US 12,005,730 B2
Self-healing seal for a writing instrument
David Duffy, Zurich (CH); and Bernadette Elliott-Bowman, Leatherhead (GB)
Assigned to SOCIÉTÉ BIC, Clichy (FR)
Appl. No. 18/000,094
Filed by SOCIÉTÉ BIC, Clichy (FR)
PCT Filed May 27, 2021, PCT No. PCT/EP2021/064171
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Nov. 28, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/239866, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 2, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 20315282 (EP), filed on May 29, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0211627 A1, Jul. 6, 2023
Int. Cl. B43K 5/17 (2006.01); B43K 23/12 (2006.01)
CPC B43K 5/17 (2013.01) [B43K 23/12 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A writing instrument comprising:
a tubular body terminating in a writing orifice at a distal end of the tubular body;
a reservoir for storing a writing ink which is arranged proximally to the writing orifice;
a nib arranged distally to the reservoir and in fluid communication with the reservoir, wherein the nib is configured to be axially translatable within the tubular body between a first retracted position in which the nib is positioned within the tubular body and not protruding through the writing orifice and a second extended position in which the nib protrudes through the writing orifice;
an actuating means for axially translating the nib within the tubular body between the first retracted position and the second extended position for writing;
a seal component located within the tubular body at or adjacent to the writing orifice which seals the nib and the reservoir from exposure to an environment in the first retracted position,
wherein the seal component is configured to be ruptured when the nib is advanced into the second extended position for writing,
wherein the seal component comprises a self-healing material selected from intrinsic self-healing materials or extrinsic self-healing materials, and
wherein the seal component is configured to at least partly restore its sealing property when the nib is retracted to the first retracted position.