Digital pen

Abstract

To avoid the necessity of disposing a digital pen with an expensive electronic component included therein even if receiving means is damaged.SOLUTION: A digital pen includes a pen section 11 equipped with a front pen segment 12 having a writing element, and a pen segment 13 disposed behind the front pen segment 12 and containing a rechargeable battery 14 for supplying electricity to an electronic component of the front pen segment 12. In the digital pen having a protective cap 27, the protective cap 27 is configured so as to transmit charging energy transmitted to the protective cap 27 to the rechargeable battery 14 for charging the rechargeable battery 14 or configured so as to be connected to the rechargeable battery 14 for further transmission of the energy, in a charging connection state in which the protective cap 27 is fixed to the pen section 11 in a fitting and / or locking style in the pen section 11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a digital pen having an elongated pen part with a front pen segment having a writing element, in particular formed as a pen tip, for writing on paper or a pad such as a touch screen, and a pen segment arranged further rearward relative to the front pen segment, in which a particularly elongated rechargeable battery, in particular comprising a housing, is arranged entirely or partly for powering at least one electronic component of the front pen segment, said digital pen having a (separable) particularly elongated protective cap. [Background technology]

[0002] Such digital pens with rechargeable batteries are known. To charge the rechargeable battery, there is usually a receiving means in the elongated pen part formed as an electrical contact and electrically connected to the rechargeable battery, said receiving means being able to be connected to an external voltage or charging source (e.g. via a cable) if necessary. However, if the receiving means is damaged, the entire digital pen must be discarded together with the expensive electronic components contained therein. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] The object of the present invention is to develop the digital pen mentioned at the beginning. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] The problem is solved by a digital pen having the features of claim 1.

[0005] The present invention is therefore characterized in that the protective cap is configured in such a way that in a charging connection state, in which the protective cap is fixed to the pen part in a snap-fit and / or engagement manner, for example by a screw connection, a snap connection or a bayonet connection, the protective cap is further transferred or is connected to the rechargeable battery in such a way that charging energy of an electrically operated charging source, in particular transmitted to the protective cap, is further transferred to the rechargeable battery for charging the rechargeable battery.

[0006] Preferably, the protective cap is provided with a receiving means, and the charging energy of the charging source can be transmitted to the receiving means by wired or wireless connection, in particular by wired connection using an electric current, or by wireless connection using inductive, capacitive or electromagnetic waves.

[0007] In other words, one of the digital pens or the protective cap is used to charge a rechargeable battery placed in the digital pen, which has the advantage, among other things, that if the receiving means is damaged, only the protective cap needs to be replaced, allowing expensive pen parts to be reused.

[0008] The receiving means can then be formed by contacts to which an electrical charging current of a charging source can be supplied for charging the rechargeable battery, in particular by electrical contacts which are components of a connection point arranged in the protective cap for detachable connection of a current cable or a current and data cable which is connected or connectable to a charging source.

[0009] However, the receiving means may also include a unit for receiving charging energy inductively or capacitively, or may also include a unit for receiving electromagnetic waves that transmit charging energy, so that the charging energy is transmitted to the receiving means wirelessly or via a radio connection accordingly.

[0010] The receiving means of the protective cap may be wirelessly connected to the rechargeable battery, in particular by inductive, capacitive or electromagnetic waves, and / or may be wired to the rechargeable battery, in order to further transfer the charging energy transferred to the receiving means to the rechargeable battery in the charging connection state of the protective cap and the pen part.

[0011] In this case, the protective cap may be provided with a sending unit, in particular including a sending coil, of the inductive energy transmission device of the digital pen for transmitting charging energy (wirelessly) to the rechargeable battery, said sending unit being connected by a wired connection to the receiving means, in particular the electrical contacts, of the protective cap.

[0012] The pen portion, in particular the front pen segment or one or further rearwardly arranged pen segments, may be provided with a receiving unit including a receiving coil of the inductive energy transmission device of the digital pen, which receiving unit is connected to the rechargeable battery by a wired connection and inductively cooperates with the sending unit to transmit charging energy to the receiving unit for charging the rechargeable battery.

[0013] The electrical contacts of the protective cap forming the receiving means can be connected by wire to electrical contacts arranged in the pen part, in particular in the front pen segment or in the pen segment arranged further rearward, which are likewise conductively connected to a rechargeable battery, in the charging connection state of the protective cap and the pen part.

[0014] An electrical contact of the receiving means of the protective cap, in particular arranged further forward, can be connected by wire to an additional electrical contact, in particular arranged further rearward, of the protective cap, which additional electrical contact of the protective cap is in contact with an electrical contact of the pen part, which is conductively connected to the rechargeable battery, in the connected state of the protective cap and the pen part.

[0015] The receiving means of the protective cap can be arranged on the (front) end face side of the protective cap or in particular on the peripheral outside of the protective cap.

[0016] The electronic component capable of receiving current from a rechargeable battery may be the writing element of the digital pen or may be a component that operates the writing element.

[0017] The protective cap, in a charging connection state in which the protective cap is removably fixed to the pen portion, is capable of covering the writing element and at least one of the front pen segments or one or more further rearwardly arranged pen segments, preferably including the (rear) free end of the pen portion.

[0018] If the protective cap covers a pen segment located further back in the charging connection state, the protective cap may be removably securable to the pen portion in another position where the protective cap covers the writing element and at least one of the forward pen segments.

[0019] Furthermore, it is possible for the further rearwardly arranged pen segment to be removably fastened to the other pen segments, in particular the front pen segment, in order to remove the rechargeable battery, preferably by means of a screw connection, a snap connection or a bayonet connection, in particular so that the rechargeable battery can be taken out of the further rearwardly arranged pen segment through an opening in the further rearwardly arranged pen segment facing the other pen segments, in a state in which the further rearwardly arranged pen segment has been detached from the other pen segments. Alternatively or additionally, it is possible for the rechargeable battery to be removably arranged in the further rearwardly arranged pen segment in order to remove the rechargeable battery.

[0020] The rechargeable battery may comprise at least two electrical contacts via which a charging current can be supplied to the rechargeable battery.

[0021] One or both of the electrical contacts of the rechargeable battery can be located in the area of and / or adjacent to the front end of the rechargeable battery facing the writing element. Alternatively or additionally, one or both of the electrical contacts of the rechargeable battery can be located in the area of and / or adjacent to the rear end of the rechargeable battery facing away from the writing element.

[0022] Both electrical contacts of the rechargeable battery, which can supply an electrical charging current to the rechargeable battery, can be conductively and removably electrically connected to the electronic components of the front pen segment at the electrical contacts of the front pen segment, i.e., for powering the electronic components.

[0023] If both electrical contacts of the rechargeable battery are arranged in the area of or adjacent to the rear end of the rechargeable battery opposite the writing element for supplying a charging current, the rechargeable battery may be provided with two further electrical contacts in the area of or adjacent to the front end facing the writing element for powering the electronic components of the front pen segment, each of which contacts being removably electrically connected to an electrical contact of the front pen segment which is respectively conductively connected to the electronic components of the front pen segment.

[0024] Each of the two electrical contacts of the rechargeable battery for supplying a charging current or each of the two electrical contacts of the rechargeable battery for supplying power to electronic components may in particular be components of a common connector part, in particular of a connector part connected to (at least) one current line, preferably formed as a current cable, connected to one of the two poles of the rechargeable battery.

[0025] The or each connector part can be removably connected to a connector counter member with electrical contacts of the front pen segment, forming an electrical connector, in particular with electrical contacts capable of supplying a charging current to the rechargeable battery and / or a supply current from the rechargeable battery to the electronic components of the front pen segment.

[0026] Each of the two electrical contacts of the rechargeable battery for supplying a charging current or for powering electronic components can comprise a contact surface, preferably forming one of the poles of the rechargeable battery, arranged directly on the rechargeable battery, in particular on its battery housing, or can be formed by such a contact surface, in particular a contact surface made of an electrically conductive material, for supplying a charging current or for powering electronic components.

[0027] One of the contact surfaces may form the positive electrode of a rechargeable battery, and the other contact surface may form the negative electrode of the rechargeable battery.

[0028] One or both contact surfaces may be arranged on a particularly flat end face of the rechargeable battery, which extends laterally, preferably at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the pen part, and forms the front free end of the rechargeable battery.

[0029] One or both contact surfaces may be formed as ring surfaces, and / or one contact surface may form the circumferential interior of a hollow cylindrical portion of the rechargeable battery.

[0030] Both ring-shaped contact surfaces can be arranged concentrically.

[0031] The pen segment arranged further to the rear can have a particularly elongated, preferably hollow cylindrical, storage space in which a rechargeable battery is arranged in a wholly or partly removable manner, in particular in sliding contact with a surrounding storage space wall that laterally defines the storage space.

[0032] The pen part, in particular the front pen segment or the rear pen segment, can be equipped with an electronic module for managing the charging process of the rechargeable battery, in particular an electronic module for managing the charging process electrically connected by a wired connection to both electrical contacts of the rechargeable battery for supplying the charging current.

[0033] The protective cap can be removably secured to the pen portion, preferably by snap-on and / or engagement, in particular by a screw connection, a snap connection or a bayonet connection, and / or the protective cap can be configured to protect the writing element from damage during transport of the digital pen, and / or the protective cap can be provided with a clip for securing the digital pen to an object such as paper or clothing.

[0034] Further features of the present invention will be apparent from the appended claims, the following description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0035] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram (longitudinal cross section) of a first embodiment of a digital pen, in which charging energy for a rechargeable battery is supplied to a protective cap that is placed on the front pen segment of the pen part of the digital pen and transmits it to the pen part, i.e., the front pen segment, via a radio connection or wirelessly. [Figure 2] Schematic diagram (longitudinal cross section) of a second embodiment of a digital pen, in which a protective cap is also installed on the front pen segment and transmits charging energy to the front pen segment via a wired connection. [Figure 3]Schematic diagram (longitudinal cross section) of a third embodiment of a digital pen, in which a protective cap is attached to a pen segment located further back in the pen portion and transmits charging energy to the further back pen segment via a wireless connection. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic diagram (perspective) of a first embodiment of a removable rechargeable battery for a digital pen, having two electrical (connection) contacts connected to the poles of the rechargeable battery via a current cable for removable connection of the rechargeable battery with the electrical (counter) contacts of the digital pen; [Figure 5] Schematic diagram (perspective) of a second embodiment of a removable rechargeable battery for a digital pen, having two contact surfaces formed by circular battery poles for removable connection with the electrical (counter) contacts of the digital pen. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0036] The drawings show, by way of example, different simplified embodiments of a digital pen 10, which illustrate how the digital pen can be implemented according to the core idea of the present invention, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0037] The illustrated digital pen 10 comprises an elongated pen portion 11, which includes a front pen segment 12 and a rear pen segment 13. In accordance with the present invention, the digital pen 10 may be based on or use any known technology for such digital input pens. The digital pen may be, for example, an electromagnetic, electro-optical, electromagnetic radiation, capacitive, inductive or resistive digital pen.

[0038] The front pen segment 12 comprises a writing element 33, here formed as a stylus, for writing on a pad such as paper or a touch screen.

[0039] A rechargeable (here cylindrical) battery 14 is arranged in a hollow cylindrical receiving space 15, for example, of the pen segment 13 arranged further rearward. During operation of the digital pen 10, at least one electronically or electrically operating member 22 (such a member may also be understood in the present application as an assembly of multiple electronic / electrical structural elements) arranged in the front pen segment 12 of the digital pen 10 is supplied with current by the battery 14. In the case of an electro-optical pen, this may be, for example, an LED and / or a camera for determining the position of the pen, or in the case of an electromagnetic pen, a generator of an electromagnetic field or the like.

[0040] The rechargeable battery 14 is removably arranged or stored in the pen segment 13 or storage space 15 located further to the rear so that it can be replaced with a new rechargeable battery, for example at the end of its life, or so that it can be disposed of if the digital pen 10 is defective.

[0041] For this purpose, the outer contour of the rechargeable battery 14 can be configured, for example, to be adapted to the storage space 15, so that walls, protrusions or the like defining the storage space 15 contribute to a secure retention in the pen part 11 or in the pen segment 13 arranged further rearward, so that it is not necessary to protect the rechargeable battery 14 from undesirable relative movements within the storage space 15, for example by means of a non-removable covering or the like.

[0042] In this regard, the rechargeable battery 14 can be configured to slide and therefore easily removable contact the surrounding wall defining the storage space 15, so that the rechargeable battery 14 can be moved by the user out of the further rearwardly positioned pen segment 13 by a suitable relative axial movement.

[0043] Here, the rechargeable battery 14 is in contact with a housing wall 13b of the housing 13a of the pen segment 13 arranged further to the rear, which delimits the receiving space 15 for this purpose.

[0044] Furthermore, the pen segment 13 arranged further to the rear is removably fixed to the front pen segment 12 at the end 13c assigned to the front pen segment 12, for example by means of a screw connection, a snap connection or a bayonet connection.

[0045] Correspondingly, the further rearwardly arranged pen segment 13 can be detached from the front pen segment 12 if necessary, and the rechargeable battery 14 can be taken out from the further rearwardly arranged pen segment 13 or can be detached from the further rearwardly arranged pen segment 13 through the front opening 13d arranged on the end face side at the end 13c of the further rearwardly arranged pen segment 13.

[0046] In this case, the further rearwardly arranged pen segment 13 simultaneously forms the rear free end of the pen part 11. It is naturally theoretically also conceivable that the further rearwardly arranged pen segment 13 does not form a rear free end, but is for example removably connected to an additional further rearwardly arranged pen segment (in particular including the rear free end of the pen part). In this case, it may also be provided that the rechargeable battery 14 removably arranged in the further rearwardly arranged pen segment 13 can be removed through an opening in the further rearwardly arranged pen segment 13 facing towards the additional pen segment. Various embodiments are conceivable here.

[0047] For charging the rechargeable battery 14, a solution is shown in Figures 1-2 in which the electrical charging energy required for this is supplied via the front pen segment 12. In contrast to this, in the embodiment of Figure 3 the electrical charging energy is supplied via the further rear pen segment 13.

[0048] In this case, in the embodiment of FIG. 1, the charging energy is firstly arranged to be supplied to the protective cap 27 of the digital pen 10 by means of a wired connection, i.e. here by means of a (at least two-core) current line or current cable 16.

[0049] In this case, the protective cap 27 is provided with receiving means 28, which in this case are formed by (at least two) electrical connection contacts not shown, which are here arranged on the end face side of the protective cap 27 (of course they can also be arranged on the periphery side of the protective cap) and which may, for example, in some cases be part of a connection point with further contacts, for example for transmitting data (but do not have to be part of it).

[0050] In this case, the counter contacts 20, 21 are removably electrically connectable to electrical connection contacts of the receiving means 28, which may for example be part of a connector part and are fixed to a current cable 16 which extends / can extend to a charging source, not shown, which provides the charging energy. The charging source may for example be a normal voltage source.

[0051] The electrical connection contacts of the receiving means 28, which can be connected to or are connected to the counter contacts 20, 21, are connected conductively or by wired connection using connection lines 29a, 29b to a sending unit 30 of the protective cap 27 of the digital pen 10 device for transmitting charging energy wirelessly or by wireless connection, so that the charging energy can be transmitted from the charging source to the protective cap 27 and further transmitted wirelessly or by wireless connection from the protective cap 27 to the pen part 11, i.e. here the front pen segment 12.

[0052] For this purpose, in the charging connection state shown in FIG. 1, the protective cap 27 is removably fixed to the pen part 11, i.e. to the front pen segment 12, and here is further snapped onto the front end of the pen segment 12.

[0053] At this time, it is not important how the protective cap 27 is removably fixed on the pen part 11. The protective cap 27 can be fixed, for example, in an engaging and / or snap-on manner.

[0054] In the charging connection state, the rear free end of the front pen segment 12 is located in the receiving portion 31 of the protective cap 27 .

[0055] The delivery unit 30 of the protective cap 27 is arranged in the area of the receiving part 31 and surrounds the rear free end of the front pen segment 12, so that the delivery unit 30 surrounds the receiving unit 32 of the device for transmitting charging energy wirelessly, which is a component of the pen part 11 or of the front pen segment 12.

[0056] In this case, the charging energy is transferred inductively between the sending unit 30 and the receiving unit 32, but it can also be transferred capacitively or by means of electromagnetic waves.

[0057] For inductive transmission, the sending unit 30 is correspondingly provided with a sending coil 30a known per se, and the receiving unit 32 is provided with a receiving coil 32a known per se.

[0058] The receiving coil 32a is connected in a wired connection to the rechargeable battery 14 in a further extension in the pen part 11, so that the charging energy received by the receiving coil as a current can be further transmitted to the rechargeable battery 14. This is done here exemplarily via (e.g. cable-like) current lines 23a, 23b, 24a, 24b, which are here removably connected to one another via removable (electrical) connection contacts 25 or 26.

[0059] The connection contacts 26 can then comprise, for example, connectors with connection contacts which are connected in a wired manner, here via current lines 24a, 24b, to charging contacts (not shown) of the rechargeable battery 14, in particular to the poles of the rechargeable battery 14. An example of a rechargeable battery 14 with corresponding connection contacts is shown in Figure 4. The charging contacts of the rechargeable battery 14 are in this case arranged at its front end, although of course this does not necessarily have to be the case.

[0060] It is further conceivable to omit the current lines 24a, 24b and the connecting contacts, and thus the rechargeable battery 14 can be provided, for example at its end facing the front pen segment 12, with contact surfaces 18, 19 which are in direct contact with the connecting contacts 25, as shown in Figure 4.

[0061] The contact surfaces 18, 19 can then be formed, for example, as concentric ring-shaped contact surfaces 18, 19 made of an electrically conductive material, which are preferably formed directly by the corresponding negative and positive poles of the rechargeable battery 14 and are in detachable contact with the electrical connection contacts 25.

[0062] It goes without saying that various embodiments are possible here.

[0063] Furthermore, in this case, current is simultaneously provided to the electrically operated member 22 via the charging contacts of the rechargeable battery 14. Correspondingly, the charging contacts are also connected to the electrically operated member 22 by a wired connection.

[0064] Thus, the charging contacts may simultaneously serve as current supply contacts, but this is not necessarily the case: it is also conceivable that the rechargeable battery 14 may have separate current supply contacts that are conductively and preferably removably connected to the electrical member 22.

[0065] Furthermore, the rechargeable battery 14 can be removably and conductively connected to a charge management module, not shown in Figure 1, which optimizes the charging process and is further coupled or connected to the receiving means 28 of the digital pen 10. It goes without saying that a charge management module is not necessarily required.

[0066] To remove the rechargeable battery 14, in the embodiment of Figure 1, the user can remove the further rearward pen segment 13 from the forward pen segment 12 and remove the connecting contact 25 from the connecting contact 26. The user can then remove the rechargeable battery 14 from the further rearward pen segment 13.

[0067] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the digital pen 10 which differs from the embodiment of FIG. 1 in that the transfer of charging energy from the protective cap 27 to the front pen segment 12 is not via a wireless or radio connection as in the embodiment of FIG. 1.

[0068] Rather, the connecting contacts arranged on the protective cap 27 forming the receiving means 28 are, in the illustrated charging-connected state of the protective cap 27, permanently connected in a wired manner to the rechargeable battery 14, in particular via the current lines 23a, 23b or 24a, 24b. This is achieved here in that the connecting contacts of the receiving means 28 are firstly wiredly connected to further electrical contacts 34 arranged on the protective cap 27, which in turn are matched and wiredly connected to electrical contacts 35 arranged on the opposite, forward pen segment 12 in this state, by the respective opposing contacts 34 or 35 coming into contact and abutting against each other.

[0069] Furthermore, in FIG. 2 an interposed charge management module 17 can be seen.

[0070] The embodiment of FIG. 3 differs from that of FIGS. 1 and 2 in that the protective cap 27 is not removably fitted or installed on the front pen segment 12, but is removably fitted or installed on the rear pen segment 13.

[0071] In this case, the receiving unit 32, in particular the receiving coil 32a, can be connected to the charging contacts of the rechargeable battery 14, which are arranged at the rear end of the rechargeable battery 14.

[0072] At the front end of the rechargeable battery 14, separate current supply contacts may be arranged which are conductively connected to the electrically operated member 22 via current lines 23a, 23b or 24a, 24b. Here too, a charge management module 17 may be interposed.

[0073] It should be noted that the protective cap 27 is not only removably connectable to the pen portion 11 in the position shown in FIG. 3, where it is normally fitted onto the further rearwardly positioned pen segment 13 in the charging connection state, but also removably connectable to the pen portion 11 in an additional, different protective position, where it is placed on the front pen segment 12 and covers the writing element 33 (and at least one segment of the front pen segment 12) to protect the writing element 33 (which corresponds to the charging connection state of the protective cap 27 in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2).

[0074] Furthermore, it should be noted that in all the embodiments shown, the electrical charging energy is transmitted from the charging source to the respective receiving means 28 of the protective cap 27 of the digital pen 10 by a wired connection. However, of course, this does not necessarily have to be the case. Rather, the charging energy can also be transmitted by a wireless connection, in particular inductively, capacitively or by means of electromagnetic waves. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 10 Digital Pen 11 Pen part 12 forward pen segments 12a Housing 13 Pen segments further back 13a Housing 13b Housing wall 13c end 13d Front opening 14 Rechargeable Batteries 15 Containment Space 16 Current Cable 17 Charging management module 18 Contact surface 19 Contact surface 20 Counter contact part 21 Counter contact part 22 Electrically operated components 23a Current Line 23b Current Line 24a current line 24b Current Line 25 Connection contact 26 Connection contact 27 Protective Cap 28 Receipt Method 29a connecting line 29b Connection Line 30 Sending Unit 30a sending coil 31 Storage area 32 Receiving Unit 32a Receiving coil 33 Writing Elements 34 Contact area 35 Contact area

Claims

1. A digital pen having an elongated pen part (11) with a front pen segment (12) having a writing element, in particular formed as a pen tip, for writing on paper or a pad such as a touch screen, and a pen segment (13) arranged further rearward relative to the front pen segment (12), in particular comprising a housing, in which a particularly elongated rechargeable battery (14) is arranged entirely or partly for powering at least one electronic component of the front pen segment (12), said digital pen having a (separable) particularly elongated protective cap (27), 1. A digital pen, comprising: a protective cap (27) connected to a rechargeable battery (14) such that, in a charging connection state in which the protective cap is fixed to the pen part (11) preferably in a snap-fit and / or engagement manner, in particular by a screw connection, a snap connection or a bayonet connection, the protective cap (27) is connected to the rechargeable battery (14) so as to further transmit or be capable of further transmitting charging energy of an electrically operated charging source transmitted to the protective cap (27) to the rechargeable battery (14) for charging the rechargeable battery (14).

2. 2. The digital pen according to claim 1, characterized in that the protective cap (27) is provided with receiving means to which the charging energy of the charging source can be transmitted by wire or wirelessly, in particular by wire using an electric current or wirelessly by inductive, capacitive or electromagnetic waves.

3. 3. The digital pen according to claim 2, characterized in that the receiving means is formed by a contact capable of supplying the electrical charging current of the charging source in order to charge the rechargeable battery (14), in particular an electrical contact arranged on the protective cap (27) and constituting a connection point for detachably connecting a current cable or a current and data cable connected or connectable to the charging source.

4. 3. The digital pen according to claim 2, wherein the receiving means comprises a unit for receiving charging energy inductively or capacitively or a unit for receiving electromagnetic waves transmitting charging energy.

5. 5. The digital pen according to claim 1, wherein the receiving means of the protective cap (27) is connected to the rechargeable battery (14) in a charging connection state between the protective cap (27) and the pen part (11) in particular inductively, capacitively or wirelessly using electromagnetic waves and / or by wire, so that charging energy transmitted to the receiving means is further transmitted to the rechargeable battery (14).

6. 6. The digital pen according to claim 5, characterized in that the protective cap (27) is provided with a sending unit of an inductive energy transmission device of the digital pen, in particular including a sending coil, for transmitting charging energy to the rechargeable battery (14), the sending unit being connected by wire to the receiving means, in particular electrical contacts, of the protective cap (27).

7. 7. The digital pen according to claim 6, characterized in that the pen part (11), in particular the front pen segment (12) or one or the further rearwardly arranged pen segments (13), comprises a receiving unit of the inductive energy transmission device of the digital pen, including a receiving coil, which is connected to the rechargeable battery (14) by a wired connection and cooperates inductively with the sending unit to transmit charging energy to the receiving unit for charging the rechargeable battery (14).

8. 2. The digital pen according to claim 1, characterized in that, in the charging connection state of the protective cap (27) and the pen part (11), an electrical contact of the protective cap (27) forming the receiving means is connected by wire connection to an electrical contact arranged on the pen part (11), in particular on the front pen segment (12) or on the further rearwardly arranged pen segment (13), which is likewise conductively connected to the rechargeable battery (14).

9. 9. The digital pen according to claim 8, characterized in that an electrical contact of the receiving means of the protective cap (27), in particular arranged further forward, is connected by wire to an additional electrical contact, in particular arranged further rearward of the protective cap (27), and that the additional electrical contact of the protective cap (27) is in contact with an electrical contact of the pen part (11) that is conductively connected to the rechargeable battery (14) in the connected state of the protective cap (27) and the pen part (11).

10. A digital pen according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the receiving means of the protective cap (27) is arranged on the (front) end face side of the protective cap (27) or in particular on the outer peripheral side of the protective cap.

11. 11. The digital pen according to claim 1, wherein the electronic component that can receive current from the rechargeable battery is the writing element or a member that operates the writing element.

12. 12. The digital pen according to claim 1, wherein the protective cap (27) covers, in the charging connection state in which the protective cap is removably fixed to the pen portion (11), the writing element and at least one segment of the front pen segment or one or the further rearwardly arranged pen segment (13), preferably including the (rear) free end of the pen portion (11).

13. 13. The digital pen according to claim 12, characterized in that when the protective cap (27) covers the further rearwardly arranged pen segment (13) in the charging connection state, the protective cap (27) can be removably fixed to the pen part (11) in another position in which it covers the writing element and at least one segment of the forward pen segment.

14. 14. The digital pen according to claim 1, wherein the further rearward pen segment (13) is removably fastened to the other pen segment, in particular the front pen segment (12), preferably by means of a screw connection, a snap connection or a bayonet connection, in such a way that, in order to remove the rechargeable battery (14), in particular the rechargeable battery (14) can be taken out of the further rearward pen segment through an opening in the further rearward pen segment (13) facing towards the other pen segment, in a state where the further rearward pen segment (13) has been detached from the other pen segment.

15. 15. A digital pen according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the rechargeable battery (14) has at least two electrical contacts, via which an electrical charging current can be supplied to the rechargeable battery (14).

16. 16. The digital pen of claim 15, wherein one or both electrical contacts of the rechargeable battery (14) are arranged in the region of and / or adjacent to a front end of the rechargeable battery (14) facing the writing element, and / or one or both electrical contacts of the rechargeable battery (14) are arranged in the region of and / or adjacent to a rear end of the rechargeable battery (14) facing away from the writing element.

17. A digital pen according to any one of claims 1 to 16, at least claim 15, characterized in that both electrical contacts of the rechargeable battery (14), which are able to supply an electrical charging current to the rechargeable battery, are respectively detachably electrically connected to electrical contacts of the front pen segment (12), i.e. for powering the electronic components, and the electrical contacts are respectively conductively connected to the electronic components of the front pen segment (12).

18. 18. A digital pen according to claim 15, characterized in that the rechargeable battery (14) comprises, in the region of or adjacent to its rear end facing the writing element, two further electrical contacts for powering the electronic components of the front pen segment (12), in the region of or adjacent to its front end facing the writing element, when the two electrical contacts of the rechargeable battery (14) are arranged in the region of or adjacent to the rear end of the rechargeable battery (14) facing away from the writing element for supplying a charging current, each of the contacts being detachably electrically connected to an electrical contact of the front pen segment (12), which is respectively conductively connected to the electronic components of the front pen segment (12).

19. A digital pen according to any one of claims 1 to 18, at least claim 15, characterized in that each of the two electrical contacts of the rechargeable battery (14) for supplying a charging current or each of the two electrical contacts of the rechargeable battery (14) for supplying power to the electronic components is a component of a common connector part, in particular of a connector part connected to (at least) one current line, preferably formed as a current cable, connected to one of the two poles of the rechargeable battery (14).

20. 20. A digital pen according to claim 19, characterized in that the or each connector element is detachably connected to a connector counter element forming an electrical plug connection, the connector counter element comprising electrical contacts for the front pen segment (12), in particular electrical contacts capable of supplying a charging current to the rechargeable battery (14) and / or a supply current from the rechargeable battery (14) to the electronic components of the front pen segment (12).

21. 21. A digital pen according to claim 15, characterized in that each of the two electrical contacts of the rechargeable battery (14) for supplying a charging current or each of the two electrical contacts of the rechargeable battery (14) for supplying power to the electronic components includes a contact surface arranged directly on the rechargeable battery (14), in particular on its battery housing, preferably forming one of the poles of the rechargeable battery (14), or is formed by such a contact surface, in particular a contact surface made of an electrically conductive material.

22. 22. The digital pen of claim 21, wherein one of the contact surfaces forms the positive terminal of the rechargeable battery (14) and the other contact surface forms the negative terminal of the rechargeable battery (14).

23. 23. A digital pen according to claim 21 or 22, characterized in that one or both contact surfaces extend laterally, in particular at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the pen part (11), and are arranged on a particularly flat end face side of the rechargeable battery (14), which forms the front free end of the rechargeable battery (14).

24. 24. A digital pen according to any one of claims 21 to 23, characterized in that one or both contact surfaces are formed in the shape of a ring surface and / or one contact surface forms the circumferential inside of a hollow cylindrical portion of the rechargeable battery (14).

25. 25. The digital pen according to claim 24, wherein the two ring-shaped contact surfaces are concentrically arranged.

26. 26. A digital pen according to claim 15, characterized in that the further rearwardly arranged pen segment (13) comprises a particularly elongated, preferably hollow-cylindrical, storage space in which the rechargeable battery (14) is arranged wholly or partly removably, in particular in sliding contact with a surrounding storage space wall that laterally defines the storage space.

27. 14. The digital pen according to claim 1, wherein the pen part (11), in particular the front pen segment (12) or the rear pen segment (13), comprises an electronic module for managing the charging process of a rechargeable battery (14), in particular an electronic module for managing the charging process electrically connected by a wired connection to both electrical contacts of the rechargeable battery (14) for supplying a charging current.

28. A digital pen according to any one of claims 1 to 27, characterized in that the protective cap (27) can be removably fixed to the pen part (11), preferably in a snap-on and / or engagement manner, in particular by a screw connection, a snap connection or a bayonet connection, and / or the protective cap (27) is formed to protect the writing element from damage during transport of the digital pen, and / or the protective cap is provided with a clip for fixing the digital pen to an object such as paper or clothing.

Images