Abstract: A capillary wick running through the reservoir so that at least a portion of the capillary wick along the longitudinal axis is in direct contact with the liquid within the reservoir. This allows liquid in the reservoir to convey to a tip with minimal flow resistance. As such, a sufficient amount of liquid is provided to the tip, even when the writing instrument is used in quick strokes or for a long duration of time. In a writing position, a capillary storage is above the reservoir so that the capillary storage remains substantially dry without the head pressure affecting the capillary storage. The present invention is also directed to providing a porous divider wall between a reservoir that is below the storage, but without a capillary wick. Here, the porous divider wall is used to regulate air flow into the reservoir. Without the capillary wick, the unit costs and the manufacturing costs are substantially reduced.

Abstract: A fluid dispensing utensil, such as a writing utensil, includes a container (20) defining a first storage area (11) for storing fluid, a second storage area (25) and an opening therebetween, a tip (15), a capillary conveying line (14) extending from the opening through at least a portion of the second storage area to the tip, and a capillary storage (16) associated with the second storage area and in direct contact with the conveying line. A porous shroud (28) may also be provided. Even still, the capillary conveying line and the capillary storage may be a unitary fibrous structure where the fibers are aligned along the longitudinal axis defined by the tip and the opening.