REFILL ADAPTOR
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an adaptor to be used for making a refill for
using in ball point pen. The invention particularly relates to a refill adaptor to
be used in making a refill in relation to ball point pen using mini tips.
PRIOR ART
There are two types of refill available commonly in the market-
i) Refill using adaptor, BIC style type ball point tips, refill tube and ink. The
shank diameter of the adaptor is usually around 4.00 mm.
ii) Refill using ball point pen tips like pilot, D6, D4, Ohto, Zebra, etc, refill tube
and ink. In this refill, there is no possibility to use mini tips.
In the conventional ball point pens, the tips are made from wires of brass or
nickel silver alloy having an average diameter between 2.00 and 2.30 mm. The
conventional type of ball point pens suffer from disadvantages. One of the
drawbacks is that it requires extra material in making the tip with bigger
diameter wire than what is actually required in the mini tips having lesser wire
diameter of 1.6mm. Further, there is no adaptor available in the market which
could accommodate tips made from lesser diameter wire. Thus the cost of the
existing ball pen refills can be reduced by making them adaptable for use with
mini tips by using newly designed adaptor.

In the conventional ball point pens using BIC style refills, refills are made
using adaptor, BIC style ball point tips, refill tube and ink. There are two types
of refills available in the market and widely used wherein the tips are made
from wire of brass or nickel silver alloy having a diameter ranging between
2.00 and 2.30 mm. It has been found that the diameter between 2.00 and
2.30 mm was necessary to make the refill to have adequate ink in the ball
point pen. The main disadvantage associated with known ball point pen is that
at present all known adaptors for refills uses ball pen tips made from 2.00 -
2.30 mm brass / NS wire. Further, there is no adaptor whereby 1.50 - 1.65
mm diameter wire tips can be used in any refill. It has therefore been the
endeavor of the applicant to mitigate these drawbacks of the conventional ball
point pens and to make a ball point pen using an adaptor for refill of no less
strength but of less material and thereby reducing the cost considerably.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Thus one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a ball point pen
having an adaptor for refill for using particularly in BIC style ball point pens
using mini tips made from 1.50 - 1.65 mm diameter wire of brass or nickel
silver alloy.
Thus resulting in reducing the cost of the refill without any alteration in the
ball point pens or the ink quantity necessary for adequate writing.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention a refill adaptor suitable for ball point pen
essentially comprising a main body having a front cone portion, a rear shank
having an inner shank portion and an outer shank portion; said inner shank
and said outer shank being moulded together to said front cone with a ring
member so as to form a continuous body to be fitted to the front portion of the
ball point pen and for housing a refill tube along its longitudinal axis.

In the above mentioned refill adaptor, the outer diameter of the outer shank is
approximately 3.95 - 4.05 mm and the inner diameter is about 2.8 mm.
A refill adaptor of the present invention has an outer diameter of the inner
shank of about 1.7 mm and the inner hole diameter of approximately 0.8 mm
for free flow of ink.
A refill adaptor wherein the tip of the refill is housed within the housing
moulded together with the front cone so as to hold the refill tip along the
longitudinal axis of the refill.
A refill adaptor wherein the rear end of said inner shank rigidly moulded
together to the front portion of the housing which holds the refill tube with ink
filled into it.
The present invention therefore provides a new ball point pen refill with an
adaptor which is much more economical. Further, such adaptor also saves the
cost of the material of the tip.
With the newly designed adaptors, one can use 1.50 - 1.65 mm diameter wire
ball pen tips in the BIC type refills which are not possible without the present
invention.
The advantages of the new adaptor is to use 1.50 - 1.65 mm diameter wire ball
pen tips in the BIC type refills, thereby cutting cost as compared to 2.00 -
2.30 mm diameter ball pen tips.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The improved refill adaptor of the present invention is described herein below
with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein-
Figure 1 shows a side plan of the refill adaptor of the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a section of the refill adaptor of the present invention; and
Figure 3 shows the refill adaptor of the present invention fitted with a refill tip
and refill tube.
With reference to the accompanying drawings, the refill adaptor essentially
comprises a main body (10) as illustrated having a front cone (15) and a rear
shank (20). The said rear shank (20) is integrally rigidly connected to the
front cone (15) through a ring (25) so as to form a housing for the ball point
refill tube. The front cone, the rear shank and the ring member may preferably
be moulded together so as to form one integrated piece.
Figure 2 shows a cross section of the refill adaptor having an inner shank (18),
an outer shank (20), a housing (30) for the ball pen tip of the refill and a
channel (40) for said refill adaptor. Said housing (30) and said channel (40)
are connected together in a manner as illustrated in Figure 2 and are housed
within said adaptor to accommodate the refill tube as illustrated in Figure 3
for free flow of ink.
Figure 3 shows a housing (30) through which the ball pen tip (35) is inserted
and remain in position with the help of the rear end (45) of the inner shank
while the refill tube (50) remains slideably housed within the main ball point
pen body without touching the housing of the tip (30).
Figures 2 and 3 illustrate an ink channel (40) which extends from the tip (35)
and is fitted between the housing of the tip and the rear end (45) of the inner
shank.
It will be apparent from the drawings that the adaptor is used in relation to
BIC type ball pens having the refill fitting hole diameter of 3.95 - 4.05 mm for
the fitment of the adaptor.

It is known among persons skilled in the art that the main difference between
the ordinary and BIC type tipped refill are as follows-
a) The tip used is BIC type while the ordinary refill uses pilot, D6, D4,
Ohto, Zebra or such other type of tips without adaptor.
b) There is no adaptor in ordinary type of refills enabling it to use 1.6 mm
wire mini tip.
c) The BIC type refills are front loading while the ordinary refills are rear
loading
BIC is a trade mark of BIC Corporation, France.

WE CLAIM:
1. A refill adaptor for using in a BIC style ball point pen essentially
comprising a main body (10), a front cone (15), a rear shank having an
inner shank portion (18) and an outer shank portion (20); said inner
shank portion (18) and said outer shank portion (20) being fitted to said
front cone (15) with a ring member (25) so as to form a continuous body
to be fitted to the front portion of the ball point pen and for housing a
refill tip and tube along its longitudinal axis to form a ball point pen
refill.
2. A refill adaptor as claimed in claim 1 wherein the outer diameter
of said outer shank (20) is approximately 3.95 - 4.05 mm and an inner
diameter of about 2.8 mm.
3. A refill adaptor as claimed in claim 2 wherein the outer diameter
of said inner shank is about 1.7 mm and the inner diameter of the inner
shank is approximately 0.8 mm.
4. A refill adaptor as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the tip
of the refill (35) is housed within the housing (30) fitted to the front cone
(15) so as to hold the refill tube (50) along the longitudinal axis of the
adaptor.
5. A refill adaptor as claimed in claim 4 wherein said refill tube is
so shaped to be accommodated in the rear portion of the housing of said
tip portion.

6. A refill adaptor as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the rear end
(45) of said inner shank rigidly sits on the front portion of the housing
within said refill tube (50).

ABSTRACT OF THE INVENTION

REFILL ADAPTOR
A refill adaptor for using in a BIC style ball point pen essentially
comprising a main body (10), a front cone (15), a rear shank having an
inner shank portion (18) and an outer shank portion (20). The said inner
shank portion (18) and said outer shank portion (20) are fitted to said
front cone (15) with a ring member (25) so as to form a continuous body
to be fitted to the front portion of the ball point pen and for housing a
refill tip and tube along its longitudinal axis to form a ball point pen
refill.