Pen with side loading cartridge

• US 7,794,167 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2006
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Livescribe Incorporated (Anoto Group AB)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Lapstun, Paul, Underwood, Matthew John, King, Tobin Allen, Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): Walczak, David J
• Application Number:
  US11/495,814
• Publication Number:
  US 20070025805A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,506 Days
• Field of Search: 401/198, 401/199, 401/103, 401/195, 401/251, 345/179, 345/180, 178 18- 20
• US Class Current: 401/195
• CPC Class Codes: B43K 23/12 for pens caps co-operating with retractable nibs B43K5/165
• CPC Class Codes: B43K 23/126 with clips
• CPC Class Codes: B43K 25/022 attached to a pen cap
• CPC Class Codes: B43K 29/00 Combinations of writing implements with other articles
• CPC Class Codes: B43K 29/003 with optical equipment, e.g. magnifier, viewer
• CPC Class Codes: B43K 29/004 with more than one object
• CPC Class Codes: B43K 29/08 with measuring, computing or indicating devices
• CPC Class Codes: B43K 29/093 with calculators
• CPC Class Codes: B43K 29/10 with illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: B43K 7/005 Pen barrels
• CPC Class Codes: B43K 7/02 Ink reservoirs; Ink cartridges B43K7/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/26 Auxiliary measures taken, or devices used, in connection with the measurement of force, e.g. for preventing influence of transverse components of force, for preventing overload
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/162 of piezoresistors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0321 by optically sensing the absolute position with respect to a regularly patterned surface forming a passive digitiser, e.g. pen optically detecting position indicative tags printed on a paper sheet constructional details of pen-shaped pointing devices G06F3/03545, G06F3/03542, G06F3/037
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus

Abstract

A pen with an elongate chassis moulding and a cartridge with a nib and an elongate body. The cartridge is configured for insertion and removal from the elongate chassis moulding from a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the chassis moulding.

Claims

1. A pen comprising:

an elongate chassis moulding;

a cartridge with a nib and an elongate body,

the cartridge is an ink cartridge and the elongate body houses an ink reservoir and the cartridge is configured for insertion and removal from the elongate chassis moulding from a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the chassis moulding; and

,

a force sensor assembly with a load bearing member to receive an input force to be sensed and circuitry for converting the input force into an output signal indicative of the input force;

wherein,

the cartridge has the nib is at one end of the elongate body and the opposite end of the elongate body engages the force sensor assembly.

2. A pen according to claim 1 wherein the load bearing member abuts the opposite end of the elongate cartridge such that the input force is a component of the contact force on the nib that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the chassis moulding, the component of the contact force being transferred to the load bearing member by the cartridge.

3. A pen according to claim 2 wherein the elongate cartridge is biased against the load bearing member.

4. A pen according to claim 3 wherein the output signal from the circuitry support a hand writing recognition facility.

5. A pen according to claim 3 wherein the elongate cartridge has a biasing element that biases the elongate cartridge against the load bearing member.

6. A pen according to claim 5 wherein the bias from the biasing element is between 0.1 Newtons and 0.2 Newtons.

7. A pen according to claim 2 wherein the circuitry is a piezoresistive bridge circuit.

8. A pen according to claim 7 wherein the load bearing member has a ball positioned for engagement with the cartridge.

9. A pen according to claim 8 wherein the chassis defines a recess for the circuitry, and the ball protrudes from the recess for engaging the cartridge.

10. A pen according to claim 9 wherein the chassis has a travel stop positioned around the recess to engage the cartridge to limit elastic deformation of the force sensor assembly.

11. A pen according to claim 1 wherein the force sensor assembly is configured to sense a maximum force of 5 Newtons.

12. A pen according to claim 11 wherein the load bearing member can move up to 100 microns relative to the chassis.