US3167057A - Containers for fluids with reserve space - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 26, 1965 H. K. BROSS 3,167,057

CONTAINERS FOR FLUIDS WITH RESERVE SPACE Filed April 17, 1962 Helmut Karl Bross INVENTOR ATTORN EY United States Patent 3,167,057 CONTAINER FORSFLUIDS WITH RESERVE PACE Hehnut Karl Brass, 4t} Weichselgartenstn, Altenberg uher Numberg, Germany, assignor of fifty percent to Frank T. Johmann, Berkeley Heights, NJ.

Filed Apr. 17, 1962, Ser. No. 188,136 1 Claim. (Cl. 120-4216) This invention relates to containers for fluids with re serve space. Particularly, the invention relates to ink or water color cartridges for fountain pens and the like. More particularly, the invention relates to flexible ink cartridges having a reserve supply of ink that can be switched into use by squeezing the cartridge after the main ink supply has been exhausted.

A number of proposals have been made whereby the user of an ink-cartridge type fountain pen can be provided with a reserve supply of ink. Without such a reserve supply, if the pen runs dry, it has become useless until the user inserts a new ink cartridge. Since the pen is liable to run dry at any time, and since the user is unlikely to always carry or have a spare ink cartridge handy, it has become desirable to furnish a reserve ink supply to permit continued Writing use until such time as it is convenient to insert a new ink cartridge into the pen.

A number of various proposals have been made to furnish such a reserve supply. One system in use in Europe, is to provide two half-cartridges in tandem in the pen. When the first half-cartridge becomes exhausted, the

writer then inserts the second half-cartridge into use.

two half-cartridges is nearly twice the cost of a single full length cartridge.

Another prior proposal has been to use two cartridges, but of diiferent lengths. However, this has several of the disadvantages relating to the half-cartridge technique described above, particularly with regard to cost.

Still another proposal teaches a cartridge divided into a number of compartments by thin-membrane walls which are selectively pierced, one after another, by a very long pointed tubular ink feeding prong upon shifting the cartridge axially toward the pen point. However, it is very difficult to build an acceptable fountain pen so as to be able to shift the cartridge through large axial distances. Also, a shifting device has to be provided.

The present invention represents an improvement over the above prior art devices by providing a cartridge having a reserve space of any size, e.g. to 30% of the total ink supply of the cartridge can be held in reserve. In addition, the cartridges of the invention are simple, inexpensive and do not require any modification of the fountain pen. Because of this last feature, the cartridges of the invention can be made to serve conventional cartridge fountain pens already in use.

The invention will be further understood by reference to the following description and the drawings which include a preferred embodiment of the invention and where- FIGURE 1 is an axial view, partly in section, of a cartridge of the invention in use in a fountain pen.

FIGURES 2 to 5 are each axial views, partly in section, of other cartridges of the invention.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view of a divider for insertion in an ink cartridge.

3,167,057 Patented Jan. 26, 1965 FIGURE 7 is a sectional view of another divider for.

insertion in an ink cartridge.

FIGURE 8 is a view taken along the lines 88 of FIGURE 7.

In FIGURE 1, the cartridge C is shown in combination with a conventional cartridge type fountain pen including writing point 16 ink feeder 11, barrel portions 12 and 13 in threaded engagement, and the beveled-ended tubular ink feeder prong 14 which conveys ink from cartridge C to writing point 10.

The cartridge C has the outer tubular wall 15 closed by rear wall 16, while the forward end of cartridge C defines a conventional tubular neck 17. The cartridge wall 15 is necked-down at 18 to define a constricted. capillary passage 19 connecting the main ink reservoir space 20 and the reserve ink space 21. This partition or necked-down portion can be obtained by twising the plastic (cg. polyethylene or polypropylene) cartridge while hot, or it can be obtained by any other suitable means. The passage 19 is too small to allow ink 23 in reserve space 21 to pass freely into main ink space 20 during normal Writing use or under the influence of gravity. However, once the main ink space 20 has become empty as indicated in FIG- URE 1, then that portion of the elastic wall 15 adjacent reserve space 21 is squeezed together in the direction of arrows 22. This squeezing will force. the reserve ink 23, through aperture 19, into ink space 29 where it can now flow under gravity into ink feeding prong 14.

In the embodiment of FIGURE 2, the small diameter capiliary aperture 19a is defined in the end wall 24 of a rigid insert having tubular side walls in fixed, (e.g. frictional), engagement with tubular cartridge wall 15a. by squeezing the deformable wall 15a adjacent the reserve ink space 21a, the reserve liquid ink 23a can be forced into the main ink space 29a when the space 20a becomes empty. In construction, the cartridge walls 15a and 16a are molded or blown in one piece. This piece can then be set on end and the ink 23a poured into the tube, then member 24-25-19a can be fitted into! the cartridge, egg. by frictional engagement of tubular wall 25 with the wall 15a. The remainder of the ink can then be poured into the tube to fill space 20a. Then the tubular neck portion of wall 15a to give the sealed cartridge, ready for use. The thin membrane 26 is subsequently pierced by an ink feeder prong (e.g. the prong 14 of FIGURE 1) when the cartridge is inserted in a cartridge type fountain pen.

Another cartridge of the invention is shown in FIG- URE 3. Here, the tubular coupling 27 includes the transversely extending wall or partition 28 defining the capillary aperture 29. Concentric tubular walls 30 and 31 extend from transverse wall 28 towards the front of the cartridge. Corresponding tubular walls 30 and 31' extend from wall 28 towards the rear of the cartridge. The cartridge includes the tubular portion 1511 having its back open end fixed between walls 30 and 31. The reserve ink tubular portion 32 has its open front end fixed between walls 30' and 31', while its back end is closed by wall 33. When the ink in main reservoir portion 29b is exhausted, then the reserve ink portion 32 is squeezed to force ink through capillary opening 29 into said reservoir portion 2%.

In FIGURE 4, a rigid, but porous, plus 34 serves as the transverse partition to divide the main. ink reservoir Zilc from the reserve ink reservoir 21c. When main reservoir 2% is empty of ink, the resilient cartridge Wall 15c proximate reserve space 21c is squeeze-d to force the reserve ink through the porous openings in plug 34 into reservoir space 200. The plug 34 defines a series of interconnecting capillary porous openings connecting ink reservoirs 20c and 21c.

In FIGURE 5, I provide a plug of porous sponge-like material 35 in the rear portion of the cartridge Cd. The plug 35 can be foam rubber, polyurethane foam, or other porous, resilient material defining interconnecting capillary pores. After ink in reservoir 20d is exhausted, the reserve ink is squeezed out of the capillary pores of plug 35 by squeezing the resilient casing d adjacent said plug 35. In this embodiment, the plug 35 not only defines the transversely extending partition to divide the cartridge into a main ink reservoir and a reserve ink reservoir, but pores defined by said plug also constitute the reserve ink reservoir.

FIGURE 6 represents a plug defining the partitioning Wall 24:2 and having side walls 25@ for fixed engagement Within a tubular ink cartridge to thereby divide the car tridge (not shown) into a main ink reservoir and a reserve ink reservoir. By deforming the cartridge wall proximate the reserve ink reservoir, the increased pressure on the reserve ink will rupture the thin membrane 36 to thereby open the aperture 196 for the passage of ink into the main ink reservoir portion of the cartridge.

FIGURES 7 and 8 represent a further modification of the partition of FIGURE 6. tion 36 is divided by the cross-slits 37 which define flaps 38. Flaps 38 are normally closed to prevent passage of ink from the reserve ink reservoir into the main ink reservoir. However, when the tubular cartridge outer Wall (not shown) proximate the reserve ink reservoir is squeezed, the pressure on the reserve ink will force flaps 38 to open as shown by the dotted lines of FIGURE 7 to allow the passage of ink into the main ink reservoir.

The plug members illustrated in FIGURES 6 to 8 can be inserted in a cartridge and used in the same manner as the plug defined by numbers 24, 25, and 19a is utilized in FIGURE 2, except that a cartridge having a straight tubular wall is used rather than a cartridge with tapered Walls 15a of FIG. 2, since the walls 252 and 25 are not tapered. Walls 25c and 25 can, of course, be tapered to permit their frictional or press engagement with a tapered cartridge wall, e.g. the wall 15a of FIGURE 2.

I claim:

Ink cartridge for a fountain pen, said cartridge having Here, the membrane por- Y a front main ink reservoir and a rear reserve ink reservoir whereby ink in said reserve ink reservoir can be fed to said fountain pen after said pen initially runs dry by exhaustion of ink in said main ink reservoir, said cartridge comprising: an elastic plastic'tubular main body readily deformable by squeezing having a longitudinal axis, a rear closing end Wall, and a front closing end wall, said front closing end wall being adapted for piercing by the feeder prong of said fountain pen to form the sole aperture in said cartridge communicating with the atmosphere; and a transversely extending partition Within said' main body dividing said main body into said front main ink reservoir and said rear reserve reservoir, said partition being defined by a necked-down portion of said main body, said partition defining a capillary discharge opening connecting said main ink reservoir and said reserve ink reservoir, said capillary discharge opening being sutficiently small to normally prevent passage of ink between said reservoirs, said capillary discharge opening becoming operative upon squeezing said deformable main body proximate said reserve ink reservoir whereby reserve ink under pressure can be passed through said capillary discharge opening into said main ink reservoir after said exhaustion of ink in said main reservoir.

References Qited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,890,100 Spiro Dec. 6, 1932 2,773,591 Jensen Dec. 11, 1956 2,885,104 Greenspan May 5, 1959 2,951,466 Bross Sept. 6,1960 3,027,874 Bross Apr. 3, 1962 3,065,732 Fejes Nov. 17, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 505,564 Great Britain May 11, 1939 515,629 Italy Feb. 16, 1955 720,083 Great Britain Dec. 15, 1954 1,198,270 France June 8, 1959

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