Ink jet pen

• US 4,746,936 A
• Filed: 06/15/1987
• Issued: 05/24/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1981
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hartary, Joseph W.
• Application Number:
  US07/061,774
• Time in Patent Office: 344 Days
• Field of Search: 346/140 R, 346/140 A, 346/143, 346/75, 401/195
• US Class Current: 347/109
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/28 for printing downwardly on flat surfaces, e.g. of books, drawings, boxes , envelopes, e.g. flat-bed ink-jet printers
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/36 for portability , i.e. hand-held printers or laptop printers B41J3/4075 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B43K 8/006 using a spraying system, e.g. airbrushes
• CPC Class Codes: B43K 8/22 with electrically or magnetically activated writing-points
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 15/18 Nozzles emitting recording material

Abstract

An ink jet pen, which is a pen-like writing utensil utilizing an ink jet method of recording, comprises a tubular casing, incorporating means for ink emission and equipped with means for controlling ink emission. In a representative embodiment, the tubular casing is composed of two tubes which are mutually rotatable for controlling the ink emission.

Claims

1. An ink jet pen, comprising:

a pen-shaped case;

an ink emission means housed within a portion of said case;

an ink emission control means for controlling said ink emission means housed within said case, wherein said ink emission control means stores a plurality of ink emission patterns and includes an ink emission pattern switch for selecting one of said ink emission patterns;

a switch means provided on the outer surface of said case, said switch means being connected to the ink emission control means for instructing said ink emission means to emit ink; and

power source means housed within said case for supplying power to said ink emission means and said ink emission control means.

2. The ink jet pen according to claim 1, wherein said ink emission pattern switch is rotatable, whereby said ink emission patterns are selected by rotating a part of said case.

3. The ink jet pen according to claim 1, wherein said power source means includes a battery.

4. An ink jet pen according to claim 1, wherein said ink emission control means is provided on an outer surface of said portion of said case.

5. An ink jet pen, comprising:

a pen-shaped case;

an ink emission means housed within said case, said ink emission means being a piezoelectric device;

an ink emission control means for controlling said ink emission means housed within said case, wherein said ink emission control means stores a plurality of ink emission patterns and includes an ink emission pattern switch for selecting one of said ink emission patterns;

a switch means provided on the outer surface of said case, said switch means being connected to the ink emission control means for instructing said ink emission means to emit ink; and

power source means housed within said case for supplying power to said ink emission means and said ink emission control means.

6. An ink jet pen according to claim 5, wherein said ink emission patterns include a continuous ink emission pattern and an intermittent ink emission pattern.

8. The ink jet pen according to claim 5, further comprising switch means for instructing said ink emission control means to emit ink.

9. The ink jet pen according to claim 5, wherein said ink emission patterns include a continuous ink emission pattern and an intermittent ink emission pattern.

10. The ink jet pen according to claim 5, further comprising a battery housed within said case for powering said ink emission means.

7. An ink jet pen, comprising:

a pen shaped case having at least two mutually rotatable sections;

an ink emission means housed within said case;

an ink emission control means housed within said case for controlling said ink emission means to emit ink in one of a plurality of ink emission patterns; and

an ink emission pattern switch for selecting one of said ink emission patterns by rotation of one section of said case relative to another section of said case.

11. An ink jet pen, comprising:

a pen-shaped case defining a longitudinal axis;

an ink emission means housed within a portion of said case;

an ink emission control means housed within said case for controlling said ink emission means;

radially engageable switch means extending from an outer surface of said portion of said case and activated by a radially inward movement thereof for instructing said ink emission means to emit ink; and

power source means housed within said case for supplying power to said ink emission means and said ink emission control means.

12. An ink jet pen according to claim 11, wherein said ink emission control means stores a plurality of ink emission patterns and said ink jet pen further comprises a selection switch for selecting one of the ink emission patterns stored by said ink emission control means.

13. An ink jet pen according to claim 11, wherein said ink emission means comprises a piezoelectric device.