A ballpoint pen is a pen that brings out the writing medium by rolling a ball on the front of a pen or refill.
The low price of ballpoint pens makes writing tools more accessible to the average person, making it easier to learn and write. And the ballpoint pen writes smoothly, which helps people to record and disseminate information. The fact that there is no need to dip in ink makes the ballpoint pen more convenient, saves time, and improves work and study efficiency. The mass production of ballpoint pens has promoted the development of plastics, metals and other related industries.
So do you know how the ballpoint pen was born?
First, the development process of ballpoint pen
A ballpoint pen is a pen made of metal or plastic, with a refill inside the cap and a piston to turn the pen barrel to write. In China, ballpoint pens first appeared in the early 50s of the 20th century. At that time, it was mainly made of steel balls, tungsten wire or glass fiber, and some also added preservatives and dyes, which had the characteristics of smooth writing and non-smearing paper.
In the late 60s of the 20th century, it was discovered that ballpoint pens made of plastic materials were lighter and easier to break. Therefore, a certain proportion of rubber or polyurethane and other materials are added to the plastic material to make a ballpoint pen refill with good writing performance and drop resistance.
In the 70s of the 20th century, the ballpoint pen had a new development. The bullet nib made of a special material makes the writing smooth, non-smudgetable, while the body is lighter and the refill is more portable. Large-capacity ballpoint pens and medium-oil pens made of resin, metal, glass, and other materials are constantly appearing. It is also constantly improving in terms of writing performance. Some ballpoint pens are not only smooth and non-smearable, but also waterproof, while others can write not only on paper but also on glass. For example, ballpoint pens made of water-based ink, ballpoint pens made of heat-sensitive ink, etc. Because the refill is mixed with liquid (ink) and paper or plastic, it can be written on paper or plastic, and can write English letters and numbers as well as Chinese characters.
Second, the working principle of the ballpoint pen
The working principle of the ballpoint pen is to use the ink beads in the refill to roll in the nib under pressure. Since the barrel is a hard material, its hardness is about 6-7 degrees, while the diameter of the ink bead sphere is generally 1-2 mm. As a result, the balls in the nib are constantly rolling out when they are stressed. Since there is an ink tube in the nib, the flow of ink in the ink tube is controlled by the water in the ink tube. When the ink bead in the refill rolls, the ink in the ink tube in the pen barrel increases due to the action of water, and the nib is subjected to upward pressure; when the ink bead in the refill stops rolling, the ink in the pen barrel decreases, and the nib is subjected to downward pressure. During the flow of ink, there is a relative movement between the ink beads in the barrel. When the ink bead in the nib rolls to a certain point (about 2/3 of the barrel length), the ink in the refill begins to stop flowing due to the downward movement of the center of gravity. Since there is a cone on the outside of the barrel to support its weight. So when the bead rolls, it doesn't fall off. The barrel of a ballpoint pen is generally made of hard plastic (some are made of metal or ceramic material) because of its high hardness and strength.
3. Advantages of ballpoint pens
Easy to use, easy to carry, smooth writing, no ink leakage, clear handwriting, not easy to erase, long service life. And the popularity rate is high, the sales are huge, and today the ballpoint pen has sold more than 120 billion copies worldwide.
(Source: "Weinan Radio and Television Station" compiled and edited)