A few years ago, I was developing "MagneScribe: 3-in-1 Auto-Retractable Ballpoint Pen", which uses a patented technology to automatically retract the writing tip of the pen.
The invention takes advantage of laws of physics in order to achieve very careful balance between the magnetic attraction force and the mechanical force of the spring so that the user can experience ultimate simplicity, i.e., Hooke's Law and Young's Modulus, singularity due to Earnshaw's Theorem, Inverse-Square Law, Magneto-Mechanical Hysteresis, Ferromagnetic Amplification, etc. Its key components are 2 strong rare-earth magnets (1 disc magnet and 1 ring magnet).
The side effect of the auto-retraction feature is a cushion effect. At first, I was not comfortable with this undesirable effect at all. However, I have come to like the cushion effect so much that I cannot live without it now. That is how the cushion effect has become a marketable feature, giving the user extreme comfort during writing. The product is described as "MagneScribe: a 3-in-1 Auto-Retractable Ballpoint Pen with an Ergonomic Cushion that Leonardo da Vinci would have loved to wear!".
I submitted a prototype of the invention to several manufacturers including BiC, but I was met with rejection after rejection. In 2008, BiC introduced ReAction ball pen with D-Flexion Technology. Just like the MagneScribe, there is a cushion spring that acts as a "shock absorber". Unfortunately, my patent claims auto-retractable feature plus the cushion effect, as I was not thinking about a product with the cushion effect alone. So, my patent is unenforceable against BiC's ReAction ball pen. :-(
I am proud to have developed and commercialised such an engineering marvel. However, the product turned out to be a flop on the market, despite a professionally-produced TV infomercial. I have sold fewer than 1 000 units on Amazon and on eBay, and the battery of the remaining stock has expired. I am hoping that the product will become a collector's item because of the recent shortage of rare-earth magnets. :-)
