BINGO DABBER

MARQUEUR DE BINGO

English Abstract

A bingo dabber has an inner end with
attachment means for a finger and an outer end with a
tank connected to feed a dabber tip.

French Abstract

La présente invention a pour objet un tampon destiné aux jours de bingo comportant un dispositif de fixation au doigt, et dont une extrémité est pourvue d'un réservoir de liquide pour alimenter le tampon.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property
or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. Bingo dabber comprising:
a body defining an inner end,
means at said inner end for detachable mounting on an
outer extent of a finger,
said body being shaped to define an outer end generally
directed away from said finger when so attached,
said body defining a tank intermediate said inner and
outer end,
a passage connecting said tank to said outer end, open
cellular material filling said passage,
said material being shaped to form an outwardly facing
dabber.
2. Bingo dabber as claimed in claim 1 wherein said body is
shaped to define a body extent, slightly downwardly directed
relative to said finger extent, when so detachably attached,
and the hand corresponding to said finger is held palm downwardly.
3. Bingo dabber as claimed in claim 1 wherein, said means
for detachable attachment comprises:
an inwardly directed recess defined on said body adapted to
receive the finger tip corresponding to said finger extent, and
means for resilient attachment of said body to said extent
when said finger tip is received in said recess.
4. Bingo dabber as claimed in claim 1 wherein said detachable
attachment means includes an upwardly open channel for receiving
said outer finger extent, and
- 5 -

a pair of resilient members one extending upwardly from each
side of said channel and shaped to press on said finger extent when
the latter is contained in said channel.
5. Bingo dabber as claimed in claim 2 wherein said detachable
attachment means includes an upwardly open channel for receiving
said outer finger extent, and
a pair of resilient members one extending upwardly from each
side of said channel and shaped to press on said finger extent when
the latter is contained in said channel.
6. Bingo dabber as claimed in claim 3 wherein said means for
resilient attachment includes an upwardly open channel for receiving
said finger extent when said tip is received in said recess, and
a pair of resilient members, one extending upwardly from each
side of said channel and shaped to press on said finger extent when
the latter is contained in said channel.
7. Bingo dabber as claimed in claim 4 wherein said means for
resilient attachment includes an upwardly open channel for receiving
said finger extent when said tip is received in said recess, and
a pair of resilient members, one extending upwardly from each
side of said channel and shaped to press on said finger extent when
the latter is contained in said channel.
- 6 -

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property
or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. Bingo dabber comprising:
a body defining an inner end,
means at said inner end for detachable mounting on an
outer extent of a finger,
said body being shaped to define an outer end generally
directed away from said finger when so attached,
said body defining a tank intermediate said inner and
outer end,
a passage connecting said tank to said outer end, open
cellular material filling said passage,
said material being shaped to form an outwardly facing
dabber.
2. Bingo dabber as claimed in claim 1 wherein said body is
shaped to define a body extent, slightly downwardly directed
relative to said finger extent, when so detachably attached,
and the hand corresponding to said finger is held palm downwardly.
3. Bingo dabber as claimed in claim 1 wherein, said means
for detachable attachment comprises:
an inwardly directed recess defined on said body adapted to
receive the finger tip corresponding to said finger extent, and
means for resilient attachment of said body to said extent
when said finger tip is received in said recess.
4. Bingo dabber as claimed in claim 1 wherein said detachable
attachment means includes an upwardly open channel for receiving
said outer finger extent, and
- 5 -

a pair of resilient members one extending upwardly from each
side of said channel and shaped to press on said finger extent when
the latter is contained in said channel.
5. Bingo dabber as claimed in claim 2 wherein said detachable
attachment means includes an upwardly open channel for receiving
said outer finger extent, and
a pair of resilient members one extending upwardly from each
side of said channel and shaped to press on said finger extent when
the latter is contained in said channel.
6. Bingo dabber as claimed in claim 3 wherein said means for
resilient attachment includes an upwardly open channel for receiving
said finger extent when said tip is received in said recess, and
a pair of resilient members, one extending upwardly from each
side of said channel and shaped to press on said finger extent when
the latter is contained in said channel.
7. Bingo dabber as claimed in claim 4 wherein said means for
resilient attachment includes an upwardly open channel for receiving
said finger extent when said tip is received in said recess, and
a pair of resilient members, one extending upwardly from each
side of said channel and shaped to press on said finger extent when
the latter is contained in said channel.
- 6 -

Description

212916g
This invention relates to a bingo dabber, that is a hand held,
ink marking device, for marking squares on bingo cards.
Heretofore bingo dabbers known to me have been relatively thick
cylinders of the general contour of the common felt pen but slightly
thicker. Such prior dabbers are somewhat cumbrous to carry and use
and specifically require holding, in use by the user's palm and
fingers.
I have designed a bingo dabber which is more compact and
convenient shape and more convenient to use.
The inventive dabber provides a body, designed adjacent the
inward end, for detachable attachment to an outer extent of a finger,
and shaped to define an outer end. The body when so attached defines
a tank outwardly of said fingers and preferably provides closable
entry means for refilling said tank, where the body defines a passage
at its finger-remote end with resilient connected cellular material
filling the passage and forming an outwardly directed dabber tip.
The invention therefore provides a dabber which does not require
a voluntary holding action but is resiliently attached to the user's
finger and, while so attached, conveniently oriented for use by the
equivalent of a tapping motion of the finger.
(This will usually be the index finger).
Preferably the body is shaped to define a body extent extending
between said attachment means and said dabber tip which is shaped
to be slightly downwardly directed relative to said finger extent.
This increases the convenience with which a dabber is used with a
tapping motion.
Preferably the mef~ns for detachable attachment comprises an
upwardly open channel, an inwardly facing recess facing the outward

2129164
end of said channel, shaped to snugly receive the tip of a finger
whose tip is received in said recess and a pair of resilient
members, one extending upwardly on each side of said channel,
shaped to partially close over said extent when the finger tip is
in said recess.
It is within the cope of the invention to make the cellular
~aterial removable, to use its passage as a filling port (after
first directing the dabber upwardly) so that the entry means and
the passage are combined. However, this arrangement is somewhat
inconvenient and tends to stain the user's hands. Thus, it is
found preferable to have a separate, closable, entry means upwardly
directed when the dabber is in its normal orientation, on the finger
of a hand held palm downwardly, (i.e. in the normal orientation for
the dabber).
In drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiement of the
invention:
Figure 1 is a persepective of a dabber in accord with the
invention, in use,
Figure 2 is an exploded view of the dabber,
Figure 3 is a vertical section of the dabber, and
Figure 4 is a top view of the dabber with the cap removed from
the dabber tip.
In the drawings: the dabber body is generally shaped to define
an inner end 10 and outer end 12 and a body shaped for detachable
attachment to a finger extent 14 and shaped to extend slightly
downwardly relative to the finger extent when the hand is held palm
downwardly.

212916~
The body defines a tank 16 extending between an attachment
means at the inner end and a dabber tip at the outer end.
The attachment means preferably comprises an upwardly directed
channel 18 shaped to receive the outer extent of a finger (usually
the index finger) and a recess 20 for the finger tip, facing the
outward end of the channel, shaped to snugly receive the tip when
the outer extent 14 of the corresponding finger is in the channel.
A pair of resilient members 22 extend, one on each side of the
channel, shaped to partially close over the finger extent 14 therein
and to press lightly thereon. With the finger tip contained in the
recess and the resilient members exerting their light clamping
pressure, the dabber body is secured to the body and may be
manipulated to allow dabbing with a slight motion of the finger by
the dabbertip 24 to be described.
The outer end of the body defines a passage 26 connecting the
tank with body outer end 12. A plastic sleeve 28 is frictionally
received in the body to seal thereto. (If the dabber is not to be
replaced the sleeve may be glued or sealed to the body's passage
defining walls). Open cell dabber material 30 (preferably open cell
plastic or rubber) fills the sleeve and extends sufficiently outwardly
therefrom to form a standard bingo dabber tip 24. A cap 32 is
preferably provided to screw on the exterior of the body to cover
the tip when not in use. It is possible to make the tip subject
to withdrawal for inverting the dabber to fill it with marking fluid.
However, this tends to be very untidy and a separate filling means
is preferred. The separate filling means is preferably the screw
cap 34 and entering port 30 which is upwardly directed.

2129164
In operation the dabber tank 16 may be filled with fluid by
removing cap 34 either before or after attachment as described. The
cap 34 is replaced after filling.
In operation the dabber tank 16 may be filled with fluid by
removing cap 34 either before or after attachment as described. The
cap 34 is replaced after filling.
To use the dabber the finger (usually the index finger) is
inserted in the recess 20 with the finger extent 14 distending the
clamping members 22 which resiliently clamp the dabber to the finger.
The dabber cap is removed, ink travels through the material 30
responsive to its use and the dabber tip 24 may be used to mark th~
card with a light tapping motion.

Representative Drawing