Assembly or set of different color inks and an assembly of writing instruments

• US 5,549,742 A
• Filed: 04/27/1995
• Issued: 08/27/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Berol Corp (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gillette Company (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Inventors: Cancellieri, Jorge
• Primary Examiner(s): KLEMANSKI, HELENE G
• Application Number:
  US08/397,235
• Time in Patent Office: 488 Days
• Field of Search: 106/22 B, 106/21 A, 106/20 A
• US Class Current: 106/31.32
• CPC Class Codes: B43K 27/00 Multiple-point writing implements, e.g. multicolour; Combinations of writing implements B43K29/00 takes precedence; mechanisms for selecting, projecting, retracting or locking writing units B43K24/00; multiple writing devices with pantographic linkages B43L13/12
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/00 Inks

Abstract

An assembly or set of different color inks (10), capable of changing their color by reduction, comprising at least one ink (12) including a reducing agent for the mentioned inks. When one of said reducible inks (10) is contacted with that ink (12) bearing the reducing agent, the reducible ink (10) is reduced, changing its color, and juxtaposition or combination (11b) of the reduced ink color with the reducing ink color generates a different color for each ink. These inks are useful for composing polychromatic figures, designs, etc. for didactic and artistic purposes and the like, with writing or drawing instruments, such as fiber pens.

Claims

1. A set of inks for forming polychromatic markings, comprising:

a first reservoir,

a first ink, disposed in said first reservoir, comprising a reducible colorant provided in oxidized form, in which form said colorant produces a marking of a first color when applied to white paper, said reducible colorant producing, when applied to white paper and reduced, a visible marking having a second color different from said first color,

a second reservoir, and

a second ink, disposed in said second reservoir, comprising a reducing agent selected to reduce said reducible colorant, and a second, non-reducible colorant that, when applied to white paper, produces a marking having a third color that is different from said first and second colors.

2. The set of inks of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of reservoirs, each reservoir containing an ink comprising a different reducible colorant provided in oxidized form.

3. The set of inks of claim 1 wherein said first and second reservoirs are disposed in first and second writing instruments.

4. The set of inks of claim 1 wherein said reducible and non-reducible colorants are selected to provide, when said first and second inks contact each other, a marking having a fourth color, different from said first, second and third colors.

5. The set of inks of claim 1 wherein said second, non-reducible colorant is selected from the group consisting of Direct Blue 86, Solvent Green 7, Acid Red 52, Acid Blue 1, and mixtures thereof.

6. The set of inks of claim 1 or 5 wherein said first, reducible colorant is selected from the group consisting of Basic Red 18, Basic Red 14, Basic Red 49, Food Red 7, Basic Yellow 28, Acid Yellow 9, Acid Blue 93:

2, Basic Blue 9, Basic Green 4, Basic Green 1, Basic Violet 10, Acid Orange 8 and mixtures thereof.

7. The set of inks of claim 1 wherein said reducing agent is selected from the group consisting of salts of sulfites, bisulfites, thiosulfites and hydrosulfites.

8. The set of inks of claim 7 wherein said reducing agent is sodium sulfite.

9. The set of inks of claim 1 wherein one or both of said first and second inks includes a base.

10. The set of inks of claim 9 wherein said base is triethanolamine.

11. The set of inks of claim 1 wherein said first reservoir and said second reservoir are disposed in a single writing instrument.

12. The set of inks of claim 1 wherein said reducing agent is an organic compound selected from the group consisting of hydroquinone and formaldehyde.

13. The set of inks of claim 1 or claim 14 further comprising a plurality of reservoirs, each reservoir containing an ink comprising a reducing agent and a different non-reducible colorant.

14. The set of inks of claim 1 further comprising a reservoir containing a reducing agent diluted into a colorless vehicle.