Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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COMBnYATION WRITING INSTRUMENT AND TOY
~I~~.1.~.
1. Field of the invention.
This invention relates to a combination writing instrument (e.g. a ball point
pen cartridge)
and a toy having a plurality of removable disks and/or beads which can be
removed from the
writing instrument and used by children and adults, alike, as a play thing
when the combination is
sot otherwise used in its capacity as a writing instrument.
2, Background art.
Hall point pens have long been used as a low cost and convenient writing
instrument.
However, the outer casing of the ball point pen is typically manutgctured from
hard plastic. In
this regard, gripping such a conventional ball point pen may become
uncomfortable if the pen is
used for writing over long periods of time. In some cases, the writer may have
difficulty in
carefully manipulating the pen when detailed illustrations or manuscripts are
to be prepared.
What is more, conventional ball point pens have been used only as writing
instruments.
Should the writer become bored or need to pass time during quiet intervals of
inactivity, the
conventional ball point pen will be to no avail. In some cases, it may be
desirable to have a small,
readily available toy that can be manipulated simply to occupy the user's
thoughts. In other cases,
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the user might wish to have a simple, easy to use toy to occupy the attention
of a child. However,
conventional ball point pens have not heretofore been used as a toy~
S~'mIARY OF THE IN~VENTIQZ(
Accordingly, combinations are described which ftrnction in one case as a
conventional
writing instnament (e.g. a ball point pen). However, the combinations of this
invention also
iirnction a8 a toy so a$ to enable adults and children, alike, to pass time by
using each of the
combinations, not in a writing capacity, but in the capacity of a hand-held
play thing.
More particularly, in one embodiment of this invention, a conventional ball
point pen
cartridge is mounted within and projects from a base. The base has a smooth,
arcuate thumb or
9nger pad formed therein to receive the writer's thumb or forefinger when the
pen is used in a
writing capacity. The distal end of the ball point pen cartridge is surrounded
by a plurality of
disks. In the assembled relationship, with the disks surrounding the ball
point pen cartridge, a
smooth, soft and continuous handle portion is provided for the ball point pen.
Each of the disks includes a base with a small head projecting outwardly
therefrom. The
heads of adjacent disks are sized to be received one within the other to
establish the handle
portion of the ball point pen. Each of the disks may be opaque, translucent or
provided with
different colors, letters, markings and/or symbols to enhance the aesthetic
appeal of the pen,
depending upon how the plurality of disks are positioned relative to one
another around the ball
point pen cartridge.
The distal tip of the ball point pen cartridge is threaded to receive a
correspondingly
threaded end cap. When the end cap is removed from the threaded tip of the
cartridge, the disks
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surrounding the ball point pen cartridge may also be removed. At this point,
the ball point pen
fhnctions as a toy such that the user may either play with the disks in and of
themselves or
rearrange the disks to form a variety of ~nciful patterns when the disks are
returned to
surrounding engagement with the distal end of the ball point pen cartridge. In
this regard, it may
be appreciated that the combination of this invention functions a~ a
traditional ball point pen
while, at the same time, enabling both adults arid children to remove the
disks should it be
necessary to have a small toy to occupy their time.
A,ocording to a second embodiment of the invention, a combination ball point
pen and toy
is described having s conventional ball point pen cartridge projecting from a
gripping portion and
a series of beads stacked one above the other in surrounding engagement with
the distal end of
the cartridge. The beads can be rectangular, oval, round or square and have
different colors and
transparencies. The exterior surt3tce of the beads can be smooth or have
groove patterns formed
therein. An adult or child may remove the beads from the distal end of the pen
cartridge for play
or to simply pass time and then return them to their stacked alignment.
However, the beads may
be rean~anged on the cartridge to establish any one of a multitude of
different designs depending
upon the size, shape and color of the beads so as to change the shape of the
combination and
preserve the puzzle like quality thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTIO OF T DRAWIrIGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a combination baU point pen and toy which
forms one
embodiment of the present invention;
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FIG, 2 is an exploded view of the combination ball point pen and toy of FIG.
1;
FIG. 3 is a cross-section of one of the disks illustrated in FIG. 1 and 2.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a combination ball point pen and toy which
forms a second
embodiment of this invention; and
S FIG. 5 ie an exploded view of the combination ball point pen and toy of FIG.
4.
pETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring concurrently to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, there is shown the
combination 1
of a writing instrument and a toy which forms a first embodiment of the
present invention. As is
best shown in FIG. 1, the writing instrument is a conventional ball point pen
cartridge 2 in which
is stored a reservoir of ink. A narrow tip 4 to support a rolling ball 6 is
located at the proximal
end of cartridge 2. The distal tip of cartridge 2 has a series of screw
threads 8 formed
therearound for s purpose which will soon be described.
IS The proximal end of the ball point pen cartridge 2 extends longitudinally
through and is
mated to a relatively wide gripping portion 10. The gripping portion 10 is
preferably
manufactured from a plastic material. However, other non-plastic materials may
also be used. A
smooth, arcuate thumb or Snger pad 12 is molded into the gripping portion 10
adjacent the
proximal tip 4 of ball point pen cartridge 2, In use, the pad 12 is sized and
shaped to receive the
arriter's thumb or forefinger therewithin. By virtue of the foregoing, the
writer will be better able
to control and manipulate tire combination 1 when such combination is used in
the capacity of a
writing instrument, ' That is to say, the writer can accurately control the
pen strokes should it be
aecessary to make one lines, detailed drawings, or the like. Moreover, the
relatively soR and wide
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conatrucaon of itkhe gripping portion 10 enables the writer to more easily
hold the pen so that less
compressive forces will be required in this regard, whereby to minimize
discomfort to the hand of
the writer should the pen be used as a writing instrument for long periods of
lima.
The distal end of the ball point pen cartridge 2 is surrounded by a series of
disks 14. It is
5 to be underatoo~ that the precise number, size and shape of the disks 14 are
not to be considered
as limitations of the present invention and may vary from one writing
instrument to another.
Nevertheless, the dumber of disks 14 should be su~cient to completely surround
the exposed
distal end of the ball point pen cartridge Z except for the threads 8 at the
distal tip thereof.
It is preferable that each of the disks 14 be manufactured from a plastic
material.
Moreover, to enhance the aesthetic appearance of the combination 1 of a ball
point pen and toy as
well as provide 'the combination 1 with a puzzle-like quality, the disks 14
may be opaque,
translucent, or ptovided with different colors, letters, markings and/or
symbols so that the disks
14 can be distinguished from one another.
Ax is best shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings, each disk 14 has a base 16 with a
hollow
interior. Projextipg outwardly from the base 16 of disk 14 is a hollow head 18
within which a
metal insert is located. In the assembled configuration of the combination
ball point pen and toy
illustrated in FIG. 1, the disks 14 are stacked one above the other in
surrounding engagement with
the distal end of ball point pen cartridge 2 that projects outwardly from the
gripping portion 10.
Accordingly, the base 16 of a preceding disk 14 is received flush against the
base 16 of a
succeeding disk, and the head 18 ofthe preceding disk 14 is removably received
within the hollow
interior of the base 16 of the succeeding disk.
Once the disks 14 are stacked one above tho other around the distal end of the
ball point
pen cartridge 2, a lthr~eaded end cap 22 is mated to the threads 8 of
cartridge 2, The end cap 22
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may include a suitable elongated clip arm 24 to perform the usual function
when the pen is to be
attached to the writer's pocket.
There may be times when the writer has free time to spend and nothing to
occupy this flee
time. Such free time may occur between writing projects, 88 a passenger in an
airplane or a train,
3 or simply as part o~ an exercise to rest his mind from another a'vity.
Alternatively, it may be
desirable to keep a child busy for a short period of time when there are no
toys or other play
things readily available to occupy the child's attention. In this case, tho
combination 1 of a ball
point pen and toy rrlay advantageously perform the function of a toy.
More partiarlarIy, the user can remove the threaded end cap Z2 from the
threads 8 at the
distal tip of the bal. point pen cartridge 2. With end cap 22 removed, the
user may remove the
stack of disks 14 that surrounds the distal end of cartridge 2. An adult or a
child can now play
with the individual ~diskg 14 that have been removed gom the combination 1.
Once the play time
has elapsed, the disks 14 are returned to their stacked alignment one above
the other as illustrated
in FIG. 1. However, because the disks 14 have different appearances, they may
be returned to the
ball point pen cartridge 2 so as to establish a multitude of different
patterns, any one of which
being different ffor~a the pattern that was originally established by the
stack of disks 14 prior to
their removal from cartridge 2. In this regard, it may be appreciated that the
disks 14 can be
removed ftom the Gall point pen cartridge 2 any number of times and then
returned to cartridge 2
and rearranged to create a different pattern, the appearance of which is
determined by the color,
size and shape of the successive disks 14 that are stacked one above the
other. This puzzle-like
Ibature may prove to be particularly amusing to children and adults wishing to
peas &ee time such
se while waiting tb~ a person to arrive or an event to occur or simply with
nothing else to occupy
their time.
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Turning n~w to FIG. 4 and 5 of the drawings, there is shown a second
combination 30 of
a writing inatru~ent and toy which forms another embodiment of this invention.
Like the
combination 1 that was previously described when referring to FIGS. 1-3, the
combination 30 of
this embodiment ~roferably includes a ball point pen cartridge 32. The distal
tip of pen cartridge
32 is threaded to ieleaaably engage a correspondingly threaded end cap 34. A
gripping portion 36
of the combination 30 surrounds the proximal end of pen cartridge 32. In this
case, a series of
smooth, accurate.thumb pads 38 are molded into the gripping portion 36. Thumb
pads 38 extend
around the periphery of gnpping portion 36 in uniformly spaced alignment with
one another.
According to the present embodiment, the distal end of the ball point pen
cartridge 3Z is
surrounded by a ~eriea of beads 40. As in the combination 1 shown in FIGS. 1-
3, the precise
number, size and shape of the beads 40 are not to be regarded as a limitation
of this invention and
may vary tom otie writing instrument to another. By way of example only, the
beads 40 can be
rectangular, oval, 'round or square. The color and transparency of each bead
40 may be the same
or vary from bearto bead. The exterior surface of the beads 40 may be smooth
or have groove
patterns formed herein, In fact, the combination 30 could include an
assortment of the beads 40
shown in FIGS. 4 hand 5 and the disks 14 shown in FIGS. 1-3. In other case,
the beads 40, alone,
or in combination'with the disks 14 will enhance the appearance of the
combination ball point pen
and toy as well es~provide the combination with a puzzle~like quality that may
be used by children
and adults, alike,
Each of the beads 40 of FIGS. 4 and 5 is manufactured so as to be stacked one
above the
other in surrounded engagement with the distal end of the ball point pen
cartridge 32 that projects
t
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f
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outwardly from t~e gripping portion 36. The manner in which each bead 40 is
manufactured can
be identical to ehp manuthcture of the disks 14 that was doscribed when
referring to FIG. 3. In
the alternative, tl~e beads may simply have a narrow through hole that is
sized to accommodate
the cartridge 42. The end cap 34 follows the last of the series of beads 40
and is attached to the
threaded distal ti~ of cartridge 42 to hold the beads 40 in place. The end cap
includes the usual
i
clip 42 and may tøke the shape of any of the beads 40.
?he use 4f the combination 30 of FIGa. 4 and S as a toy is identical to the
use of the
combination 1 of gigs. 1 sad 2. That is to say, the uxr first removes the and
cap 42 from the pen
!0 cartridge 32 to gin access to the beads 40. M adult or child may then
remove the beads 40 for
play and subxquently return them to their stacked alignment one above the
other around the
distal end of cartridge 32 as is best shown in FIG. S. However, the beads 40
may be rearranged
on cartridgs 32 t~ establish any one of a multitude of different designs
depending on the color,
size and shape of the beads whereby to change the appearance of the
combination 30 and enhance
I S the puzzlo-like quality thereof.
Unlike conventional writing instruments, the combinations 1 and 30 of a ball
point pen and
toy that have beers descn'bed above perform multiple functions. The &st
function performed by
the combinations ip that of a conventional writing instrument. However, the
same combinations 1
20 and 30 also perform the t4nction of a small hand-held and easy to use toy
or puzzle to occupy the
i
time of both adult$ and children, alike. In this case, the elements which
enable the combinations
to function as s toy or puzzle are carried entirely on the ball point pen
cartridge 2 and 32 and also
cooperate to enhance the aesthetic appearance of the pen. What is more, the
combinations 1 and
f
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30 of this invention are not limited to a ball point pen cartridge but may
include other writing
instruments such ~ pencils, markers, and the like.
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