Ball-point pen

• US 4,176,979 A
• Filed: 10/31/1977
• Issued: 12/04/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Yasushi Saida
• Original Assignee: Yasushi Saida
• Inventors: Saida, Yasushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Coughenour, Clyde I.
• Application Number:
  US05/846,825
• Time in Patent Office: 764 Days
• Field of Search: 401/100, 401/115
• US Class Current: 401/100
• CPC Class Codes: B43K 24/03 operated by flicking or tilting

Abstract

A ball-point pen having simple operating and holding mechanism for ink tube including a ball-point and being capable of retracting and extruding the ball-point with a simple action of turning ball-point tip end of the pen up and down is provided. The ink tube has at its inner end opposite to the ball-point a magnetizable lid and around its body a weight freely slidable between said inner end and a projection provided adjacent the ball-point tip end, while holder tube of the pen has a magnetic member secured adjacent an end facing said lid of the ink tube for magnetically holding said lid and the ink tube when the ball-point is retracted, and a stepped part for locking the lid'"'"'s end when the ball-point is extruded. When the tip end of the pen is turned down, the weight strikes the projection to separate the lid and hence the ink tube from the magnetic member and, when the tip end is turned up, the weight urges the lid'"'"'s end to be unlocked from the stepped part.

Claims

1. A ball-point pen comprising an ink tube having a ball-point at one end, a lid of a magnetizable material at the other end and a projection intermediate said ends, an outer case for housing therein said ink tube and comprising a holder part and a cap part, a weight slidably mounted on the outer surface of the ink tube, a tubular magnet carried by said outer case and defining at an end thereof nearest the ball-point a generally radial step for engaging said lid of the ink tube when said ball-point is extended out of an opening of the holder part to exert mechanical and magnetic locking forces on said lid to hold said ball-point in the extended position, said tubular magnet receiving said lid therein when said ball-point is retracted inside the holder for magnetically attracting and holding said lid to retain the ball-point in the retracted position, said weight being slidable toward said lid when the pen is inverted to release said lid from engagement with said step.