Colouring apparatus

Abstract

Apparatus for conveying a liquid or dye from a conical liquid-absorbent nib 20 of a first marker pen (10, Fig.1) to a conical liquid-absorbent nib 20 of a second marker pen (12, Fig.1). The apparatus

Description

This invention relates to colouring apparatus and more especially to apparatus for enabling a marker pen to produce in a line or succession of lines a uniform and consistent colour change from one colour to another colour. Typically, marker pens comprise a tubular housing having a conical fibrous nib connected via a liquid absorbent wick to an internal chamber containing a fluid indicator which contains a coloured dye. As the marker pen is used the fibrous nib is replenished with the fluid indicator which travels through the wick from the chamber by capillary action to the nib. Such pens are well known and are used inter alia to produce coloured effects on paper or other materials. Our European Patent 1744907B discloses apparatus for enabling a marker pen to produce in a line or a succession of lines a uniform and consistent change from one colour to another colour. This apparatus essentially comprises a tubular open-ended docking member which enables the tips of two marker pen nibs selectively to be placed in touching contact to cause coloured liquid or dye to pass between the nib of one pen to the nib of the other to enable one or each pen to produce in a line or succession of lines a uniform and consistent colour change. One problem with such marker pens is that the tips of the pen nibs can, in time, be damaged through the touching nib-to-nib contact with one another leading to a lack of performance. The present invention sets out to provide alternative apparatus which prevents such damage occuring. In one aspect the invention provides apparatus for conveying a liquid or dye from the conical liquid-absorbent nib of a first marker pen to the conical liquid-absorbent nib of a second marker pen, the apparatus comprising a tubular docking member having one end shaped and dimensioned to engage with an end portion of said first marker pen including the pen nib and its other end shaped and dimensioned to engage with an end portion including the nib of said second marker pen, the tubular docking member being of such length that when the end portions of the first and second marker pens are engaged within the open ends of the docking member, the sides but not the tips of the pen nibs make contact one with the other to enable liquid or dye to pass therebetween without causing damage to the pen nibs. In another aspect the invention provides colouring apparatus comprising a first marker pen having a housing including a conical absorbent nib containing a liquid or dye of a first colour; a second marker pen having a housing including a conical absorbent nib containing a liquid or dye of a second colour; and a tubular docking member having a first and second end, wherein the housing of the first marker and the housing of the second marker are dimensioned and shaped to engage the first and second ends of the tubular docking member, and wherein the docking member is dimensioned and shaped to enable a side surface of the absorbent nib of the first marker pen to make side-by-side contact with a side surface but not the tip of the absorbent nib of the second marker pen. The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which:- Figure 1 is a side view of a pair of marker pens and a docking member in accordance with the invention prior to insertion of the pens into the docking member; and Figure 2 is a side view of the marker pens when positioned within the docking member with the docking member show in section. As illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings, marker pens 10, 12 are positioned above and below the open ends of a tubular docking member 14 in accordance with the invention. Each marker pen comprises an elongate generally tubular housing 16 having a collar 18 from which protrudes a fibrous felt-like conical nib 20 connected via a liquid absorbent wick (not shown) to an internal chamber containing a liquid coloured dye. To achieve the desired colour changing effect, the dye retained within the internal chamber of pen 10 is different to that retained within pen 12. Thus, the dye of pen 10 may, for example, be red and that of pen 12 yellow. In practise, a selection of pens each including a dye of a different colour may be provided. Removable caps (not shown) are provided to seal the absorbent nibs 20 when the pens are not in use. The docking member 14 comprises an open-ended tubular member which, as will be seen from Figure 2, is dimensioned to define a snug fit over the ends of the collars 18 of the marker pens 10, 12. As also shown in Figure 2, the internal diameter of the docking member 14 is slightly greater than the outer diameter of each collar 18 to enable the docking member to engage the collars 18 until the end of the docking member makes contact with the respective abutment surface and the nibs make contact along their side surfaces to avoid damage to the tips of the nibs. This contact enables rapid transfer of liquid dye from one pen to the other. In order to achieve this objective, the collars 18 may be marginally offset from the longitudinal axis of the housings. Alternatively, the material of the nibs may have sufficient flexability to allow the side surfaces to make the required contact. The fact that the sides of the nibs touch one another allows a relatively rapid transfer of coloured dye from one nib to the other without causing damage to the tips of the nibs 20 thereby increasing the useful life of the pens. The degree of contact occasioned by the sides becoming aligned ensures that the transfer is relatively rapid. To best effect the transfer of dye, one pen is held higher than the other pen, the docking member 14 acting to channel the dye from one nib to the other while preventing leakage of the dye. Only a small period of time, for example between two and five seconds, is required for sufficient dye to be transferred. In use, following the side-by-side contact of the nibs 20, each pen 10 is able to produce a line or series of lines which gradually change from the donated colour (eg yellow) to a mix of the original and donated colours (eg orange) to its original colour (eg red). It will be appreciated that the foregoing is merely exemplary of marker pens in accordance with the invention and that various modifications can readily be made thereto without departing from the true scope of the invention as set out in the appended claims .

Claims

1. Apparatus for conveying a liquid or dye from a conical liquid-absorbent nib of a first marker pen to a conical liquid-absorbent nib of a second marker pen, the apparatus comprising a tubular docking member having one end shaped and dimensioned to engage with an end portion of said first marker pen including the pen nib and its other end shaped and dimensioned to engage with an end portion including the nib of said second marker pen, the tubular docking member being of such length that when the end portions of the first and second marker pens are engaged within the open ends of the docking member, the sides but not the tips of the pen nibs make contact one with the other to enable liquid or dye to pass therebetween without causing damage to the nibs .

2. Colouring apparatus comprising a first marker pen having a housing including a conical absorbent nib containing a liquid or dye of a first colour, a second marker pen having a housing including a conical absorbent nib containing a liquid or dye of a second colour, and a tubular docking member having a first and second end, wherein the housing of the first marker pen and the housing of the second marker pen are dimensioned and shaped to engage the first and second ends of the tubular docking member, and wherein the docking member is dimensioned and shaped to enable a side surface of the absorbent nib of the first marker pen to make side-by-side contact with a side surface but not the tip of the absorbent nib of the second marker pen.

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