Writing, drawing, marking and/or painting utensil or cosmetics implement or input device for contact-sensitive surfaces, and method for producing the same

Abstract

A writing, drawing, marking and/or painting utensil or cosmetics implement or input device for contact-sensitive surfaces, wherein the utensil/implement/device includes at least one shank element made of plastics material or a plastics-containing wood substitute. The at least one shank element has a surface, or in that the at least one shank element has a surface which is sheathed in a material layer having a cover surface. The surface of the shank element or the cover surface of the material layer is in the form of a haptic and/or non-slip layer. The haptic and/or non-slip layer has a structure formed in one piece with the shank element and/or the material layer. The structure is formed by corrugation.

Claims

1. A method for producing a writing, drawing, marking and/or painting utensil or cosmetic implement or input device for touch-sensitive surfaces, wherein the utensil comprises at least one shaft element formed from plastic material or plastic-containing wood substitute, wherein the at least one shaft element has a surface or the at least one shaft element has surface which is sheathed with a material layer having a covering surface, wherein the surface of the shaft element or the covering surface of the material layer is formed as a tactile and/or non-slip layer, wherein the tactile and/or non-slip layer has a structure, wherein the structure is formed in one piece with the shaft element and/or the material layer, and wherein the structure is formed by a corrugation, the method comprising the steps of: cascade extrusion, wherein a bare pencil, having a lead, optional bonding agent and a shaft element, is extruded into a rod preform; freezing a geometry of the rod preform by cooling; applying a deformable or corrugatable material layer to the rod preform by a second transverse extrusion; and expanding the deformable material layer into cavities of a corrugator.

2. A method for producing a writing, drawing, marking and/or painting utensil or cosmetic implement or input device for touch-sensitive surfaces, wherein the utensil comprises at least one shaft element formed from plastic material or plastic-containing wood substitute, wherein the at least one shaft element has a surface or the at least one shaft element has a surface which is sheathed with a material layer having a covering surface, wherein the surface of the shaft element or the covering surface of the material layer is formed as a tactile and/or non-slip layer, wherein the tactile and/or non-slip layer has a structure, wherein the structure is formed in one piece with the shaft element and/or the material layer, and wherein the structure is formed by a corrugation, the method comprising the steps of: extrusion of a shaft body formed as a hollow profile into a rod preform; freezing a geometry of the rod preform by cooling; applying a deformable or corrugatable material layer to the rod preform by a second transverse extrusion; and expanding the deformable material layer into cavities of a corrugator.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) FIG. 1: shows a longitudinal section perpendicular to the transverse axis through a utensil in accordance with the invention.

(2) FIG. 2: shows a longitudinal section perpendicular to the transverse axis through another embodiment of a utensil in accordance with the invention.

(3) FIG. 3: shows a longitudinal section perpendicular to the transverse axis through a utensil in accordance with the invention in the form of a fine lead pencil.

(4) FIG. 4: shows a utensil in the form of a fibre-tip pen, in longitudinal section perpendicular to the transverse axis.

(5) FIG. 5: shows a longitudinal section perpendicular to the transverse axis through a utensil in accordance with the invention.

(6) FIG. 6: shows a longitudinal section perpendicular to the transverse axis through a utensil in accordance with the invention.

(7) FIG. 7: shows a longitudinal section perpendicular to the transverse axis through a utensil in accordance with the invention.

(8) FIG. 8: shows a longitudinal section perpendicular to the transverse axis through a utensil in accordance with the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(9) FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section through a writing, drawing, marking and/or painting utensil or cosmetic implement or input device for touch-sensitive surfaces 10 in accordance with the invention, which comprises a lead 1 in the centre with a diameter m which is surrounded by a shaft element 2 with the wall thickness s. The shaft element 2 may, for example, be formed from plastic material or a plastic-containing wood substitute. The lead 1 is disposed in a compartment 5. On the outside of the shaft element 2 is a deformable material layer 3 with a minimum wall thickness fn and a maximum wall thickness fh. The height of the structures is given by the difference between the wall thicknesses fh and fn. The structures are produced by means of the corrugation process.

(10) FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal section through a further embodiment of a utensil 10 in accordance with the invention, which comprises a lead 1 in the centre with a diameter m which is surrounded by a shaft element 2. The lead 1 is disposed in the compartment 5. The shaft element 2 must be formed from a material which can be extruded and, after completion of the extrusion, must also be at a temperature which is appropriate for deforming operations. In this manner, the shaft element 2 may be formed from plastic material or plastic-containing wood substitute, for example. The shaft element 2 can be deformed by corrugation and has a minimum wall thickness fn and a maximum wall thickness fh.

(11) FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal section through a utensil 10 in the form of a fine lead pencil which has at its centre a fine lead 1a with a diameter m. The shaft element 2 with wall thickness s surrounds the lead tube 4 with wall thickness r in which the fine lead 1a is housed. The lead tube 4 with the fine lead 1a housed therein is disposed in the compartment 5. The shaft element 2 may, for example, be formed from plastic material or plastic-containing wood substitute. A deformable material layer 3 is disposed on the shaft element 2, which material layer has a minimum wall thickness fn and a maximum wall thickness fh.

(12) FIG. 4 shows a utensil 10 which has an ink reservoir 1b with diameter m in the centre which is surrounded by the shaft element 2 with wall thickness s. The ink reservoir 1b is disposed in the compartment 5, wherein the compartment is limited radially outwardly by the shaft element 2. The shaft element 2 may, for example, be formed from plastic material or plastic-containing wood substitute. A deformable material layer 3 is disposed on the shaft element 2, which material layer has a minimum wall thickness fn and a maximum wall thickness fh, as already shown with respect to the preceding figures.

(13) FIG. 5 also shows a utensil 10 in accordance with the invention which has a fine lead 1a with diameter m in the centre. The fine lead 1a is disposed in the lead tube 4. The lead tube 4 with the fine lead 1a disposed therein is itself disposed in the compartment 5. The shaft element 2 surrounds the lead tube 4 and must be formed from a material which can be corrugated. The shaft element 2 may, for example, be formed from thermoplastic plastic material or plastic-containing wood substitute which is shaped by corrugation and has a minimum wall thickness fn and a maximum wall thickness fh.

(14) The utensil 10 of FIG. 6 has an ink reservoir 1b in the centre. The ink reservoir 1b is disposed in the compartment 5 in the usual manner with utensils of this type. The shaft element 2 surrounds the ink reservoir 1b and in this embodiment must also be formed from a material which can be corrugated. The shaft element 2 may, for example, be formed from plastic material or plastic-containing wood substitute. The shaft element 2 shaped by corrugation has a minimum wall thickness fn and a maximum wall thickness fh. The difference between the minimum and maximum wall thicknesses provides the shape of the raised structures.

(15) FIG. 7 shows a further embodiment of a utensil 10. The utensil comprises a compartment 5 which is radially delimited by the shaft element 2 with a wall thickness s. The compartment 5, for example in the form of a shaft element, acts to accommodate any writing medium. The shaft element 2 may, for example, be formed from plastic material or plastic-containing wood substitute. The surface of the shaft element 2 is surrounded by a deformable material layer 3, wherein a minimum wall thickness fn and a maximum wall thickness fh are provided.

(16) In similar manner to FIG. 7, FIG. 8 shows a utensil 10 in accordance with the invention for accommodating any writing medium in the compartment 5, which has a compartment 5 in the centre. The shaft element 2 surrounds the compartment 5 and in this embodiment has to be formed from a corrugatable material. The shaft element 2 may, for example, be formed from thermoplastic plastic or a wood substitute containing a thermoplastic plastic material. The shaft element 2 is shaped by corrugation and has a minimum wall thickness fn and a maximum wall thickness fh.

(17) In accordance with the invention, any type of hollow profile may be produced with this method and thus be provided with an external raised structure. However, solid profiles or solid bodies may be provided with raised structures using the corrugation method.

(18) The object of the invention is achieved by means of a method for the production of a writing, drawing, marking and/or painting utensil or cosmetic implement or input device for touch-sensitive surfaces which has a profiled surface.

(19) Methods will now be described; in the first method, a utensil in the form of a solid body is produced, and in the second method, a hollow body is produced as a shaft element.

(20) The method for the production of the utensil in accordance with the invention as a solid body comprises the following steps: cascade extrusion, wherein a bare pencil, consisting of a lead, optional bonding agent and shaft element, is extruded into a rod preform, freezing the geometry of the rod preform by means of cooling, applying a deformable or corrugatable material layer to the rod preform by means of a second transverse extrusion, expanding the deformable material layer into the cavities of the corrugator.

(21) This has proved effective when the at least one deformable material layer is a thermoplastic. The thermoplastic comprises at least one polymer from the group of polyolefins or styrene block polymers with chemical exo- or endothermic blowing agents.

(22) Furthermore, particularly advantageously, the blowing agent is selected from the group comprising azodicarbinamide or oxybis benzenesulphonyl hydrazide.

(23) During this corrugation, in contrast to the known corrugation art, a hollow body is not necessarily used, but rather a solid body. In this regard, the solid body is sheathed with a deformable layer so that only this layer expands into the cavities of the corrugator and thus only the outer structure of the utensil is altered by corrugation. It is thus not necessary to use a vacuum, which could possibly result in destruction of the internal structure of the pre-extruded utensil.

(24) However, the method for the production of a utensil in accordance with the invention provided in the form of a hollow body or hollow profile can be described by the following steps: extrusion of a shaft body in the form of a hollow profile into a rod preform, freezing the geometry of the rod preform by means of cooling, applying a deformable or corrugatable material layer to the rod preform by means of a second transverse extrusion, expanding the deformable material layer into the cavities of the corrugator.

(25) As can be discerned from the descriptions in respect of FIGS. 2, 5, 6 and 8, the rod preform does not necessarily have to be coated with a material for the purposes of corrugation. Both for solid and for hollow bodies in the form of shaft elements, it is possible to introduce or produce the raised structures directly using the corrugation of the method. To this end, the shaft element must be formed from a thermoplastic material.

(26) The methods in this regard are constituted as follows.

(27) By means of cascade extrusion a raw rod consisting of a lead, optional bonding agent and shaft element, is extruded into a rod preform. On this rod preform, raised structures are produced by expansion or deformation of the still deformable thermoplastic material of the shaft element by means of the cavities of the corrugator.

(28) Alternatively, a shaft body or shaft element formed as a hollow profile is produced by extrusion to form a rod preform. By expansion or deformation of the deformable shaft material into or through the cavities of the corrugatoror, raised structures are produced.

(29) Depending on the extrusion head, the cross-section of the writing, drawing, marking and/or painting utensil or cosmetic implement or input device for touch-sensitive surfaces may assume a variety of shapesround, angled or combinations thereof.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(30) 10 writing, drawing, marking and/or painting utensil or cosmetic implement or input device for touch-sensitive surfaces 1 lead 1a fine lead 1b ink reservoir 2 shaft element 3 material layer 4 lead tube 5 compartment 6 covering surface