Cap for a pencil

Abstract

A cap for a pencil, comprising an insertion opening, at least two internal retainer ribs which are distributed angularly and uniformly about a central axis of the cap. The at least two internal retainer ribs positioned close to the insertion opening and configured to cooperate with an unsharpened portion of the pencil, and a stop surface which is configured to cooperate with a sharpened end of the pencil.

Claims

1. A cap for a pencil comprising an insertion opening that is designed for receiving an end of the pencil, at least two internal holding ribs that are distributed angularly in a uniform manner about a central axis of the cap, the at least two internal holding ribs being arranged in the vicinity of the insertion opening and being designed for cooperating with a non-sharpened portion of the pencil, an arresting surface that is designed to cooperate with a sharpened end of the pencil, and a stop that is designed to cooperate with a non-sharpened end of the pencil, wherein the stop and the arresting surface are borne by an arresting rib, and wherein the arresting surface is configured to cooperate with the sharpened part of the pencil such that the lead of the pencil cannot be pushed into a base of the cap.

2. A cap according to claim 1, comprising a clip.

3. A cap according to claim 1, comprising an eraser that is received in an eraser reception recess.

4. A cap according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the internal ribs comprises a guide surface that is designed for guiding the non-sharpened portion of the pencil during insertion thereof into the cap, the guide surface being at an angle (α) of 10°+/−0.5° relative to the central axis, in a plane passing through the internal rib and the central axis of the cap.

5. A cap according to claim 1, wherein each internal rib comprises a clamping part that is designed to cooperate with the non-sharpened portion of the pencil, the clamping part having, in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction, an inscribed diameter of more than or equal to 95% of the minimum inscribed diameter of the pencil with which the cap is designed to cooperate, and less than or equal to 99% of the minimum inscribed diameter of the pencil with which the cap is designed to cooperate.

6. A cap according to claim 5, wherein the clamping part of the internal rib is triangular in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction, an edge of the triangle being designed so as to be in contact with the pencil when the pencil is inserted into the cap.

7. A cap according to claim 5, wherein the inscribed diameter of the clamping part is designed such that the force in the axial direction, for separating the cap from the pencil, is greater than 3 N and less than 50 N.

8. A cap according to claim 1, wherein the arresting rib is arranged in the extension of at least one of the internal ribs.

9. A cap according to claim 1, wherein the arresting surface is at an angle (β) of 9°+/−0.5° with respect to the central axis, and is arranged along a line of equation y=0.1584 x−0.6283, in a plane passing through the central axis of the cap and cutting the arresting surface, a coordinate point x=0 being the point that is arranged on the interior surface of the base of the cap at an opposite end in an axial direction to the insertion opening of the cap, and a coordinate point y=0 being the point that is arranged on the central axis of the cap.

10. A cap according to claim 1, wherein the cap is hexagonal in shape, in a plane perpendicular to the central axis, and comprises three internal ribs.

11. A pencil cap comprising: an opening for receiving an end of a pencil, a pair of ribs positioned angularly and uniformly about a central axis of the pencil cap, the pair of ribs being positioned adjacent to the opening and configured to cooperate with a non-sharp portion of the pencil, a surface configured to cooperate with a sharp end of the pencil, and a stop configured to cooperate with the non-sharp end of the pencil, wherein the stop and the surface are borne by an arresting rib, wherein each rib of the pair of ribs comprises a clamp configured to cooperate with the non-sharp portion of the pencil, the clamp having a fixed, inscribed diameter positioned in a plane perpendicular to an axial direction, and wherein the fixed, inscribed diameter is equal to or greater than about 95% of a minimum inscribed diameter of the pencil and less than or equal to about 99% of the minimum inscribed diameter of the pencil.

12. The pencil cap according to claim 11, wherein the clamp of each rib is triangular in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction, wherein an edge of the triangle contacts the pencil when received into the pencil cap.

13. The pencil cap according to claim 11, wherein the inscribed diameter of the clamp is configured such that a force in the axial direction for separating the pencil cap from the pencil is greater than 4 N and less than 40 N.

14. The pencil cap according to claim 11, wherein the pencil cap comprises three ribs and includes a hexagonal shape in a plane perpendicular to the central axis.

15. A cap for a pencil comprising a cap body and an opening sized to receive an end of the pencil, three internal ribs, uniformly distributed about a central axis of the cap, the three internal ribs located proximate to the opening and cooperating with a non-sharpened portion of the pencil, an arresting surface that is fixed with respect to the cap body, the arresting surface cooperating with a sharpened end of the pencil, and a stop cooperating with a non-sharpened end of the pencil, wherein the stop and the arresting surface are borne by at least a third rib of the three internal ribs, wherein the cap has a hexagonal shape in a perpendicular plane relative to the central axis.

16. A cap according to claim 15, wherein each of the internal ribs includes a triangular clamp in a plane perpendicular to an axial direction, an edge of the triangular clamp is in contact with the pencil when the pencil is inserted into the cap.

17. A cap according to claim 16, wherein the inscribed diameter of the triangular clamp is designed such that the force in the axial direction, for separating the cap from the pencil, is greater than 3 N and less than 50 N.

18. A cap according to claim 15, wherein each internal rib comprises a clamp designed to cooperate with the non-sharpened portion of the pencil, the clamp having, in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction, an inscribed diameter of more than or equal to 95% of the minimum inscribed diameter of the pencil with which the cap is designed to cooperate, and less than or equal to 99% of the minimum inscribed diameter of the pencil with which the cap is designed to cooperate.

19. A cap according to claim 1, wherein the inscribed diameter of the clamping part is designed such that the force in the axial direction, for separating the cap from the pencil, is greater than 4 N and less than 40 N.

20. The cap according to claim 15, wherein the arresting surface is configured to cooperate with the sharpened end of the pencil such that the lead of the pencil cannot be pushed into a base of the cap.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Other features of the disclosure will become clear from the following description of embodiments, given by way of non-limiting example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIGS. 1 and 2 are side views of a cap fitted onto a pencil;

(3) FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 are cross-sectional views of FIGS. 1 and 2, according to the sectional planes IV-IV, and V-V, respectively;

(4) FIGS. 6A and 6B are perspective views of the cap;

(5) FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the cap according to the sectional plane VII-VII of FIG. 6A;

(6) FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the cap according to the sectional plane VIII-VIII of FIG. 7;

(7) FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the cap according to the sectional plane IX-IX of FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(8) FIGS. 1 and 2 show a cap 10 that is immovably mounted on a pencil 12. In FIG. 1, the cap 10 is mounted on a sharpened end 14 of the pencil 12, i.e. the sharpened end 14 of the pencil 12 is inserted into the cap 10, as shown in FIG. 3. In FIG. 2, the cap 10 is mounted on a non-sharpened end 16 of the pencil 12, i.e. the non-sharpened end 16 of the pencil 12 is inserted into the cap 10, as shown in FIG. 4.

(9) The cap 10 comprises a clip 18 and an eraser 20 that is received in an eraser reception recess 22. The eraser reception recess 22 is visible in particular in FIG. 6A.

(10) With reference to FIGS. 6A and 6B, the cap 10 has a central axis A that defines an axial direction of the cap 10. The cap 10 comprises a cap body 24 to which the clip 18 is attached and in which the eraser reception recess 22 is arranged. The eraser reception recess 22 comprises ribs 60 that make it possible to retain the eraser 20 in the eraser reception recess 22 by means of radial clamping of the eraser 20 by the ribs 60.

(11) In the embodiment in the figures, the cap body 24 has a generally hexagonal cross-sectional shape in a sectional plane perpendicular to the central axis A, i.e. in a sectional plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the cap.

(12) The cap 10, and more particularly the cap body 24, comprises an insertion opening 26 that is designed for receiving the ends 14, 16 of the pencil 12.

(13) The cap 10, and more particularly the cap body 24, comprises an internal surface 28 that bears at least two internal ribs 30 that are angularly distributed in a uniform manner about the central axis A of the cap 10 and extend in the axial direction, i.e. in parallel with the central axis A.

(14) In the embodiment in the figures, the cap 10 comprises three internal ribs 30 that are angularly distributed in a uniform manner about the central axis A of the cap 10. The internal ribs 30 are distributed every 120°, as shown in particular in FIG. 9. The internal surface 28 of the cap 10 thus has alternating faces 32 bearing an internal rib 30 and faces 32 without a rib. Viewed in cross section, in a plane perpendicular to the central axis A, the internal ribs 30 are arranged in the center of the face 32.

(15) In the embodiment in the drawings, the cap 10 comprises an equal number of internal ribs 30 and arresting ribs 36, each arresting rib 36 being arranged in the extension of an internal rib 30. However, the number of arresting ribs 36 may be different from the number of internal ribs 30. It is possible that the arresting ribs 36 may not be distributed in a uniform manner about the central axis A of the cap 10. It is also possible that the arresting ribs 36 may not be arranged in the extension of an internal rib 30.

(16) As shown in FIG. 7, each internal rib 30 is arranged in the vicinity of the insertion opening 26, and one arresting rib 36 is arranged in the extension of each internal rib 30, so as to be opposite the insertion opening 26 with respect to the internal rib 30. In a plane perpendicular to the axial direction A, each internal rib 30 and each arresting rib 36 has an inscribed diameter. The inscribed diameter 38 of the internal rib 30 is greater than the inscribed diameter 40 of the arresting rib 36, as shown in FIG. 8.

(17) As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the internal rib 30 cooperates with a non-sharpened portion of the pencil 12, or with the non-sharpened end 16 of the pencil when the non-sharpened end 16 of the pencil is inserted into the cap 10, or with a non-sharpened portion 42 of the pencil 12 that is adjacent to the sharpened end 14 of the pencil 12 when the sharpened end 14 of the pencil 12 is inserted in the cap 10. It will therefore be understood that, when the pencil 12 is not inserted into the cap 10, the internal rib 30 is designed so as to cooperate with a non-sharpened portion of the pencil 12, or the non-sharpened end 16 of the pencil 12, or the non-sharpened part 42 of the pencil 12 that is adjacent to the sharpened end 14 of the pencil 12.

(18) The internal rib 30 comprises a guide surface 44 for guiding the non-sharpened portion of the pencil 12 during insertion of the pencil 12 into the cap 10, and a clamping part 46 that is designed to cooperate with the non-sharpened portion of the pencil 12. In a plane passing through the internal rib 30 and the central axis A of the cap 10, the guide surface 44 is at an angle α of 10°+/−0.5° relative to the central axis A.

(19) As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the clamping part 46 of the internal rib 30 is triangular in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction, i.e. in a plane perpendicular to the central axis A, an edge 54 of the triangle being designed so as to be in contact with the pencil 12 when the pencil 12 is inserted into the cap 10. The edge 54 of the triangle may be rounded, and the contact between the pencil 12 and the cap 10 is achieved along the rounded edge 54, between the edge 54 and an external surface of the pencil 12.

(20) The internal ribs 30, and more particularly the clamping part 46 of each internal rib 30, makes it possible to hold the non-sharpened portion of the pencil 12, by means of radial clamping between the clamping parts 46 of the non-sharpened portion of the pencil 12, when the pencil 12 is inserted into the cap 10.

(21) For example, the inscribed diameter 38 of the clamping part 46 of the cap 10 is more than or equal to 95% of the minimum inscribed diameter of the pencil 12, with which the cap 10 is designed to cooperate, and the inscribed diameter 38 of the clamping part 46 of the cap 10 is less than or equal to 99% of the minimum inscribed diameter of the pencil 12, with which the cap 10 is designed to cooperate.

(22) It is also possible to determine the inscribed diameter of the internal ribs 30 on the basis of the force to be exerted in the axial direction, in order to separate the cap 10 from the pencil 12. For example, the force to be exerted in the axial direction, for separating the cap 10 from the pencil 12, may be greater than 3 N, specifically greater than 4 N, and may be less than 50 N, specifically less than 40 N.

(23) The arresting rib 36 is designed so as to cooperate with the sharpened end 14 of the pencil 12 when the sharpened end 14 of the pencil 12 is inserted into the cap 10, and to cooperate with non-sharpened 16 of the pencil 12 when the sharpened end 16 of the pencil 12 is inserted in the cap 10.

(24) In particular, the arresting rib 36 comprises an arresting surface 48 that is designed to cooperate with the sharpened end 14 of the pencil 12. The arresting surface 48 is at an angle of 9°+/−0.5° with respect to the central axis A, and is arranged along a line of equation y=0.1584 x−0.6283, in a plane passing through the central axis A of the cap 10 and cutting the arresting surface 48. In the linear equation, the coordinate point x=0 is a point arranged on the internal surface 28 of a base 50 of the cap 10, i.e. the end that is opposite the insertion opening 26 of the cap 10, in the axial direction, and a coordinate point y=0 is a point arranged on the central axis A of the cap 10, the central axis A being arranged so as to be in parallel with the axial direction.

(25) In FIG. 7, a minimum distance 52 measured in the axial direction, between any point on the arresting surface 48, and the base 50 of the cap 10, is for example greater than or equal to 15 mm. Along the minimum distance 52, the arresting rib 36 has a gradient that forms an angle with the central axis A that is smaller than the angle β.

(26) The arresting rib 36 comprises a stop 58 that is designed to cooperate with the non-sharpened end 16 of the pencil 12. The stop 58 is a surface of the arresting rib 36 which is perpendicular to the central axis A, i.e. perpendicular to the axial direction.

(27) In the embodiment in the figures, each arresting rib 36 comprises a stop 58. However, the stop function may be obtained in a satisfactory manner by means of a stop 58 that is provided on just one of the arresting ribs 36, or at least in a design where some of the arresting ribs 36 do not comprise a stop. The stop 58 is arranged between the insertion opening 26 and the arresting surface 48.

(28) It is possible that the cap 10 may not comprise a stop 58. For example, the arresting surface 48 may extend towards the insertion opening 26, and the non-sharpened end 16 of the pencil 12 may come into abutment against the arresting surface 48 when the non-sharpened end 16 of the pencil 12 is inserted into the cap 10.

(29) As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the arresting rib 36 is rectangular in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction, i.e. in a plane perpendicular to the central axis A.

(30) As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the base 50 of the cap 10 comprises a plurality of through-openings 62.

(31) When the non-sharpened end 16 of the pencil 12 is inserted into the cap 10, the non-sharpened end 16 of the pencil 12 is guided and centered in the cap 10 by means of the guide surface 44. When the non-sharpened portion of the pencil 12, in the present case the non-sharpened end 16 of the pencil 12, reaches the clamping part 46 of the internal rib 30, the non-sharpened end 16 of the pencil 12 is held by means of radial clamping, exerted by means of cooperation of the clamping part 46 of each internal rib 30 on the external surface 56 of the pencil 12. The pencil 12 is inserted until the non-sharpened end 16 of the pencil 12 comes into abutment against the stops 58 of each arresting rib 36. The cap 10 is immovably mounted on the pencil 12. The sharpened end 14 of the pencil 12 could be used for writing.

(32) When the sharpened end 14 of the pencil 12 is inserted into the cap 10, the non-sharpened part 42 of the pencil 12 that is adjacent to the sharpened end 14 of the pencil 12 is guided and centered in the cap 10 by means of the guide surface 44. When the non-sharpened portion of the pencil 12, in the present case the non-sharpened part 42 of the pencil 12 that is adjacent to the sharpened end 14 of the pencil 12, reaches the clamping part 46 of the internal rib 30, the non-sharpened part 42 of the pencil 12 is held by means of radial clamping, exerted by means of cooperation of the clamping part 46 of each internal rib 30 on the external surface 56 of the pencil 12. The pencil 12 is inserted until the sharpened end 14 comes into abutment against the arresting surface 48 of each arresting rib. The cap 10 is immovably mounted on the pencil 12, and the sharpened end 14 of the pencil 12 is inserted into the cap 10, such that the sharpened end 14 of the pencil 12 is protected by the cap 10.

(33) For example, a hexagonal pencil 12 may be obtained by coextrusion of the pencil 12. The pencil 12 typically has an inscribed diameter 12A of 6.7 mm. In practice, the inscribed diameter of the pencil 12 may vary between 6.7 mm and 7 mm.

(34) The inscribed diameter 38 of the clamping part 46 of the internal ribs 30 will therefore be between 6.37 mm and 6.63 mm.

(35) The internal surface 28 of the cap 10 may be at an angle of between 0.25°+/−0.1° with respect to the central axis A, in order to facilitate demolding of the cap 10 during the manufacture thereof.

(36) Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to a specific embodiment, it is clear that various amendments and changes could be made to these embodiments without departing from the general scope as defined by the claims. Furthermore, individual features of the various embodiments mentioned may be combined in additional embodiments. Therefore, the description and the drawings should be considered to be illustrative rather than restrictive.

(37) For example, the cap 10 may be of a generally cylindrical shape. However, if there is a desire for a cylindrical cap to be able to be mounted on a hexagonal pencil, a rib height may be provided that is sufficiently large that the angles formed by two successive faces of the hexagon may be received in the cap.