Pen

Abstract

The invention relates to a pen with a writing refill comprising a writing tip, a housing at least partially accommodating the writing refill, and a socket for an electrical connection. According to the invention, it is provided that the housing has two parts which can be adjusted relative to one another, wherein in a first position of the two parts relative to one another, the socket is concealed and wherein in a second position of the two parts relative to one another, the socket is accessible.

Description

[0001] PEN

[0002] The invention relates to a pen with a writing refill comprising a writing tip, a housing at least partially accommodating the writing refill, and a socket for an electrical connection.

[0003] Pens of the type mentioned above are known. In the pens known to date, a rigid-flex circuit board is used to create a flexible and thin connection between individual components of the pen, in particular between a sensor system and the evaluation electronics of the pen. Rigid-flex circuit boards are, however, considerably more expensive to manufacture than rigid circuit boards, which is why a rigid circuit board is preferred. This does however mean that it is no longer possible to accommodate electronic components both in front of and behind the battery if you want to make do with a single circuit board. In order to not shift the center of gravity of the pen too far back, it also makes sense to position the battery in front of the electronics in the shaft of the pen. This does however make it difficult or even impossible to install a sensor system that allows the pen to be switched on and off by removing or attaching a pen cap.

[0004] The aim is, nonetheless, to achieve an intuitive way of switching on and off. One way of achieving this is to install a ballpoint pen mechanism. In order to be able to measure the pressure of the writing tip on the paper, the relevant force must be transmitted along the length of the pen to the electronics. For this purpose, the battery can be housed in a (cylindrical) tray that guides the tip pressure from the writing refill around the battery to the sensor mounted behind the battery. The electronics themselves and all sensors are then located behind the battery and, in particular, in the pusher of the ballpoint pen mechanism.

[0005] In this configuration of the pen, when the pen is adjusted from its rest position to its working position, the electronics are shifted relative to the shaft together with the battery and the writing refill, which makes it more difficult to integrate into the pen the aforementioned socket for an electrical connection, for example, for charging the battery. In order to be compatible with the usual connections for cell phones, a USB-C connection can, for example, be selected for charging. However, other types of connection such as a coaxial plug or simple charging contacts that are, for example, aligned with the contact element of the charging device via magnets are also conceivable. The term "socket" is hereinafter used without restriction of generality when this charging connection is meant. This connection should, however, be covered during operation in order to make it more difficult or even prevent the ingress of dirt and / or splashed water.

[0006] The invention is based on the task of further developing the aforementioned type of pen in such a way that the socket used for the electrical connection is protected against deposits of dirt and / or against the ingress of splashed water.

[0007] In other words, the task consists in protecting a charging socket in such a way that, when the pen is in operation or at rest, there is no external difference to a conventional pen. Only when the desire to charge the pen arises should it be possible to enable access to the previously concealed and protected charging socket opening by the simplest possible action. The opening of the socket should preferably be inside the contour of the pen housing.

[0008] According to the invention, the task set for the aforementioned type of pen is solved in that the housing comprises two parts which can be adjusted relative to one another, wherein in a first position of the two parts relative to one another, the socket is concealed by a cover and wherein in a second position of the two parts relative to one another, the socket is accessible. In the first position, a clip attached to the end of the pen should moreover cover the housing opening, by means of which the charging socket can be made accessible.

[0009] The solution according to the invention makes it possible to reveal the socket only when it is needed for charging the battery or for other purposes, which is to say, when a corresponding plug is to be inserted. This corresponds to the second position of the two parts of the housing. In all other cases, which is to say, when the socket is not in use, the two parts of the housing can be moved to the first position, whereby the socket is covered and thus protected from dirt deposits and / or splashed water.

[0010] In so doing, it can be provided according to the invention that one of the two parts comprises an opening for the socket and the other part is coupled, in particular rotationally coupled, to the socket and / or to a cover for the opening.

[0011] This configuration is particularly easy to realize.

[0012] According to the invention, it is preferred that the two parts of the housing are a shaft tube and an end piece. In this case, for example, the pen only needs to be held onto on the shaft tube. By adjusting the end piece in relation to the shaft tube, the socket can then be revealed or concealed.

[0013] In so doing, the shaft tube can electively be configured in one or a plurality of parts. For example, a two-part execution with a screw connection or latching mechanism of the two parts namely allows the shaft tube to be opened in a front area, in which the writing refill is housed, in order to be able to replace a depleted writing refill. Such a two-part execution is well known and need not be further elucidated here.

[0014] The two positions, according to the invention, also preferably differ from one another in the rotational position of the two parts of the housing relative to one another about the longitudinal axis of the pen. It would also be conceivable to cover the charging opening by a longitudinal displacement between the inner and outer components, however doing this by switching the ballpoint pen mechanism would require a longer adjustment than simply switching between the working and rest position. A USB-C socket is 9 mm wide, so this dimension represents the minimum for a sufficient displacement. A switching of the ballpoint pen, on the other hand, requires 7 mm or less. A rotation of the components in relation to each other is, therefore, the more attractive solution, especially since a pen housing is generally round. To switch the housing from the first to the second position (and vice versa), it is sufficient in this configuration of the pen to rotate the two housing parts, for example, the shaft tube and the end piece, in opposite directions to one another.

[0015] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided that at least one of the two parts has an outer contour in cross-section that deviates from a circular shape.

[0016] This makes it easier, for example, to rotate the two parts relative to each other.

[0017] In so doing, the deviation of the outer contour from a circular shape can be traced back to a clip.

[0018] According to the invention, in a particular preferable manner, a clip on the pen serves to cover the charging opening. Additionally or alternatively, a shield can, however, also be provided. This shield can be integrated into the rear housing part, which also carries the clip, whereby the clip simultaneously serves as a projection on the otherwise rotationally round or polygonal contour of the rear housing part, with which the application of a torque can be made considerably easier for the user.

[0019] If a clip is provided, it is preferably rotationally coupled to one of the two parts of the housing, whereas the charging opening is rotationally coupled to the other part.

[0020] In this configuration, the clip and the charging opening are therefore adjusted relative to each other, so that the clip covers the charging opening in the first position and reveals it in the second position.

[0021] In a similar manner, it can be provided that the shield is rotationally coupled to one of the two parts of the housing and the charging opening is rotationally coupled to the other part. This shield can, for example, be positioned directly inside the charging opening, whereby the remaining gaps are very small when closing the charging opening, which makes it considerably more difficult for foreign bodies or drops of water to penetrate than if only a clip covers the charging opening. In order to fulfill its function, a clip requires a certain distance from the rest of the body, which means that the remaining gaps offer significantly less protection against the ingress of foreign objects or water droplets when the socket is covered. In this configuration, a rotation of the two parts of the housing in relation to each other results in the shield covering the charging opening in the first position and revealing the charging opening in the second position. At the same time, the clip optically conceals the charging opening in the first position and reveals it in the second position, whereby the requirement of the greatest possible similarity to a conventional pen can be fulfilled.

[0022] According to the invention, the aforementioned tray can be provided to accommodate a battery of the pen. This tray can comprise the shield if the tray is rotationally coupled to the rear housing part. Alternatively, the shield can also be attached to the rear housing part if the charging opening is located in the front housing part and the shield dips into the charging opening.

[0023] In both cases, the shield is preferably located on the same radius as the mouth of the socket so that the shield does not need to slide over the socket opening and sit quite deep in the housing. If the outer surface of the shield is on the same radius as the mouth of the socket, the diameter of the pen can be smaller and the socket can be positioned closer to the surface of the pen housing.

[0024] Lastly, an end piece comprising a clip can be provided, which end piece comprises the shield.

[0025] In issue 2 of August 2019, of the "Universal Serial Bus Type-C Cable and Connector Specification" standard, the minimum length of the insertion area of the connector is specified as 6.51 mm in Fig. 3-3 and Fig. 3-11. The maximum insertion depth of a socket that is compliant with the standard, on the other hand, is specified, for example, in Fig. 3-1 , as 6.2 mm. This means that the thickness of the housing, which can be located above the mouth of the socket, may only be 0.3 mm thick. Conventional sockets available on the market have insertion depths of typically 5.0 to 5.5 mm, so that there is enough wall thickness for a housing, however not enough remains for a housing and a shield, to allow a full insertion of the plug into the socket.

[0026] Hereinafter, on the basis of a preferred execution example, the invention is elucidated in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings with further particulars. Wherein:

[0027] Fig. 1 shows a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of a preferred execution example of the pen according to the invention with the refill extended (working position), wherein the circuit board is shown rotated 90° to the clip.

[0028] Fig. 2 shows the same view as Fig. 1 , but rotated by 90° around the longitudinal axis,

[0029] Fig. 3a shows a perspective view of a tray for a battery of the pen,

[0030] Fig. 3b shows a top view of a tray for a battery of the pen,

[0031] Fig. 4 schematically shows components of a pusher of the pen, wherein, however, the upper half of the front pusher housing and an overload protection spring are omitted for reasons of clarity,

[0032] Fig. 5 shows a view of the pusher before assembly from the rear, wherein, in comparison to Fig. 4, the rear pusher housing is rotated by 90°, and

[0033] Fig. 6 shows two sections through the pen in the area of the pusher, wherein the pusher and circuit board are shown on the left in the working position and on the right in the charging position.

[0034] The following particulars can be seen in the figures: a grip 1 , a shaft tube 2, an end piece 3, a writing refill 4, a tray 5 for a battery 50, which encloses the same by at least 180°, a front pusher housing 6, a rear pusher housing 7, a circuit board 8, a switching ring 9, an outlet opening 11 for a writing tip 41 of the writing refill 4, a switching spring 12, a thread 21, a refill tube 42 of the writing refill 4, a refill filling 43 (ink and follower), an optional stopper 44, a front tray frame 51, a rear tray frame 52, a shield 53 for closing a charging opening 24, a cut-out 61 for a touch lever 831 , a cut-out 62 for a socket 82, a latching bead 63 for the rear pusher housing 7, a toothed profile 71 for the switching ring transport, a latching groove 72 in the rear pusher housing 7, a shifting ramp 22, a latching mechanism 23 of the end piece 3, a force sensor 81 , a socket 82, which in the execution example shown is a LISB-C charging socket, a pushbutton switch 83, a combined acceleration and rotational rate sensor 84, a processor 85, a clip 31 , an antenna 86, an outer toothed ring 91 for the latching mechanism, an inner toothed ring 92 for the switching ring transport and a touch lever 831.

[0035] In the execution example shown, tray 5 fulfills three functions:

[0036] 1. Transmission of the writing pressure from the writing refill 4 to the force sensor 81 , 2 Closure of the charging opening 24 from the inside and

[0037] 3. Tolerance compensation for different battery lengths. Inasmuch as the refill has a different diameter than the tray, there are webs in the front area of grip 1 that center the refill in the middle of the grip. In Fig. 2, the section through the grip leads through these webs, which explains the apparently greater wall thickness of the grip 1 in Fig. 2 when compared to the illustration in Fig. 1.

[0038] Force transmission to the force sensor 81

[0039] The force with which the writing tip 41 is pressed onto a writing surface is transmitted in a radial direction from the tip outlet opening 11 in the grip 1 to the grip, whereas the axial force component is transmitted from the writing tip 41 by means of the refill tube 42 of the writing refill 4 to the stopper 44 and from there to the tray 5 by means of the front frame 51. The rear frame 52 of the tray 5 is in force-transmitting contact with the force sensor 81. This contact is ensured by the switching spring 12, which presses the writing refill 4 and the tray 5 which is in contact with it, backwards against the force sensor 81 .

[0040] Inside the front pusher housing 6, the circuit board 8 can be arranged longitudinally as desired and is pushed forwards and against the rear tray frame 52 by a spring for overload protection, which is not shown. In so doing, the preload of the spring is selected in such a way that it only deforms when the load on the force sensor 81 exceeds its maximum measurement range. In this case, the circuit board 8 can move backwards and the tray frame 52 presses against the front end of the pusher housing 6, which in turn transfers this force by means of the switching ring 9 to the end piece 3 and by means of the latching mechanism 23 to the shaft tube 2 and from there by means of the thread 21 to the grip 1.

[0041] Such overload protection is recommended, but is not essentia) for the function of the invention.

[0042] Switching on and off

[0043] The pen shown in the drawing has an adjustment mechanism that is common for ballpoint pens. It is turned on by means of a longitudinally displaceable pusher located at its rear end, wherein a switching ring 9 runs in grooves (not shown) in the end piece 3 and engages in either a rear or a front position. Beveled teeth on the toothed ring 91 guide the switching ring 9 into the next groove and the inner toothed ring with beveled teeth ensures that the switching ring 9 rotates with each actuation so that the grooves for the switched-on position and then the grooves for the switched-off position are alternatingly moved to. Inasmuch as such switching mechanisms are well known, they will not be further elucidated here.

[0044] The electronics provided in the execution example shown include the circuit board 8, on which the pushbutton switch 83 is installed, the touch lever 831 of which runs against a ramp 22 located in the shaft tube 2 when the pusher 6+7+8 is pushed forward and is pressed in by the movement of the pusher, which activates the electrical circuit. Programming written in the permanent memory of the processor 85 then starts the processor and the other electronic components.

[0045] In order that the pushbutton switch 83 can engage with the ramp 22, the front pusher housing 6 has the cut-out 61 , through which the ramp 22 can protrude into the interior of the housing 6 and actuate the touch lever 831. The cut-out 62 enables the socket 82 to protrude outwards.

[0046] Assembly

[0047] First, the battery 50 is placed in the opening of the tray 5, wherein the two flanks of the tray edge must be pressed apart elastically in order to widen the opening of the tray 5 sufficiently for the battery to fit in. Due to the partial wrapping of the battery 50 by the tray 5, the battery is held in the tray 5 in a form-fit manner. The C-shaped cross-section of the tray allows the battery to be held slightly off-center in the tray, which helps to configure the diameter of the pen as small as possible.

[0048] The battery wires not shown in the illustrations are then soldered to the circuit board, the circuit board is mounted in the pusher housing and the combination of tray, battery, pusher, switching ring, and circuit board is pushed into the shaft 2 from behind. The snapping into place of end piece 3 closes the shaft 2 backwards.

[0049] The front pusher housing 6 itself is injection-molded in a cavity into two half-shells connected by a foil hinge, which makes it possible to attach internal webs, cut-outs, latches and recesses for fixing the socket 82 and the overload spring (not shown). Alternatively, it is possible to construct the housing from two separate halves, although this increases the manufacturing complexity and requires more effort during assembly in order to align the two housing halves with each other. Here too, a relevant presentation of these details is dispensed with, as they are generally known and familiar. The pusher is completed by the rear pusher housing 7, which is latched to the front pusher housing 6 by means of the latching bead 63 and the latching groove 72 after the switching ring 9 has been pushed onto the closed front pusher housing 6. This switching ring 9 is positioned in a form-fitting but rotatable manner, whereby the pusher, consisting of the front housing part 6, the rear pusher housing 7, and the circuit board 8, and the switching ring 9 form a unit, which is then mounted between these two when the end piece 3 is mounted on the rear end of the shaft tube 2. In this, the circular latching mechanism 23 is used, which fixes the end piece 3 on the shaft tube 2, but still allows a (limited) rotation of the two relative to one another.

[0050] The rear pusher housing 7 of the pusher electively has an elliptical cross-section and protrudes to the rear through a complementary shaped opening on the end piece 3. Alternatively, it can be guided through grooves in the end piece in a rotationally coupled but longitudinally displaceable manner. In this way, it rotates with the end piece 3 when the end piece 3 is rotated relative to the shaft tube 2. The socket 82 protrudes from the pusher and engages in a gap between the shield 53 for closing the opening 24 and a second extension 54 on the tray 5. In so doing, the combination of pusher and tray 5 is rotatable by a rotation of the end piece 3 relative to the shaft tube 2 and the thereto connected grip 1 .

[0051] Other solutions for a non-rotatable coupling of pusher and end piece are also possible and can be used alternatively, without the need to describe the possible alternatives here.

[0052] In the last step, the cartridge 4 and the switching spring 12 are inserted into the grip 1 from behind and then screwed to the shaft 2. This completes the assembly of the pen.

[0053] Access to socket 82

[0054] In normal operation, the charging opening 24 in the shaft tube 2 is covered by the clip 31. In addition, the charging opening 24 is closed from the inside by the shield 53 on the tray 5. If the end piece 3 is rotated relative to the shaft tube 2, the clip 31 reveals access to the charging opening 24. At the same time, the shield 53 is displaced, whereby the charging opening 24 becomes accessible. Inasmuch as the end piece 3, the pusher, and the tray 5 are rotationally coupled to each other, the mouth of the socket 82 is simultaneously pushed into the charging opening 24 and is free for insertion of a plug. This could, for example, be the plug of a charging cable. Inasmuch as the socket occupies a different position when switched off than when switched on, charging is only possible either in switched on or switched off state. When the pusher and therefore also the electronics are moved during the switching process, the positions of the mouth of the socket and the charging opening in the shaft, which has the shape of a rounded-off rectangle, only coincide in one switching state, unless the charging opening extends over a length that corresponds to the sum of the socket width and the switching path.

[0055] The fact that the connection between the battery and the electronics is interrupted when switched off can be avoided by appropriately designing the electronics, wherein a suitably selected charge controller can be supplied via the power supply of the USB port. In so doing, the battery and charge controller are permanently connected to each other and the electronics are switched on by means of pushbutton 83. The switching off of the electronics takes place by a corresponding programming of the processor, which can control a switchoff independently not only by means of the signal of the pushbutton 83, but rather, for example, can also independently control a switch-off over a preset period of time in the case of signals from the built-in inertial sensor that remain constant.

[0056] In order to ensure that the touch lever 831 remains in the switched-on condition even when the end piece 3 is rotated, the shifting ramp 22 must cover the range of rotation between the closed and accessible charging opening 24. In this, it is not necessarily a web, but preferably a surface that must protrude into the area of the pusher. In this, the cut-out 61 in the front pusher housing 6 is dimensioned in such a way that it limits the rotational movement of the pusher housing relative to the shaft tube 2 to the extent required for switching.

[0057] Alternative embodiments

[0058] The electronics can be activated by means of a monostable flip-flop stage in order to allow for a switching off of the electronics even when the pushbutton 83 is switched on. When the pushbutton is switched from off to on, this generates a voltage signal for a period of time, the duration of which can be preset using capacitors and resistors. Once this period of time has elapsed, the output of the flip-flop stage switches back to earth potential, whereby the electronics no longer receives a switch-on signal and the electronics would switch on again after switching off due to a voltage signal at the output of the flip-flop stage, even if the button 83 is still switched on. A charge of the battery is, however, also possible without an activation of the electronics, inasmuch as if a suitable charge controller is selected, this can be supplied by means of the power supply of the USB port and controls the charging process by means of a state machine without further involvement of other components of the electronics.

[0059] A further alternative embodiment relates to the outlined position of the shield, which can also be part of the rear shaft.

[0060] A further alternative embodiment uses two separate parts for the front pusher housing. The separating plane of these two parts, which in the preferred execution coincides with the plane of the circuit board, can also form an angle of up to 90° to the circuit board.

[0061] The features of the invention disclosed in the above description, the claims, and the drawing may be essential both individually and in any combination for the realization of the invention in its various embodiments.

Claims

CLAIMS1. Pen with a writing refill (4) comprising a writing tip (41), a housing at least partially accommodating the writing refill, and a socket (82) for an electrical connection, characterized in that the housing has two parts which can be adjusted relative to one another, wherein in a first position of the two parts relative to one another, the socket (82) is concealed by a cover and wherein in a second position of the two parts relative to one another, the socket (82) is accessible.

2. Pen according to claim 1 , characterized in that one of the two parts comprises an opening (24) for the socket (82) and the other part is coupled, in particular rotationally coupled, to the socket (82) and / or to a cover (31 , 53) for the opening (24).

3. Pen according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the two parts of the housing are a shaft tube (2) and an end piece (3).

4. Pen according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the two positions differ from one another in the rotational position of the two parts relative to one another about the longitudinal axis of the pen.

5. Pen according to claim 4, characterized in that at least one of the two parts has an outer contour in cross-section that deviates from a circular shape.

6. Pen according to claim 5, characterized in that the deviation of the outer contour from the circular shape traces back to a clip (31).

7. Pen according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a clip (31) and / or a shield (53) serve(s) to conceal the socket (82).

8. Pen according to claim 7, characterized in that the clip (31) is rotationally coupled to one of the two parts of the housing and the socket (82) is rotationally coupled to the other part.

9. Pen according to claim 7 or claim 8, characterized in that the shield (53) is rotationally coupled to one of the two parts of the housing and the socket (82) is rotationally coupled to the other part of the housing.

10. Pen according to any one of claims 7 through 9, characterized by a tray (5) accommodating a battery (50) which comprises the shield (53).11 . Pen according to any one of claims 7 through 9, characterized by an end piece (3) comprising a clip (31), which comprises the shield (53).

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