EP0142239A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Ceramic liquid transfer ball and pen containing such ball
Assignee: Corning Glass Works
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Filing: 1984-09-11
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2004-09-11
Abstract
Abstract A liquid transfer ball formed from sintered zirconium oxide particles which exhibits utility as the ball element (60) of a ball pen writing instrument to transfer ink from an ink reservoir to a writing surface such a 5 paper The ball exhibits a porosity of less than 8% by volume and is immune to corrosive action of inks.
Inventors
- 👤 John Noel Hansson
- 👤 Herbert Loyal Johns
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 09:53
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41K; B41K1/00; B41K1/08; B43; B43K; B43K1/00; B43K1/08; B43K1/082; C; C04; C04B; C04B35/00; C04B35/01; C04B35/48; C04B35/486
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
11 words
A liquid transfer ball formed of a ceramic comprising zircomium oxide
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
11 words
A liquid transfer ball formed of a ceramic comprising zircomium oxide
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
A liquid transfer ball according to claim 1, wherein zirconium oxide is the major analytical constituent of the ceramic.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
A liquid transfer ball according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the ball has a porosity of less than 8 percent as determined by optical image analysis of a polished section.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
51 words
A liquid transfer ball according to any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the zirconium oxide is at least partially stabilized by a stabilizer which produces at least one phase selected from cubic and tetragonal zirconia at elevated temperatures and which phase tends to be retained upon cooling to room temperature.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
90 words
A liquid transfer ball according to claim 4, wherein the composition of the ball is represented by the molar formula where R represents at least one element from the group consisting of elements of Group II-A, Group III-B, and the lanthanide series of the Periodic Table which form cations with stable +2, +3 and +4 valences in the oxide, x represents a number having a value from about 0.05 to about 0.3 and y and z represent numbers having values necessary to make (R y O z ) electrically neutral.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
A liquid transfer ball according to claim 5 wherein the stabilizer is selected from the group consisting of CaO, MgO, Y 2 0 3 and mixtures thereof.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
54 words
A liquid transfer ball according to claim 6,wherein the stabilizer is an oxide selected from CaO, MgO, and Y 2 0 3 and where the amount of each oxide, based upon the total weight of the ball is: 2.6 to 5.5% MgO, 3.0 to 10% CaO, and 4.0 to 16% Y 2 0 3'
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
A liquid transfer ball according to any of claims 1 to 7, formed of zirconium oxide powder having an average particle size not greater than one micron.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
23 words
A liquid transfer ball according to claim 8, formed of zirconium oxide powder having an average particle size not greater than 0.6 micron.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
54 words
A liquid transfer ball according to any of claims 1 to 9, which is produced by first forming a sintered mass of at least partially stabilized zirconium oxide, the sintered mass exhibiting porosity, as determined by optical image analysis of a polished section, and then hot isostatically pressing the mass to reduce its porosity.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
40 words
A lqiud transfer ball according to claim 10, wherein the sintered mass is formed of particles whose average particle size is greater than one micron and exhibits a porosity of at least about 10 percent prior to hot isostatic pressing.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
42 words
A liquid transfer device including a hollow tip, adapted to be placed in communication with a liquid container, and a liquid transfer ball seated in the hollow tip in protruding relation, the liquid transfer ball formed of a ceramic comprising zirconium oxide.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
42 words
A liquid transfer device including a hollow tip, adapted to be placed in communication with a liquid container, and a liquid transfer ball seated in the hollow tip in protruding relation, the liquid transfer ball formed of a ceramic comprising zirconium oxide.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
19 words
A liquid transfer device according to claim 12, wherein zirconium oxide is the major analytic constituent of the ceramic.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
31 words
A liquid transfer device according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the ball has a.porosity of less than about 8 percent as determined by optical image analysis of a polished section.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
24 words
A liquid transfer device according to any of claims 12 to 14, wherein the zirconium oxide is at least partially stabilized by a stabilizer.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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