The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 10, 2009
Filed:
Jun. 25, 2008
David C. Brower, Wake Forest, NC (US);
Selcuk S. Eren, Chapel Hill, NC (US);
Robert J. Heider, Durham, NC (US);
Dean F. Herring, Youngsville, NC (US);
Leo P. Richard, Raleigh, NC (US);
Craig W. Turner, Raleigh, NC (US);
Philip M. Woodward, Cary, NC (US);
David C. Brower, Wake Forest, NC (US);
Selcuk S. Eren, Chapel Hill, NC (US);
Robert J. Heider, Durham, NC (US);
Dean F. Herring, Youngsville, NC (US);
Leo P. Richard, Raleigh, NC (US);
Craig W. Turner, Raleigh, NC (US);
Philip M. Woodward, Cary, NC (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
A pen retention device including a pen, a tether, a retracting reel in operable communication with the tether, and a bracket releasably securing the retracting reel therein is disclosed. The pen retention bracket includes four surfaces that define a rectangular cavity having four sides and a top and bottom opening. A first protrusion and a second protrusion are disposed upon a first surface and extend from the first surface toward a second surface, a distance between the first protrusion and the second protrusion greater than a height of the pen tether retracting reel. The first surface is responsive to an application of force to the pen tether retracting reel to elastically deform and increase a depth between the second surface and at least one of the first protrusion and the second protrusion, thereby releasing the pen tether retracting reel via either of the top opening and the bottom opening.