Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Backqround of the Invention
Under the environmental conditions where the air i5
dried, high static electricity is usually generated on
human body by the friction of cloths, footwear, etc. In
such caseJ if the earthed object such as door, automobile,
metal furniture, etc. is touched with hand, inger or other
parts of the human body, the static electricity is discharged,
issuing the discharged current and giving the electric shoc.k
with pain to human body.
The conventional means to eliminate the electric shock
is to find out an adequate material from personal belong-
ings and to touch the earthed object with this material
in order to eliminate and discharge the static electricity,
and to avoid the electric shock to human body.
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However, most of our personal belongings as mentioned
above are made of synthetic resin, wood or cloth, and it
is very rare that we carry metal and other electrically
conductive material on ourselves.
On the other hand, many people carry the writing utensils
such as fountain pen, ball-point pen, pencil, etc. In most
cases, however, these writing utensils are made of synthetic
resin, and metal is used only as a small part of it if used
at all, playing no useful role for the discharge of static
electricity.
Summary of the Invention
The object of the present invention is to provide the
means to solve the above-mentioned problems - specifically,
to provide a writing utensil, which is usually carried by
many people and is furnished with a mechanism to eliminate
static electricity. By the use of such writing utensil,
it is possible to discharge the static electricity in easy
and safe manner and to visually confirm the process of the
elimination of static electricity~ -
The above-mentioned problems can be solved by the use
of a writing utensil, such as fountain pen, mechanical
pen, ball-point pen, felt pen (or marker pen), pensil,
brush, etc., comprising a main body or a main body and a
cap. A neon bulb and a resistor are accommodated in said
writing utensil, and the electrically conductive materials
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are e~posed at least at two points on the outer surface of
the writing utensil. Said electrically conductive segments
at two points, said neon bulb and said resistor are elec-
trically connected.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Fig. 1 is a front view of an embodiment of the writing
utensil equipped with the mechanism to eliminate static
electricity according to the present invention. Figs. 2
and 3 are the front views to the other embodiments based
on the invention.
Detailed Description of the Embodiments
Further objects and advantages of the invention will
become apparent from the following detailed description
taken in connection with the embodiments, in which:
Fig. 1 is a front view of an embodiment of a writing
utensil equipped with the mechanism to eliminate static
electricity according to the present invention. Fig. 2
and Fig. 3 are the front views of the other embodiments
based on the invention.
The writing utensils, as envisaged in the present in-
vention, include: fountain pen, mechanical pen, ball-
point pen, various types of felt pen (or marker pen),
pensil, brush, etc.
In Fig. 1, fountain pen, or ball-point pen are envisaged
as the writing utensil (1), where a neon bulb (4) to be lit
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up at discharge and a resistor (5) to limit excessive
discharge current are accommodated. Further, at least at
two points on outer surface of the writing utensil (1),
the electrically conductive segments (6) and (7), made of
metal, conductive resin, conductive cloth or conductive
coating, are exposed. On the other hand, the conductive
segments (6) and (7), the neon bulb (4) and the resistor
(5) are electrically connected with each other through
wiring materials (9).
In Fig. 1, the mechanism to eliminate static electri-
city is furnished on the mainbody (lb) of the writing
utensil, whereas such mechanism may be furnished on the
cap ~la). One of the conductive segments (6) and (7) is
usually placed at the tip, at the tail or at the clip (lc)
of the writing utensil to facilitate the contact with the
earthed object, while the other is placed on the trunk of
the writing utensil to facilitate the holding of it by hand.
In Fig. 2, a mechanical pen, ball-point pen, etc. are
envisaged as the writing utensil (2), where one of the
conductive segments (6) is concurrently used as a knock
button (2a) of the writing utensil (2).
Fig. 3 shows the case where the w.riting utensil is a
pensil and where the mechanism to ellminate static elec-
tricity is furnished on the transparent cap (3a) of the
writing utensil (3). The cap is made of transparent resin
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or transparent glass (colored or not colored).
(8) is a window formed on the housing of the neon bulb
(4). If transparent material is used for the window (8) or
on the neon bulb housing as shown in Fig. 3, the discharge
luminance of the neon bulb (4) can be visually confirmed
from outside.
By the writing utensil equipped with the mechanism to
eliminate static electricity according to the present
invention, the static electricity on human body can be
discharged when one of the conductive segments of the
writing utensil is held by fingers and the other conductive
segment is kept in contact with the earthed object such as
door, automobile, metal furniture, etc. The static elec-
tricity is discharged to the earthed object, with the
current limited by the resistor and with the luminance
issued by neon bulb. In other words, the static electrici-
ty on human body is discharged and eliminated in easy and
safe manner indirectly through the writing utensil and with
the current limited by the resistor. Thus, the electric
shock with pain to human body can be completely elimina-ted
at the time of discharge.
Even when human body is charged with the electricity
of more than 10,000 V, it ~an be discharged by tapping
the earthe~ object with the conductive segment of the
writing utensil for 2 or 3 times, selecting thereby a
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resistor of about 1 MQ. The discharge is conducted with-
in extremely short time without feeling electric shock,
and it is confirmed by the luminance of the neon bulb.
The static electricity is found to be discharged to such
degree that no shock is felt when the earthed object is
directly touched by human body.
When the writing utensil is manufactured in such manner
that the neon bulb can be seen from outside, it is possible
to visually confirm the process of the elimination of static
electricity on human body with much elegance and pleasure
for visual observation.
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