FIG. 1 shows an axial section of the releasable protective holder, with the tip of an India ink writing or drafting implement yieldingly clamped therein;

FIG. 1a is a transverse section along line a--a of FIG. 1;

FIG. 1b is a transverse section along line b--b of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 2, 2a and 2b are analogous views of another embodiment of the holder according to this invention;

FIG. 3 shows an axial section of yet another embodiment of the holder; and

FIG. 3a is a transverse section along line c--c of FIG. 3.

Referring now to the drawing, wherein like reference numerals designate like parts functioning in a like manner in all figures, FIGS. 1, 1a and 1b illustrate a portion of releasable protective holder or closure 4 for tip 2 of writing or drafting implement 1 including polygonal part 2a, drafting tube 3 on the cylindrical part extending into the cylindrical part 2b extending therefrom and writing or holder when the implement is held therein. Holder shaft 5 is frictionally held on holder 4. Shaft 5 has a large diameter bore 5c and its end 5d engages shoulder 4k of an annular collar 4a on holder 4 surrounding polygonal part 2a. The collar may serve as a color marker. Holder 4 has cylindrical wall 4h received in conforming wall portion 5c of holder shaft 5 to center the holder in the shaft, followed by polygonal, i.e. hexagonal, wall 4g received in conforming wall portion 5b of the holder shaft so as to maintain the holder in the shaft against rotation, and innermost cylindrical wall 4i frictionally fitting into conforming wall portion 5a of the holder shaft. In this manner, holder 4 and casing shaft 5 form a two-part unit.

Tip 2 of writing or drafting implement 1 is releasably clamped into unit 4, 5 in the following manner:

The holder comprises first receiving portion 4b of a polygonal, i.e. hexagonal, cross section keyed to polygonal, i.e. hexagonal, part 2a of tip 2 and this receiving portion of the holder has bottom wall 4c engaging an end face of polygonal implement tip part 2a. Second, tubular receiving portion 4f extends from annular bottom wall 4c to a free end thereof and receiving portion 4f yieldingly surrounds cylindrical part 2b of implement tip 2, for which purpose tubular receiving portion 4f is slotted, as shown at 4e. According to this invention, second receiving portion 4f of holder 4 defines a bore having at the free end of the bore a diameter smaller than the diameter of cylindrical implement tip part 2b for releasably clamping implement tip 2 in protective holder 4, 5. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, this relationship is attained with a bore which conically tapers from annular bottom wall 4c towards the free end. As shown in the drawing, tubular receiving portion 4f is connected to annular bottom wall 4c by conical connecting part 4d.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 2, 2a and 2b, the releasable clamping arrangement is substantially identical with that hereinabove described, i.e. polygonal part 2a of the implement tip is keyed to first receiving portion 6b of holder 6 and this receiving portion has annular bottom wall 6c engaging an end face of the polygonal implement tip part. Second, tubular receiving portion 6f, slotted at 6e, extends from the annular bottom wall and yieldingly surrounds cylindrical part 2b of the implement tip, the bore of tubular receiving portion 6f conically tapering from the annular bottom wall towards the free end thereof and the tubular receiving portion being connected to the annular bottom wall by conical connecting part 6d. In this embodiment, however, tubular closure shaft 7 is connected to holder 6 by threaded connection 6a.

The embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 3a is the same as that of FIG. 2 but has a modified clamping arrangement. In this embodiment, at least two radially inwardly projecting cams 41, 61 on tubular receiving portion 6f define the smaller diameter at the free end.

In the illustrated embodiments, the closure shaft and holder are manufactured in two parts and assembled into a unit. The holder part may be color-coded to indicate a certain gage of the writing or drafting point and such a color-coded holder part is shown to extend beyond the end of the closure shaft and to serve as a stopper for this shaft. The illustrated clamping arrangement assures secure seating of implement tip 2 in the holder while the implement tip may be readily released from the holder for cleaning, for example. The holder material, or at least the material of the tubular holder receiving portion, may be elastic to provide for its yielding engagement with cylindrical implement tip part 2b or, if the material is relatively stiff, the receiving portion is slotted to obtain such yielding clamping engagement.