Pen how does it work

Gravity pulls the ink in the refill cartridge towards the tip of the pen, coating one half of the bearing ball. As the writer moves the tip of the pen across a paper, the bearing ball rotates in its socket, transferring ink from the inside of the ink reservoir to the paper. Simultaneously, on the inside of the pen, the other half of the sphere is re-coated with ink, creating a cycle of coating, rotation, and transference. This results in a fluid and consistent release of ink, which is what allows the writer to scribble for pages on end without pause.

Above: the special thixotropic ink used in a pressurized Fisher Space Pen Refill. While it is often overlooked by casual users, the type of ink in a pen is crucial to the functionality and effectiveness of it. In fact, the fundamental difference between ballpoint, fountain, and rollerball pens is not really in their structure, but in the type of ink that they use. The bearing ball mechanism of the ballpoint pen was actually invented specifically to suit an oil-based ink, because the fountain pen did not work with this type of ink.

Uniquely, ballpoint pens employ a thick, viscous ink formula in their cartridges. Because of its bearing ball mechanism, ballpoints are best suited to this oil-based ink as it comes out of the tip much slower than water or even gel-based inks.

It is also much more practical and convenient, as each cartridge has a longer lifespan than those of rollerball or fountain pens, and the ink dries very quickly, thereby preventing smudging. Anyone who has ever found themselves bored in a meeting, with nothing but a pen for entertainment, will be familiar with the general components of a classic ballpoint pen retraction mechanism.

But what exactly do each of those parts do, and how do they work together to create that satisfying click that we all know and love? The two major components of the retraction mechanism include the springs and the thrust device. The thrust device itself is made up of several parts which interlock and rotate, switching between two formations: a longer, extended position, and a shorter, compressed position.

In its simplest sense, when the cap is clicked, the thrust device pushes down the ink cartridge and rotates, locking itself in the extended position. Conversely, when the cap is clicked again, the thrust device rotates and locks itself in the compressed position, pulling the ink cartridge back into the barrel, sequestered for future use.

Truly, the makeup and mechanism of the ballpoint pen is a brilliant design. It is fundamentally very simple, but has had the impact of a much more detailed and complex invention. As something that is taken for granted in our lives every day, the ballpoint pen certainly deserves unequivocal appreciation. Hopefully, by helping writers to better understand how the ballpoint works, we can build that appreciation, one click at a time. Unsubscribe any time. An active stylus is usually larger than a passive stylus described below because of the internal electronic components.

Like the active stylus, you can tap or write directly on a screen with a passive stylus also called a capacitive stylus. Other times the stylus and ink pen are on the same side and the ink pen tip extends through a hole in the stylus, like this:.

Around 3, BCE the Sumerians of Sumer in what was then Mesopotamia and is now the Persian Gulf region used a reed stylus to write on wet clay tablets. The Sumerians are considered the creators of civilization, so leave it to them to be blazing trails for us in the stylus area as well. Over time stylus materials have included metal, bone, ivory, feathers quills , and wood.

Though the composition has changed, the tool is still used in much the same way: to push, draw, or write and swipe! A worthy goal and worthy tool as well! Here at National Pen we specialize in customizing a large selection of capacitive stylus pens with your logo , slogan, text, or other messaging.

In addition, we combine the stylus functionality with a ballpoint pen so your recipients can put it to use twice as often, advertising your branding all the while. For thousands of years we humans have used the stylus tool to communicate. Times change, technology changes, but the need to communicate remains constant.

So get on the stylus train and ride into the future. Customize a stylus with your company, cause, or special occasion and your branding comes along for the ride, too!

Will your customized stylus be used to sign a tax return? A ballpoint pen works like a bottle of roll-on deodorant. These photos thanks, How Stuff Works!

Think of the ink as the deodorant—pee-yew! And the paper is your arm pit—did we say pee-yew?! Once the tip touches paper it gets freshly coated with ink and then…let the writing and deodorizing commence. The stick pen has the same ball-and-socket AKA roll-on deodorant functionality at the tip, but the cartridge is not retractable.

The stick pen tip requires no extending or retracting—just a cap. Folks who love the stick pen? Those partial to cap-chewing, straight-forward engineering, and the notable absence of clicking.

If this is your target audience, check these out:. Rather than a ball-and-socket system to control ink flow like the ballpoint pen, the fountain pen uses a series of internal channels and air pockets that control the flow of ink from the cartridge to the paper. Think of the fountain pen like a water system where the ink reservoir leads to various rivers, streams and creeks ending in ink on paper.

The regulation of ink flow is key. The fountain pen is for letter writers, deep thinkers, and those slightly partial to anachronistic pursuits. Zebra Fountain Pen.

And for a deep dive into all things fountain pen, ExplainThatStuff does not disappoint. Given the above smorgasbord of parts of a pen and related tidbits we just tossed your way, you may feel a bit tickled, intrigued, baffled, or vexed.

We hope not the latter but we understand. We commend you for getting this far and encourage you to give yourself a pat on the back. Whether you want to jump in on this hot new marketing trend or just want….