Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BUTTON/KEY ACTUATING INSTRUMENT WITH ANGLED END
Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to an instrument which has a
particularly designed body with an end for use with the buttons
and keys of calculators and communication and computi.ng devices
and more particular].y, to a device which provides increased
efficiency and accuracy in the operation of button or key
activated telephones and small computer/calculator devices. The
instrument is preferably in the form of a writing instrument such
as a ballpoint pen, the other end of which is an~led for such use
with the buttons and keys.
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Background of the Invention
With the advent of communication and computing devices,
which feature push buttons and keyboards of widely varying
format, size and shape, many persons have experienced some degree
of difficulty in the operation of such devices.
These problems or physical difficulties stem from the
small size or shape of buttons built into new digital touch/tone
telephones and small pocket computers and calculators. Such
difficulti~s are further compounded by long fingernails, large
fingers, the use of standard pencils or pens which were commonly
used for standard dial telephones.
The use of straight pencils or fingers, particularly
large fingers often obscures the operator's vision of the
keyboard, causing misdialing or computation errors.
By reducing the vision of the key platform by the hand,
fingers or other device, the probabi:Lity of error is increased.
Such errors, in turn, cost time and frustrat:ion in having to re- !
call or re-calculate and they can be avoided by the use of the
device to which this invention is directed.
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Summary of the Inventlon
Accordingly, the disadvantages described above
can be obviated by the use of this invention, which is an
instrument incorporating an angled barrel and which
S allows the operator of button or key activated devices to
use the instrument to contact the buttons or keys without
direct contact of the fingers and giving full vis bility
of the key platform. Thus, the size or shape of the keys
or buttons is not of any great consequence.
The preferred embodiment of the invention
incorporates a ballpoint pen with an eraser-like device
secured * the other end, but angled from the axis of the
main barrel. The eraser-like device provides a non-skid
contact point and one which will not mark or scratch the
keys or buttons.
There is also preferably a cap for the pen end
of the instrument which cooperates with the instrument in
a particular manner whereby the clip on the cap will
properly orientate the instrument for location in a
pocket or the like.
Thus the invention in its broader aspects
comprehends an instrument for use in activating the
keys/buttons of key/button actuated hi-tech devices
comprising an elongate barrel segment adapted to be held
in the hand of a user, the first barrel segment having
opposite ends, a second shorter barrel segment extending
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from one end of the first barrel segment, the second
barrel segment having at its free end a soft, non-skid,
non-scratch material, and the axis of the second segment
being at a distinct angle from the axis of the first
segment.
Other features and advantages of the invention
will become more apparent from reviewing the description
of preferred embodiments herein.
Brief Description of the Draw n~s
Figure 1 is a front view of the instrument
according to my invention and is shown in its preferred
form as a writing instrument~
Figure 2 is a side view thereof.
Figure 3 is a sectional vlew taken along line A
- A of Figure 1.
Figure ~ is a sectional view taken along line B
- B of Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a front view of the cap for a
writing instrument according to the invention.
Figure 6 is a sectional view along line C - C
o~ Figure 5.
Figure 7 is a somewhat schematic view of the
instrument in use with a keyboard device.
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Description of the Preferred Embodiment
Turning to the drawings and in particular Figures 1 to
4, the novel instrument 10 of the invention is illustrated in the
form of the preferred embodiment, namely a writing instrument
such as a ballpoint pen.
Instrument 10 has an elongate main barrel segment 12
with end 14 being the writing end. Angled segment 16 is the
segment to which soft; non-scratch, rubber-like material 18 is
secured within crimped metal (e.g. nickel plated) fastener 20.
Fastener 20 is crimped over end 22 of segment 16 in accordance
with known technology and material 18 may be eraser material but
need not be, provided it is of a relatively soft, non-scratch
non-skid texture.
Writing end 14 has writing tip 30 which is connected in
known fashion with ink reservoir barrel 32 which is housed in
bore 36 of barrel segment 12, the end 38 of ink barrel 32 being
open and the opposite end 40 having collar means for a press or
interference fit within bore 36~
An air or pressure relie~ hole 44 is located in barrel
segment 12 in the area of end 38 of ink reservoir barrel 32.
As best seen in Figures 2 and 3, angled segment 16 is
at a distinct angle to main barrel segment 12 preferably angled
about 25 to the axis of the main barrel segment 52. I have
determinated that this angle is preferred as providing good
operative characteristics and key sight lines in use.
Angled segment 16 is pre~erably solid and, is, in an
exemplary embodiment, preferably about 44~ mm long. Main barrel
segment 12 in such embodiment is preferably about 108 mm long.
Both segments are integrally molded of plastic material tsuch as
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acrylic) with a hexagonal cross-sectional configuration.
Turning to Figures 5 and 6, there is shown cap 60 of
generally elongate conical configuration of plastic material
(acrylic) having clip 62 integrally molded therewith. The end 64
of clip 62 has protrusion 66 which protrusion 66 is adapted to
engage indent 70 on the outside of barrel segment 12. The
cooperation of the protrusion 66 and indent 70 are such that the
cap is located on barrel 12 in a predetermined orientation so
that when the writing instrument is placed in a pocket, the
angled segment 14 will face at right angles to the lateral
direction of clip 62. Thus, the angled segment 14 will lie flat
in a wearer's pocket and preferably will face away from the edge
or corner of the pocket.
In use, the instrument is held so that the end having
soft rubber material 18 is pointing downwardly as shown in
Figure 7, the soft rubber-like or eraser material being used to
contact -the keys of a device such as calculator 70.
Although material 18 may be eraser material in the
preferred embodiment, it need not be, provided the end of angled
segment 14 is of a material having a non-scratch characteristic
so that the keys of the device will not be damaged.
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